The Washington times., 1916-02-10
PHOTOPLAYS. AND
PHOTOPLA YERS
BY GARDNER MACK.
How the Dimensions
of a Five Foot Film
Kiss May Be
Determined
Rv GARDNER MACK.

How long is a perfectly proper
kissY
At first blush It would appear that
this query should have been set up a
page or so to the left where the
bright blonde type of the learned
Annie Laurie reflects it's rays from
the lamp o. knowledge. AS a mat
ter of fact, it belongs right here,
where II is placed, because the mo-
tion picture patrons are becoming
very much exercised and confused
over the reports of 'ten-fOot" or
a ''tive-foot" kiss. depending upon
which State board of censors mea-
sures the osculatory exercise as 1t Is
illustrated in a motion picture film.
How many motion picture patrons
know how long. in linear feet, a mo
tion picture kiss usually is? And
how many OF them have taken the
trouble to figure out how long It
should he, without passing the
bounds nt propriety or what the oc-
caslon calls for? Charming Pollock
is authority for the statement that
in some States the historic Car
men, kiss hA1 been reduced to "a
paternal peck" by what system of
measurements is the exact length OF
q kiss determined?
Any average person VIII admit this
series of queries is entirely too much
for him, and even Annie Laurie,
who knows all about that sort or
thing. declares the questions have
hen gasping for air. And yet 1t II
a very simple matter to find out just
what "ten-toot kiss" is-or a live
foot kiss
Two eystems OF measurement are
called into service-the standard of
time and the standard of the linear
foot. The motion picture is crea-
ton of. the science of optics. Fmi-
nent authorities on optics tell us
that the muscles and nerves of the
normal eye can separate but eight
distinct movements in q second of
time. That Is all they can accom-
modate themselves to detect. There
are abnnrmally developed eyes, how
ever, that can detect up to thirteen
or fourteen. And so when motion
pictures were invented in order to
have the images move with ahsO-
lutely smoothness, so that no parts
of the motion could be separated
and thus make the movement ierky.
1t was necessary to get more than
fourteen. The lense, having no
nerves or muscles 10 move. can de-
tect an indefinite number of move
ments.
Therefore in the average. proper
ly exhibited, motion picture lilm
there are at least sixteen distinct
positions shown every Second--Cro-
Vided the :igure moves at all. To
most people. even the patrons OF the
film plays, il is not known that
each of these sixteen separate move
ments is actually photographed as
though it(were picture to its
self. In other words the film is not
drawn through the camera like one
would unwind srool of thread. in
contrary is the case. The film stops
before the lcnse, for exactly the
sixteenth part of a second it Is OK
posed To the picture, the shutter
then closes and another bit OF Tilm
Is drawn into place.
If the picture were made by pull
ing the film through the camera
smoothly there woull be nothing
but a fCw blurred strealls on IT
when 1t was developed. And, by
the way it TGight interest patrons
Of the phOtoplay to know that the
patents covering the various de
vices for catching and holding the
fIlm and opening the shutter
simultaneously, are the patents
that have caused all the litigation
in the motion picture business.
Understanding these facts, It i;
comparatively easy 10 arAVe al
the length Of Il kiss. Sixteen u;
lures thdl enter into seco al:
showing Cf a film play make e.
arrlv one foot Cf film. Theref1r,
80. % kiss is exactly ;iv,
seconds long. 81 ten i"Ct kiss" iua
ten secOnus I"hE. and so on. .\nt
anybody IAN aTrice OF the eHh"
time it takPs nv timing IL with th'
second hand OF watch. Any per
son OF an Investigating turn o
mind who wishes 10 go into Jh'
matter more deeply--but tina
brings the query out OF this dc
partment and into the blindinI
lamps Of Annie Laurie.
G. NJ.