Evening star., 1922-03-26
Pictures That Talk.

THE movies and the speakies have
at last been welded. The radio
phone was the minister.
Through experiments conducted IN
Chicago, it is claimed, it has been
proved that talking motion pictures
are a practical possibility-not the
scanned" talking pictures on the
phonograph principle that have been
tried. but talking pictures by means
of the human voice transmitted by
radiophone from a broadcasting sta
tion to as many theaters as are on
the movie-speakie circuit.
A device has been perfected wher-
by any number of motion picture
theater projection machines can be
operated in perfect synchronIzation
with a master projection machine at
This master machine itself projects
a picture which furnishes cues TO the
actors who supply the sounds heard
by the theater audiences.
This is the principle of the radio
talking movie: A motion picture is
produced in the studio as usual the
scenario writer having supplied
speaking lines and sound effects as
though the production were to be
given behind the footlights. number
phone receiving instruments and pro-
lection machine synchronizing ap-
paratuS. The movie company. who
made the original film in the studio.
is assembled at the radiophone broad
casting station.
out at the theaters. the overture
has overturned and the audiences
settle back for the evenings feature
movie-speakie. Buzz goes the sig
nal at the broadcaSting station and
- -
The master projection machine begins
throwing the photoplay upon the
screen Il; the broadcaSting station and
simultaneously. to fraction of a
second, the SilverSheetS az the various
theaterS are illuminated with the
shadow drama.
At the broadcasting station the
movie actors re-enacting the drama.
speaking out their lines. word for
word. watch the film being screened
lest they supply the speakies too
swiftly or too slowly for the movies.
Thus when the heroine screams for
help the audience will hear her cries.
encouragement as he speeds to the
rescue. And when he fires the shot
that puts an end to the villains viii
1ainy, the movie-speakie fans will
hear the deafening roar.
The radio talking picture is the
invention of Harry J. Powers, jr.,
connected with the Erlanger the
atrical interests, with headquarters
at the Colonial Theater, Chicago. The
experiment took place at the Chi
cago practical picture studio of the
Rothacker Film Co. Frank Bacon.
famous as the star of "Lightning,"
was the best man.
For a number of feet of film the
screens at the laboratory and the
broadcasting station remained blank
save for numbers flashing up which
were to enable the two operators to
Set their widely separated machines
into SynchroniZation. How this was
possible is perhaps the cruX of the
radio talking picture invention.
BY the time the experiment pro-
gressed to a gwen point one machine
had gained iIr speed. This was be-
cause the human element entered
too fast.
Harry ]. Powers. jr.. the inventor.
saw that if the radio talking pictures
were to be a success the human ele-
ment would have to be absolutely
eliminated-save for the movie ac-
tors in the drama at the broadcast
ing station. These, by rehearsals and
careful observance of the cues
screened by the master protector, can
do their part. he feels sure.
The problem of eliminating the
human element at the theater proiec-
tion machines was mechanical. The
Rothacker technical staff and en-
gineers employed by Powers claim to
have solved it.
Powers does not claim that all
problems have been solved-merely
that the practicability of the radio
talking movie has been demonstrated.