Evening star., 1933-03-05

~ stories are beginning 10 escape
~ from the R-K-O Radio Pictures
1 4 lot, where Ernest B. Schoedsack
and Merian c. Cooper have been
making the most mysterious production
Of their careers, king Kong"
They tell of a giant ape, so feet tall
and weighing 20 tons, who Is turned
loose in civilization and wreaks ven-
geance on his captors. Mammoth pre-
historic monsters fill the cast, with
such distinguished old names as the
brontossaurus, the triceraptops and the
ravenous pterodactyl, giant vulture with
a wing spread Of 25 feet.
The late Edgar Wallace, who was
working with Mr.. Cooper on the fan
tastic scenario of King Kong" when he
died, envisioned the story with all the
great imagination at his command
but it is certain that he never could
have foreseen some Of the miracles OF
technical skill which would bring Its
production to completion.
Many Of these cinema miracles are
still guarded secret. Merriam Cooper
conceived the story, because. after years
Of exploration and seeking thrills, he
believed the greatest thrill could come
only through allowing the imagination
free play. And he wants no expose
for picture audiences.
But one Of two of the problems facing
the R-K-O Radio Pictures studio during
the past two years are too interesting
to be censored. One is the case of
Murray Spivak, sound effects expert,
who was faced with the odd task OF
making talking picture actors" OF
monsters re-created after 1000, 900 years
of silence!
Mrs. Spivak IS. paradoxically, . man
who enjoys working himself out Of a
job. One of the pioneers of sound ef-
fects. whose services were suddenly COM
Wandered with the advent of sound
films and made him one of the most
important men in the industry. he ex-
presses delight in the prediction that
soon the making Of cinema sound effects
will be q lost art.
LESS than 25 per cent Of the effects
invented for sound films at the R-K-O
Radio Pictures studios are now in use.
says Mr.. Spivak. Perfection of record
ing has thrown the others into the dis
card and the actual noises are now
taken down on the film, realistically
This must naturally be the aim OF
directors-to reproduce the real rather
than the imitation.
In King Kong however, we had q
special case. Here the imagination had
to be tempered with scientific research
to reproduce as exactly as possible
sounds never heard by the human ear. u
Consulting authorities, In his search
for data to help him give voice to the
mammoth actors" Of the Cooper
Schoedsack thriller. Mr.. Spivak at first
met the rebuffs Of exact science. In
hA vHlA Aol
ences were to see animated dinosadria
on the screen. the reproduction should
be as scientifically accurate as possible
DR.. o. A. Peterson, curator of man.
malian paleontology at the Carnegie
Museum, first consulted, called attention
to the limited vocal accomplishments Of
even the existing descendants Of the
prehistoric monsters. Since modern
reptiles are 50 limited In reproducine
sounds, he argued, it would be futile tl
speculate ON the ways of their ancestors
But Mr.. Spivak has never admitted
defeat. Hundreds Of other sound prob.
lens had been solved, with reasonable
accuracy and to the satisfaction Of audi.
ences, in talking films. He approached
another expert. DR.. J. w. Lytle, verte-
brate paleontologist Of the Los Angeles
Museum, with greater success.
No proof existing that the monster,
In question ever made sounds, Dr.
Lytle still believed it presumptuous to
say that they did not. Helpfully, he
suggested specific sounds for the vari-
GUS members Of the species. For the
dinosaura, certain degrees Of kissing
sounds. suitable to reptiles whatever
their size. For the mammals, such q.
the arsinotherium, an admixture o1
grunts and groans.
All that remained for Mr.. Spivak nov
was to discover, by course Of trial and
error, the yechnical manner Of creating
these prescribed tones, with sufncienl
| majesty to suit the mammoth creature