[Jukebox-list] Movie Sound

[Ed Inman]

I believe playing records in sync to produce a film's soundtrack was called the "Vitaphone" system and was largely phased out by the 30s when variable density soundtracks became common.
Ed

-----Original Message-----
>From: Ron Rich <ronnnrich at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Dec 3, 2007 11:00 AM
>To: Jukebox mailing list <jukebox-list at lists.netlojix.com>
>Subject: Re: [Jukebox-list]  Movie Sound 
>
>David,
>  Perhaps my memory is failing here, or perhaps this was a later set-up, but I believe that the turntable was totally independent of the projector. I definitely remember two switches on the wall, one, next to each projector, that "turned on" what I think to be the TT motor.
>  As for "turning slow"--that was probably my comparison to a 45 ( or maybe 78) rpm home phono.
>  Also, now that you brought it up--I remember that my uncle told me about the nitrate film, at the same time. He had this one locked in a special "fire proof" safe, in a side room, ajoining the projection room. I think he told me that there was some type of "law", or company regulation, that required that no more then three rolls of the film could be in the projection room at any time. Ron Rich
>
>David Breneman <david_breneman at yahoo.com> wrote:
>  
>--- Ron Rich wrote:
>
>> Do you know--were the old film rolls only 15 minutes long? The
>> ones used in the 60's were 20-22 minutes each.--just wondering
>> here--wonder if that's the reason many movies were ( and possibly
>> still are) made without sound during the first few minutes (
>> usually while the studio's name/logo appears on screen).
>
>1000' of 35mm film runs 11 minutes at 24fps. Nitrate based
>film was limited to 1000' reels due to fire codes. When
>safety film came out, 2000' reels became more standard.
>Nowadays, many films are distributed on four foot diameter
>core loads for platter systems. I think the silence over the
>logo bit was considered artistic in many circles in the
>60s and 70s. Remember, even Fox lost their fanfare until
>George Lucas used it in Star Wars for a "retro feel".
>Many early sound films begin with sound right from the
>start.
>
>> Too bad that my "Unk" is gone--he would have been more then happy
>> to answer those questions a couple of weeks ago----
>> I do recall that the TT "ran slow" and the tone arm seamed "real
>> heavy" to me, but like I said, I was very young at that time.
>
>It's strange that it would run slow. The turntable was usually
>connected to the projector with a chain of gears and drive
>shafts so they were mechanically interlocked. Usually the
>only time you'd have to make adjustments on the fly was if
>the needle jumped the groove or the film broke. The pickups
>of the 1920s used horseshoe magnets and they were as heavy
>as accoustic pickups. The records were only good for about
>25 plays then there were to be discarded. Most films shipped 
>with several sets of records.
>
>
>David Breneman david_breneman at yahoo.com
>
>
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