[78-L] Sound for early silent films RE: what a whiner!

[Michael Biel]

From: Michael Shoshani <mshoshani at sbcglobal.net>
> And not represent it as a record of a silent movie.
> Besides the fact that no such thing existed in 1908 


Even leaving out the Dickson experiments at Edison in 1890, one of which
has finally been synchronized with its cylinder, by 1908 there already
were at least half a dozen double-system sound film systems, including
some that were relatively successful, especially in Europe.  Rainer Lotz
did a presentation at ARSC last year about Black performers in Europe
and some of the catalogs of sound films they made before 1910 ran to
dozens and dozens of titles.  The recording he played of one of the
soundtracks by a Black theatrical ensemble was one of the most exciting
recordings I have ever heard.  It got APPLAUSE.  Have you ever heard
applause at an ARSC conference to a RECORD??? 

> (how exactly do you synchronize a hand-cranked camera with a
> falling-weight recording lathe with a horn...

Simple.  You use motors on the camera and the recording machine.  Just
because SOME films were made with hand-cranked cameras, and SOME records
were made with falling weight recorders doesn't mean that ALL were. 
Many weren't.  As far as I know, Edison NEVER used a falling weight
recorder.  He was using electric motors back in the 1880s. 

> or a hand-cranked projector with a spring-wind,
> governor-regulated playback machine with a horn?),

The Edison Kinetophone system of 1914 with the super large cylinders was
very, very successful at maintaining synchronization with a hand cranked
projector that had a pointer system to show if he was in sync.  The
reproducer now on display at the Edison Site has a telephone transmitter
attached to the horn with a receiver that allows the projectionist to
hear the playback.  Governor regulated playback machines are very
reliable in maintaining speed but can respond INSTANTLY to speed changes
if need be.

> that would imply blank grooves, wouldn't it?  MS

I don't understand what you mean by "imply blank grooves".  Blank
grooves for setting up sync?  Vitaphone did this for the shorts because
most of the introductory titles were without sound, but the disc had to
be started when the film was started.  If you are being sarcastic by
thinking that you are correct about there not being any sound system for
silent films so the records would have to be blank, it was not a very
good joke.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com