Page 11 - untitled

re-equip while income was low due to the Depression. The release prints were identical to sound-on-film and
projectors that had not been modified allowed the sound tract to be seen on the screen.

Prior to 1931 there was debate in the industry regarding the quality of sound-on-disc and sound-on-film. It is
generally agreed that sound-on-disc was superior as the early film sound tracks had an unpleasant hiss. RCA
technology eliminated this on their variable area system and from 1931 on, sound technology remained virtu-
ally static for about 20 years until magnetic sound arrived with CinemaScope in 1952.

Before commenting on the Australian sound technology scene it is worth recording some incidental information
on the sound-on-disc system. Prior to its introduction films were made and projected at 16 frames per second
and a reel of film lasted for 15 minutes. When the sound discs came into being they had a playing duration of
1 0 minutes. In order to standardise the running time of film and disc the speed of film was increased to 24
frames per second thereby causing the standard reel of film to equal that of the discs. This speed was retained
for sound-on-film but standard reel sizes were doubled to give a playing time of twenty minutes. Sound discs
were 16" in diameter and played from the centre to the outside.

When "The Jazz Singer" premiered at the Warner Theatre in New York the bio box was equipped with four
projectors with matching turntables. Film and discs were run simultaneously on pairs of equipment although
the light and sound of one set was cut off but instantly available in the event of the working equipment breaking
down. If a sound-on-disc was damaged and frames cuts out it was necessary to splice in blank black film of
identical length to maintain synchronisation.

Before electronic amplification it was necessary to have the "gramophone" next to the screen and in an attempt
to achieve synchronisation the turntable was driven by shafts under the floor of the cinema by the projector
gears. An expensive failure! About the same time that sound film experiments were proceeding in America
similar activities were happening in Australia with the major focus on sound-on-film although some shorts and
several newsreels were made on the English Vocalion sound-on-disc system.
The first Australian sound-on-film entertainment film was "Showgirls Luck" released in 1931 , the same year
"Out of the Shadows" was made but never released. 1931 also saw the first Cinesound feature "On Our
Selection" made but this was not released until the following year. The major players in the Australian sound
film scene were Syd Guest of British Vocalion, W. Bird of Fox Movietone and Arthur Smith of Cinesound.

Competing with Western Electric and RCA at the theatre end was Ray Allsop with Raycophone and other
systems called Marko phone, Auditone, Australtone and X-L Tone. Some of these systems cost as little as one
quarter of the overseas equivalent.

The scene in 1995 is that variations of
all the sound-on-film are in use i.e. vari-
able density (mainly black & white film)
variable area (colour film) and mag-
netic stripe. In addition sound-on-disc
is back in CD format with pulse syn-
chronisation. All that's missing is the
gramophone/phonograph.
References:
A. Walker : The Shattered Silents
A. Knight : The Liveliest Art
J.D. Eames: TheM G M Story
A. Allard : Cinema in Australia
(Grand Galee of Gab)
Note : Information derived from the above sources
and from discussions with various people within
the industry reveals some contradictory opinions.
Further information and corrections will be wel-
come as there has not been a lot of information
published on this subject.
RIGHT: Sound tracks from 3 films, showing J

different recording systems.
From left: ~-..., ..
Double envelope variable area recording; lf:J
Variable density, regarded as the best for 16mm; -
Single envelope variable area.

II