"TALKING FILMS."

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17207, 26 July 1921, Page 10

"TALKING FILMS."

' POSSIBILITIES OP THE TUTOBB». 'Mr Thomas Quinlan, whose ' grand) opera company had a successful seß»en in Melbourne aamo time ago, reached Australia by the Osterly a few day* ago. In an interview, he said that ho sow a difficult tiwd ahead of grand opem for a. period, but ho looks forward to a remarkable development of the "talking picture" business. Its possibilities; he considers, are unlimited. The apparatus will, of,couree, be worked, chiefly in connexion with mosic, but sir ~.'. Quinlnn thinks it will eventually Jbe uied ittiwlitical aiui other propaganda. The phrase, poutfos," will thehJiave a new meaning. "Grandopera," said Mr Quinlari, "it • dying industry, due to the facte that it must be'done very, well or it becomes • > comic opera, and that \Jhb ♦•cononri'j world conditions oro against it* bfliopc carried out by private enterprise, as m pre-war days; If attempted for purely monetary reasons -in Australia, eitttef with, a subsidy or a philanthropist behind' it, the project, will be one more '* sprag in tho.flheejs.of oHUticprojsratt.:. ; Australians are. used to the, west, and "; my battlo cry would be.Do withit nnti) you can go one better than yon hare / already tasted." A Would you like to express an opinion - upon the current topic, "1& Melbourne musical?" Mr Quinlan was asked. • "It depends upon what -the entpsprenonrß present," he:, resieaW.v {Uf you «ee a lady with a well-cut, smart dress on 885 day* c* the year, yoa will ; say, 'very, nice,-, but let us have a ciianfto of garb.'' : So it is with jmisio. The ;* pecile-suboonßciotisly. have rtane&'tn*. point when triey do not know what wy ; want: but they know that thwa.ft■-.•; Bomr-tliing lacking." .*'" , ■ : And what do you see on toe horttonr ■■» . "Singing and talking pictures are «• much in advance : rfpj»sent cmemato- - graph representafciona as the. moving picture wo* ahead of the ;tnat» lantern," Mr Quinlan said, 'ffo manwffl ait out a dumb* picture after having seen the talking picture. -Deveummenkrand eiperimentarwoA.haa »• suited in a machine capableofcomniiaf-, cial exploitation, in the cinema «>W" i try; ,It. is independent of, hm wm? , connected with, any existing, dnema* \ An essential feature is, of.amnw, absolute' synchronisation • between y»*jto* and the vocal •and instrumental, repfft- . ,ductiory .Tfte.: apparatus compmea . a - transmitter, eloctricw connected with t . reproducing instruments, which are con- . double turntable carrying • the musical records, which are automatically controlled by the film in sm* a'way that, the" change from ono record to another is made without paure, and in. absolute conformity with the more- , merits of the picture. ... -.• '/■ \ "The mi»Bical tono h in relatibn to the acoustic fcropertn-Mof the ; theatre, so that natural Tcpraluction M • obtained tinder rill conditions; ana , where nn. orchestra is performing witft . the picture nn ; additional device secure* -j perfect unanimity between the cto9»> ■* tor and the-operator; The macaw* is., -j 'foblipfoof,' so that any ordinary opera-f ,j tor ban'attach it to bis ! tor in n few minutes. Wliflethercom- r binatfon of picture and music ,wm'be the sp'Cial feature, the npnrtMtns: will v not be confined to this. Applied to l*»" f ticai, professional, and commercial, pfP* ,* pdpanda. it should bo exploited'with afl- | vantage." ,:'> / s . linve vou anv new musical attractions in sfcht?" Mr Quinlan wasMked. "Yes." herepled. "I am anxious to bring the, musical attraction Bijtco.'i was hero, last with mr opera ! company. . I cannot give detail* Just [now. but, if conditions warrant the ox- ~s penditnre, I can promise that | | a musical treat of the highest order | ahea'd;.....' ..■...•. ■ : ' "1