POSSIBILITIES IN PICTURES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2283, 5 February 1912, Page 7

POSSIBILITIES IN PICTURES.

MARVELLOUS THINGS THE CINEMATOGRAPH MAY ACCOMPLISH.

During the recent champagne riots in France a cinematograph film of the scene was made. No one <had any idea at the time that it would be useful for detective purposes. But when the picture was thrown upon a screen the police were able to identify a large number of the rioters who had escaped arrest. It has now been suggested that there are many occasions on which the cinematograph might be used by the police. During strikes or riots it might he very useful, for at times when everyone Is violently excited the evidence of eye-witnesses cannot always be relied on completely. There are cases when some further proof is needed, if injustice Is to be avoided. And there is no escaping the truth of the cinematograph film. Besides, a camera has recently been invented which will take excellent photographs of scenes at a considerable distance. By using this all danger to the. operator is done away with. It also gives him a chance of obtaining a picture without being disturbed. In fact, this camera could be used to secure moving pictures of all sorts of scenes which could not be photographed close at hand. It would be possible even to have pictures of actual warfare. If this invention had been made a few years ago, we might have seen upon the screens of the electric theatres exact reproductions of the most famous battle fought during the South African War. We talk of the wonderful improvements in the cinematograph during the last few years. And we are quit® right. But as a matter of fact the science of cinematography is only in its infancy. Electric theatres have caught on in an extraordinary way all over the world. This fact has encouraged inventors to turn their attention to improvements. There has been quite a crop of inventions lately. But there are going to be a great many more in the near future. Mr. Gaumont has lately invented a machine which he calls the “chronograph.” This is a perfect combination of the moving picture and the talking-machine. This adds considerably to the realistic effect of a picture by giving the exact sounds which accompanied the movements in real life while the photograph was being taken. There are many ways in which Mr. Gaumont's latest addition to the possibilities of the cinematograph may be used. It will be possible to have really complete reproductions of the best stage plays. But the cinematograph is likely to be most useful in political campaigns and especially at general election times. We shall no longer have to be content with reading reports of important speeches made by the party leaders. Every elector, even those in the most remote towns and villages, will have the opportunity of hearing and judging for himself those vital utterances as well as if he had heard the original speeches. Two different machines for telegraphing photographs have been invented. And, what is more, a small transmitting machine has been designed, which can easily be carried to any spot where anything of importance is taking place. When all these scattered inventions are combined, we may expect an amazing apparatus. It Is not too much to imagine that by its means events photographed in one part of the globe will be shown almost immediately upon screens all over the civilised world,—“ Answers.”