Round the Shows

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 646, 24 April 1929, Page 16

Round the Shows

RIALTO, AND REGENT, EPSOM “LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH" Intimate glimpses into the life of a clown behind the scenes are blended into vivid and gripping drama in Lon Chaney’s "Laugh, Clown, Laugh," now at the Rialto and Regent (Epsom) Theatres. In the new picture, undoubtedly the most elaborate of Chaney productions, the “man of a thousand faces” plays the role of a clown, reminiscent of “He Who Gets Slapped.” However, “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” is far more comprehensive in story, treatment and settings as the star pasess through life from youth to old age, from obscure country entertainments to glittering European fame as a clown, as the spectator follows the pathetic and exceedingly human story of his life, and that of the little foundling girl he rears to womanhood. He fails in love with this girl, but she gives her heart to a young nobleman, only to sacrifice her happiness when she learns of the love of her guardian. “Speedy,” which is the second big attraction, is the Harold Lloyd of New York life, unfolded in a whirl of laughter.

ROYAL SHOWS “NAUGHTY BABY”

Alice White and Jack Mulliall are the leading players in the amusing American comedy, “Naughty Baby,” now at the Royal Theatre, Kingsland. Alice White has the role of a check girl in the Ritz Hotel, New York, who is endeavouring to marry a millionaire. She has three admirers who assist her with borrowed finery, one who works in a garage supplies a car, another “borrows” fine clothes and the other “lends” her some jewellery from the pawnshop in which he is employed. Jack Mulliall is the young and impressionable millionaire. “His Private Life,” which is the second feature, is a charming Adolphe Menjou comedy of a gay Parisian boulevardier. The well-known Continental actress, Lya d© Putti, has arrived in England under contract to British International Pictures, and will be starred in Liam O’Flaherty’s novel, “The Informer.” Miss de Putti will be remembered by all picturegoers for her remarkable work in “Variety” and “Manon Lescaut.” Carl Brisson, who recently was seen in this country in "The Ring,” has just completed his second picture for British International, “The Manxman.” Ho is appearing at present at the London Palladium in a song and dance scena specially written for him. After fulfilling this engagement Brisson will leave England for Lapland, where he will appear in a Swedish production in conjunction with 8.1. P. RATTLING SPEAKERS A common fault In loud speakers of the horn type after they have been in use for some years is the development of an annoying “rattle” in the diaphragm. When this occurs pleasing reception is impossible, as the rattle invariably confers a quality of “tinniness” on the sound, and in extreme cases distorts it almost beyond recognition. The reproducing element on a horn speaker is similar to an ordinary telephone. It consists of an electro-magnet, which operates an iron diaphragh similar to a telephone diaphragm. The rattle in most cases is caused by the perishing of the washers by which the diaphragm is locked in place at its edges in the casing. It is then free to move at its edges, and in many cases the centre of the diaphragm touches on the poles of the electro magnet. Replacement of the packing washers will, of course, remedy the trouble. To make this replacement, the cap should be removed from the reproducer unit, and the diaphragm carefully removed, precautions being taken to see that it is not bent as it is lifted away from the magnets. In most speakers the packing washers are either of rubber or of paper. No difficulty will be experienced in replacing washers, as new washers of suitable thickness can readily be made, using the old ones as patterns. Excellent material for the replacement of rubber washers is the rubber from an old motor-car inner tube. Although probably considerably thicker than the original washer, the rubber will compress when the cap is replaced, and as nearly all modern reproducer units are fitted with a screw for adjusting the permanent magnets, it is not essential that the new washer should be exactly the same thickness as the old one. In some forms of speaker a special spring washer is used to hold the diaphragm firmly in the ease. After a long period of use these spring washers are pressed out of shape, allowing the diaphragm considerable play, in these cases the washer need only be bent back into shape and replaced in the unit. | AUSTRALIA TO AIRPLANE At a height of 3,000 ft over Croydon, England, late in a recent afternoon, in a Bristol Fighter, an attempt organised by the Australian Press Association j was made to pick up a broadcast from 3LO station, _ Mel - bourne. The machine was piloted i by the Australian. Mr. Bert Hinkler. and the wireless operator was a Belvedere amateur, Mr. C. G. Allen. who used a McMichael super-heterodyne six-valve set. The wave of 31.55 metres on which Melbourne was transmitting incurred a good deal of magneto interference, but orchestral music and the announcer’s voice were distinctly heard in the occasional periods between fading and intei-ference. Both before and after the flight Melbourne was received perfectly or the short aerial suspended across the top wings. Mrs. Hinkler was a listener and heard the closing announcement: “It is now two minutes past three in the morning in Melbourne. 3LO is now closing down. Good-bye. every- • body.”

If a larger-than-necessary accumulator is used for running tile filaments of a small set, it will be necessary to charge it more often than the set itself would require owing to the necessity for. preventing a tendency to sulpliation due to the slow discharge.

SUBURBAN THEATRES At the Prince Enward Theatre this evening the pictures are "Tommy Atkins” (Lillian Hall-Davis and Walter Butler), also “Homesick” Sammy Cohen). Eve Bentley’s Orchestra, formerly of the Strand Theatre, v.'ill play. The Capitol Theatre, Dominion Road, is to screen "Red Hot Speed” (Reginald Denny) and "The Fleet’s In” (Clara Bow). The Edendale Theatre will show “Sradows of the Night” (Lawrence Gray and Flash), also “Rinty of the Desert” (Rin-Tin-Tin). At the Empire Theatre, Dominion Road, this evening’s pictures are to be "Red Hot Speed” and "Adoration” (Billie Dove). The Grey Lynn Cinema will show "The Romantic Age” (Belle Bennett) and “Two Red Roses” (Laine Haid). The Parish Hall, Devonport. will screen "Red Wine” (Conrad Nagel) and "The Desert Bride” (Betty Compson). “Evidence,” a play by Edward Montague, has been chosen as the next Universal production for William Wyler to direct. It has been put in scenario form by Charles Kenyon and John Clymer. This will be the third big production by William Wyler, the other two being "Anybody Here Seen Kelly?” and "The Shakedown,” which is now being synchronised at Universal City.

NATIONAL BROADCASTS STATIONS ON SAME WAVELENGTH The latest development of the British Broadcasting Corporation—a device by which all the transmitters in Great Britain can be operated on the same wave length, although transmitting different programmes—is likely, if proved to be satisfactory, to be one of the most important developments yet made in broadcasting practice. It is claimed that the system has passed the experimental stage, and can now be applied to the British service. In Europe and North America the utmost difficulty has been experienced in the last few years in providing sufficient wave lengths for all the stations which it is desired to establish in those two continents to operate without interference. The problem has so far only been partly solved, and cases of interference are common. On the surface it seems almost impossible to provide half a dozen different programmes in so limited an area as the British Isles on one wave length. The problem to be tackled is twofold. In the first place it is essential that each of the stations working should use exactly the same wave length. Unless this were arranged, the oscillations from one station would interact with or heterodyne those from another station slightly off the common wave to jn-oduce the whistling noise with which listeners are familiar when amateur stations interfere. While this continued, reception would be impossible bver the wfiiole area covered by the service. It Is stated that by the employment of a tuning-fork as the frequency standard at each" station a means for maintaining every station exactly on the same wave length has been found. The next great problem is that of preventing the programme from one station from interfering with that from another on the common wave length. This interference could be avoided by the application of the familiar “carrier wave” telephone principle to broadcasting, but if this principle were employed a receiver of considerable complexity and little flexibility would be needed to separate one programme from another, as elaborate filter circuits, or special forms of tuners, would be needed to separate the various programmes. An ordinary receiver would be quite useless, as it would receive all the transmissions within rauge simultaneously. Although a great economy ia wave lengths would be made by adopting the new system, it seems at present that it would Involve the use of receivers far too complex and costly to be adopted in the present stage of development of the broadcasting art. VARYING TIME SIGNALS American radio listeners report that they have found a new indoor sport. Several broadcasters send out the "correct” time at 7 p.m. in the New Fork area and it is found that by shifting from wave to wave some of them are at least 120 seconds off schedule. One time announcement recently varied two minutes in comparison with another announced for the same time. This is what one listener reports: "In making the time record I used an electric clock which is supposed to run without any variation as it operates on the sixtj r -cycle current from the generating station. That it does run without much variation is shown in tlio comparison with the Metropolitan chimes as given by WEAF at 8 a.m. and by the slight variation with the several announcements from WJZ.

"If you want to try it yourself, get the three stations that give the 7 o’clock time, by dialling quickly from one to the other you can get at least two. and perhaps three, for sometimes they spread from 6.59 to 7.02. With all this funny business going on it would indeed be a relief to get UnArlington signals once more.”

Reginald Denny, having finished the four features assigned to him for this year, is scheduled to start in a story by Gladys Lehman and Earle Bneli, provisionally titled "Companionate Troubles." It is quite likely that William J. Craft will direct this Denny subject.

Julia Faye has been selects last of the four leading roles i n th mite.” Cecil B. Do Milles all-un?' picture now in production r ' Motro-Cloldwyn-Mayer studios Oh '! Bickford, Kay Johnson and r~ r ' Nagel have the other featured pig” 1 -