In the 1970s I used to do a slide and motion picture
talk on the history of the Watch Tower Society – doing a balancing act with a
slide projector, cassette tape recorder, and eventually cine projector, plus
microphone and my own voice. It was somewhat fraught, but the Photodrama of
Creation played a big part in this.
Initially my “slides” were actually photographs of
the 40 plus postcards of the Photodrama that I had obtained via another hobby. Later,
copies of slides became available. But some odd frames of film of CTR were in
circulation – often stuck on cards as souvenir bookmarks. I managed to track
down their source and in the early 1970s visited an elderly JW who had been a
projectionist in 1914. I managed to retrieve from his attic a roll of film of
CTR, and to cut a long story short, that piece of film now features in the
reconstructed Photodrama videos available online. (The person who put it all
together with extreme dedication has subsequently managed to complete the
sequence, adding the bits that my source had sadly already cut off the roll for
souvenirs)
My source, who had the initials HR, told tales of
being imprisoned in a metal projection box at some places. Because most
commercial film was nitrate stock they were highly inflammable, and after some disasters with picture
houses burning down, in the UK at least it customary for the projectionist to
be buried in a metal box. If the film caught fire – well, he could trust in the
resurrection – but the audience could get out. HR told tales of working in his
under garments, it was so hot in the box at times.
There were about half a dozen who were trained at
the same time, he did the work for about six months, and met CTR in person at
the London opening. (He also knew Jesse Hemery, Paul Johnson and others of that
era, but that’s another story).
In 1974 I wrote him for some further information –
asking about such matters as how many staff were needed for a full performance,
how many films of Pastor Russell were shown, how the heralded synchronized
sound was achieved (or not as the case may be), and how the Eureka Drama
worked? I don’t have a copy of my original letter – these were pre-computer
days – but I do have his reply, in very neat copperplate handwriting for
someone who was then in his late eighties – and still travelled around by
motorised bicycle (moped).
I am reproducing his reply here – and the questions
I must have asked him initially will be fairly obvious.
Dear ....
Thank you for your letter. I am very pleased to have
been able to contribute something towards the picture.
It is going back nearly to the “Dark Ages” to try
and recall what happened.
Now to your five questions:
1.
Floor manager,
operator, sister on gramophones (2 of them), 4 to 8 sisters acting as. Ushers,
complete with torch light – dressed in black frocks, with white frilled aprons.
No. required
according to size of Hall.
Sometimes the
projector operator would see all 4 parts through – other times he took his part
1,2,3, or 4, to another exhibition.
There was one
part shown each night.
2.
Film of Bro
Russell opened each part.
The “Hallelujah
Chorus” was played just preceding, and as it stopped, the film of CTR came on
screen.
3.
The
synchronization of the films with the talking record was achieved by the skill
of the operator – one controlled the film according to the voice and movement
of CTR’s hands.
4.
As one example
in part three, there was a Frenchman (I think) singing “La Rameau” which also
had to be synchronized.
If you were took
quick (not understanding French) he would walk off – while song was still on!!!
The variable
speed of the m/c (machine) was only the skill of the operator. Machines had a
“Maltese Cross” which jerked the picture down each revolution to the next.
5.
No such thing as
sound track was even heard of in those days – but music was played with
films.
6.
The ‘Eureka’ was
an entirely different matter, and only used, as far as I know, where no
electricity was available – such as country villages – I did six of them – I
cannot remember now if any music was used with these.
Re: no. 1
addition – 2 gramophones were used where it was possible to get them (on loan
from local shop)
Trust this
information, to the best of recollection, will fill in some details.
The films
gradually wore out, particularly part 3, where Jesus in coloured robe, required
more light and thus heat, so the films tended to cockle,
resulting in broken sprockets – most machines would not take such film – the
Guilbert machine, with a little coaxing, would pass it – hence No 3 part had to
have that machine, which incidentally, I got stuck on quite a bit, latterly.
I enjoyed the
work, and to this day the sound of the “Hallelujah Chorus” will quicken my
pulse.
I can’t think of
anything else, but a question from you may jog the memory, so write if you wish
too (sic)
Best wishes, I
am sure your effort will be much appreciated.
H
Wow! Great info here. I didn't know the operator could adjust the speed of the movie while it was being projected to match the audio. Thanks for sharing this letter.
ReplyDeleteI know of a Bible Student, Ben Fuerst, who counselled Pastor Russell that the variable voltage rheostat, which used two posts that were immersed or pulled out of Surphuric acid, to vary the current to the projector, was unsafe, and recommended an enclosed variable resistor instead. Pastor Russell agreed with him and this type was used.
DeleteThe anecdote about the French song has sometimes been transferred to C T Russell. As one speaker put it: It was not uncommon for Pastor Russell to bow and walk off the platform while apparently still speaking... And if there were breaks in the film it would immediately go out of synch. I would imagine the whole was an operator's nightmare.
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