The Challenge of Sound Restoration from 1927 to Digital
Author(s): Jean-Pierre Verscheure, Philip Carli, Alice Carli
Source: Film History, Vol. 7, No. 3, Film Preservation and Film Scholarship (Autumn, 1995),
pp. 264-276
Published by: Indiana University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3815093 .
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FilmHistory,Volume7, pp. 264-276, 1995. Copyright?John Libbey&Company
ISSN:0892-2160. Printedin GreatBritain
The
challengeof
sound
restoration
1927
to
from
digital
Verscheure
Jean-Pierre
Preface
t the time of the firstprojectionof The
Jazz Singer, no one was in a position
to imagine how cinematic sound
wouldone day evolve. Who todaycan
retraceitspast?
Only seventyyears separate us fromthe beginnings of sound cinema, and within this short
period the extraordinaryevolution of analogue
sound processing, more amazing even than the
digitalsoundthatfollowed, has unfolded.Thereal
historyof soundin cinemabegins withthe firstdialogue filmsthatmarkthe fundamentaltransformation of filmiclanguage. A new formof cinematic
narrativewas bornwithTheJazzSinger,and in an
even moresignificantmannerwith workslike The
BlueAngelor Lightsof New York.
Thereare two majordirectionsto take under
consideration.Themostimportantseems to me to
be the aestheticof sound, butthat is not my topic
here. The other directionis that of technological
evolutionand its implicationsfor the filmindustry,
thatof theevolutionof standardswhichnecessarily
followed, and finally(andforourgreatestsatisfaction now), the consequences of these inventions,
these soundsystems,on the notionof filmpresentation, the presentationwhich it is our duty to conserve in its originalform.
In its primitiveform, as introducedby Vitaphone, sound, without qualifying technical parameters, was considered sufficientin itself. One
A
could compare the phenomenon of the earliest
soundtestswiththe firstflickeringprojectionsof the
Lumiere
brothers,unbearableinourday, whichthe
spectatorsof the timeaccepted uncomplainingfor
lackof otherstandardsof reference.
A considerablepartof thisstudyis principally
based on this notion of referenceto our memory
whichpermitsus to expressa qualitativeand quantitativeopinion about all that surroundsus. Concerning sound, we always refer to two types of
sources: comparingone recordingwith another,
and comparingrecordedsound with 'live'. These
seem to me to be the principaldistinctions,butthey
have the sense of sine qua non only under one
condition:each recordingmustbe heard with a
sound systemthat respectsthe standardsactive at
the time.Today,forexample,we hearthe soundof
TheJazz Singer with a modern installation,the
same that will serve two hours hence to present
Citizen Kane and two hoursafter that Raidersof
the LostArk!The sound qualitywill inevitablybe
very different,but the notionof referencewill be
totally falsified since the recordingswon't have
been reproduced with equipment respective to
theirperiod.To listentoday to the soundof the film
Jean-Pierre Verscheure is Professorof Film
StateSchool),Techat INSAS(National
Technology
to FIAF
and presidentof CinevolnicalConsultant
ution.Correspondence
to: 9 ruedu Boisd'Havre,
7000 Mons,Belgium.
challengeof
The
of sound
soundrestoration
restorationfrom
The challenge
from 1927
1927 to digital
digital265
TheJazz Singerwitha WesternElectrictype 16-A
loudspeakercoupledto a 555 driverexactlyas in
1927 reveals to us a 'sound' that is almost
meaninglesscomparedto one heardwith modern
amplificationand loudspeakers.Therecordingsof
1927 were linear,and loudspeakercharacteristics
did not permitthe reproductionof low and high
frequencies.Today'ssound systemshave a precision Academyfilterand high performanceamplifiersand speakers.In 1927, the soundof TheJazz
Singerwas free fromrumbleand hiss, and the intermediaryband that came throughwas linear
from400 to 5000 Hz; tonal equilibriumwas thus
perfectlyrespected since the filmsof that period
were mixedwithspeakersidenticalto those in the
projectionrooms.Today, the soundwill be reproducedwithnoisylow and highfrequenciesand the
hiss reproducedacross the curveof the Academy
filter, and therefore out of equilibriumwith the
tonal balance of the recording1.Itis importantto
know that recording systems are provided with
particular,standardizedfilters,which were modified several times over the course of historyand
thatthis means that the recordingsof one period
must necessarily be read with the reproduction
characteristicsof thatsame period.Thisis onlyone
smalldetail in termsof the numeroussystemsthat
map the historyof cinematicsound.
265
Thesituationduringthe firstperiod
Beforefilm screening became 'filmpresentation'
and settledin form,manyimage formatswere proposed. The formationand commercializationof
cinema was in large part due to the standardizationof projectionsystems.The commercial
might of the Bell & Howell company originates
froma requiredstandardizationof image to perforationsthatremainedunchangeduntilthe beginning of dialogue films. During all this time,
presentationevolvedwithinthe 4:3 format,which
no inventionmodifiedduringthisperiod.
Second period (1927-52)
Multipleinventionsthatpermittedsoundrecording
and reproduction in large rooms decisively
markedthe second periodof presentationhistory.
The advent of dialogue was at the root of a fundamental change in all that was previouslyattained, not only concerningfilmiclanguage, but
equallyin the technicalequipmentof the entireindustry.A new dimension was added to performance: 'the sound', with optical sound and its
qualitativelimitsbelonging to the Academy norm
as a second constraintforthe director.
The situation during this second period
The passage fromsilence to dialogue sound with
its multiplesystems and the introductionat the
Historical summary of film presentation
same time of several processes for wide screens
Threeperiods markthe principalstages in the his- markthe
beginningof thisperiod,which is considtory of film presentation.They are summarized erably more importantfor the study of technical
below as 'historical benchmarks' to assist the evolution.Inventionsand
proceduresof all sorts
readerin understandingthe evolutionof soundsys- were introducedinto the
industry.Producersand
temsand the specificproblemspertainingto them.
major productioncompanies restrainedtheirenthusiasm,however,and the economiccrisisat the
Firstperiod
timewas not propitiousto the developmentof new
The birthof cinematographyand the firstpublic wide screen
processes. No inventionmodifiedthe
presentations mark the beginning of the initial image formatduringthis period and
only monoperiod, which extends to the advent of dialogue. phonic sound, which is
limited,
qualitatively
very
From1895 to 1927, the image of the cinemato- was added to film
presentation.The evolutionof
graphic performancehad proportionsof widthto technologiesas a
consequence of World War II
heightof 1.33:1 or 4:3, regardlessof the size of wouldovertakestereophonic
processesdeveloped
the roomor screen. Thecompositionof the image
earlier,suchas Fantasoundand Vitasound.
thushad to be delimitedby a frameof those proportions.The directorwas always limitedby this Thirdperiod (1952 to present)
constraint.
The introductioninto the marketingnetworkof
Cinerama,with its giant screen and high quality
266
266
stereophonic sound, marks a third significant
period, featuringCinemascopeand a numberof
other analogous and compatible image formats.
Thewhole filmindustrywas upsetonce again, but
for the firsttime directorswere liberatedfromthe
constraintsof image formatand of lower quality
monophonicsound, thus considerablyenlarging
theirvisualand sonic palette.
Jean-PierreVerscheure
Verscheure
Jean-Pierre
cal sound,Superscope,Techniscopeand todaythe
enlargementsSuper 16 and so forth.
Imageand sound formatsin the firstcategory
evolved simultaneouslyand were rarely standardized. Rapidstandardizationquicklystabilized
and reduced the numberof image formatsin category 2, but sound systemscontinueto develop.
Economicrestraintsin the thirdcategory have reduced the numberof image formatsand sound
Thesituationduringthe thirdperiod
systemsto the bare minimum.A preliminarystudy
has permittedme to distinguishnearlya hundred
which
was
made
viable
Cinerama,
commercially
the
evolution
an
ensemble
of
of
by
technologies, systemswhere combinationsof image and sound
markshere a decisive jumpin the developmentof procedures produced more than 350 different
filmpresentation.Introducedin the industryon 30
typesof presentation.Therefore,a single filmmay
exist in several formats,depending on the year it
its
and
stereoSeptember1952,
enlarged image
was
made, and its theatrical presentationmay
phonic sound sparked a resurgence of interest
among the directorsof the majorstudios. By 16 varyconsiderablyfromone theatreto another,deSeptember1953, 20th CenturyFoxhad massively pendingon the technicalprojectioncapabilitiesof
commercializedthe newly inventedCinemaScope each theatre2.
process,settingup and installingit in theatresin its
marketingnetwork in under a year - a unique The
developmentof sound in cinema
event in filmhistory.
System has followed system to the present Since Vitaphone, the development of cinema
successof
day, giving us an incrediblevarietyof presentation soundwas markedby the extraordinary
sound
and
paradoxicallyby the destyles, each inseparablefromits filmgenre. Films synchronized
feat
of
the
are made in great numbersin all of these prooriginalVitaphonesystem,which consisted
of using a 16" (404 mm) diameter disk.
cesses, and distributedthroughoutthe world with
theiroriginal process, unlikethose produceddur- Warnerswas quicklycompelled to abandon the
ing the two earlierperiods.We can distinguishin disksystemin favourof opticalsound, butkeptthe
thisthirdperiodof historythreemajorcategoriesof nameVitaphonefora while. After1930 only optipresentation,following very distinctorientations cal sound(soundon film)was used forfilmproduction.A standardizationof projectionspeeds and of
adopted by the producersand studios:
thepositionand dimensionsof thesoundtrackafter
1st category
1930 contributedgreatly to world-widefilm distribution.
for
conceived
theatres,
exclusively large
Systems
Further
technicaladvancesand diversification
suchas Cinerama,MGMCamera65, Ultra-Panasoon
and
more
Todd
posed
problems,however.WesternElectric,
etc.,
AO,
vision,
recentlySuper
for example, the same company that introduced
Panavision70.
the celebrated 16A loudspeakerwith the 555W
driverin 1927 forVitaphone,was touting'thefirst
2nd category
three-way wide-range loudspeaker systems in
like
Cinemafor
conceived
average use,
Systems
theatres'by 19314, and two years laterthe same
4
for
magnetic tracks, PerspectaSound,
Scope
DimensionalSound,Technirama,Vistavision,etc., company introducedthe 'Mirrophonic'sound sysand mostrecentlyDolbyStereo, UltraStereo and tem which used multicellularhorns5.RCAon its
side broughtout a two channel systemfor sound
variousdigitalsystems.
reproduction,but each of these companies recordedand treatedthesoundsby theirown special
3rd category
which rapidly led to incompatiblesysSystems usable in all theatres, but mainly con- method,
tems.
The
WesternElectricrecordingnot only had
ceived forsmallhalls, likeCinemaScopewithopti-
The
challenge of
of sound
sound restoration
restorationfrom
1927 to digital
from 1927
The challenge
digital
267
267
round' system of the Magnoscopic projections,
Warners'Vitasound,or again RCA'sFantasound.
The developmentof sound in cinema during
the thirdperiodof cinema historythatwe term'the
era of wide screen and stereo', is one of great
of magneticsound in
complexity.Theintroduction
the industryand the many possible combinations
offeredby multitrack
systemslikethe fourtracksof
the
six
tracksof Todd-AO,the twoCinemaScope,
Report of Sound Committee
of
or Warnerphonicsound
Cinerama
tape systems
In a communicationaddressed to the chair- would requirea full-scalestudy for anythingapmanof the committeeby PresidentGoldsmith, proachinga summary.We will describe, by way
to a long seriesof processes,the
aboutthe middleof March,thecommitteewas of an introduction
asked '... to formulatestandardsof soundrec- DimensionalSound system, a variantof the Percharac- specta Sound systemthatwas used for the Alfred
ordingreproduction(audio-frequency
that
of
such
a
the
teristics)
type
producing Hitchcockfilm TheMan Who KnewTooMuch in
studiosand thetheatrecircuitscan all agree to 1956.
Discoveredby the CinevolutionCenterin Belaccept themat a reasonablyearly date after
the standardsshall have been agreed upon. gium, supported by the Bologna Cinematheque
The presentstate of sound recordingand re- since the FIAFInternational
Congressin 1994, the
producing indicates that the matteris defi- presentationof thiswork in its originalsound sysnitelyurgent.Thereis an unnecessaryamount temproveshow importantit is to conservenotonly
of deviation in releases fromthe variousstu- the films but also the image and sound systems,
dios, and it is obviousthatthe fulladvantages which mustbe consideredan integralpartof the
of improvedmethodsof reproductioncan not work. Among the major Europeanarchives, the
be realized under the present conditions. Bologna Cinemathequeand the J. Paul GettyJr.
Such standardizationis the most important ConservationCentreat Berkhamsted
are the firstto
have become aware of thisfact.
problemfacing the Committee'.
to be read by WesternElectricinstallations,butthe
latermodificationshad to be on contemporarysystemsin orderto have the improvedcharacteristics.
Inaddition,playingan RCArecordingon a Western Electricinstallationposed furtherproblems.
Thesituationactuallybecame so criticalthatitwas
addressedby an SMPEcommitteein 19346:
Despitethiscommunication,ittookuntil1937
for a projecton the standardizationof reproductioncharacteristicsto be accepted. Thisfirststandardization, published in the SMPEJournal in
January19387, put an end to what we consider
today to be the firstgreat evolutionaryperiod of
soundcinema (1927-38). ThetechnologicalevolutionresultingfromWWIIwould resultin a modificationof thisstandardizationin 19488. Thesetwo
standardizationsonly concern the characteristics
of the bandwidth,butotherstandards,likecontrol
of the relativesound level, or push-pullsystems,
were rapidlyadopted.
All this concerns only electric recordings
termed'Academyrecording',butan examination
of soundsystemsfromthissecond periodof cinema
historyshows that numerousattemptsat stereophonicprocessesalso appeared. Themostimportant included the sound perspective of Abel
Gance9, the stereo system of Blumlein,the 'sur-
A brief history of Perspecta Sound
Thepremiereof the firstCineramafilmin September 1952 overturnedthe entire cinema industry
and opened the era of wide-screenand stereo.
Only a year after the introductionof Cinerama,
however, 20th CenturyFox commerciallyintroduced its own wide-screensystemof shootingand
projectionand also provideda stereo sound process. Indeed,Cineramawas notsolelyresponsible
for Fox's initiative.The arrivalof televisionin private homesand its consequencesin loweringbox
office receipts made it imperativeto reconquer
partof the publicby givinga new dimensionto film
presentation.Afterexperimentingwithseveralsystems,Foxsettledupona processinventedby Henri
Chretien,whichconsistedof shootinga verywide
image, still using a conventional35 mm film. A
system of lateral compressionof the image permitted,with the help of an anamorphoser,com-
268
268
pressionof thisin a ratioof 1:2. Inprojection,this
imagewouldbe decompressedinthe same ratioto
its original proportions.The frame of the image
thusproducedwas 2.55:1 forthe systemwithmagnetic recording,and 2.35:1 for the system with
optical sound. Unlike Cinerama, this process,
which Fox named CinemaScope,was conceived
for the entire industry,and most of the majors
adopted it. Today, the CinemaScope process,
adaptedto projectionprintswithopticalsoundrecording introducedat the beginning of 1954, remains,witha few variations,the same.
Before CinemaScope, the stereophonicsystems employed by the Cineramacompany, WarnerBros.and othermajorsuseda 35 mmmagnetic
tape synchronizedwith the image. 20th Century
Fox opted for the more economicaland practical
solutionof runningfourmagnetictracksdirectlyon
the projectionprints,not on a second tape. The
exceptionalqualityof magneticrecordingallowed
theengineersof 20th Century-Fox
to abandontheir
old 3-trackopticalsystem,knownunderthe name
of ERPI
StereophonicMovietone.
20th Century-Fox
premiereditsfirstfilmin the
new process, HenryKoster'sTheRobe,on 16 November 1953. MGM later premiered Richard
Thorpe'sThe Knightsof the RoundTable,and a
few months after that Warner Bros. released
George Cukor'sversionof A StarIs Born.At first
the magneticfour-track
systemwas an integralpart
of the CinemaScopeprocess. Itsprohibitivecost,
due to the special equipmentneeded fortheatrical
preamplificationand realization of the sound,
rapidly became an obstacle for the diffusionof
filmsmade by the process. MGMwas the firstof
the majorsto react to this economic problemand
quicklyproposedan alternatestereophonicsound
systemthatwas compatiblewithoptical sound reproductionsystemsalready installedin theatres;
thiswas called 'PerspectaStereophonicSound'.
MGM, at first, decided to play its CinemaScope productionson fourmagnetictracksdomestically,and in PerspectaSound in foreignhouses.
Knightsof theRoundTablewas the firstfilmshown
in Europewith the system. Paramountwas interested in Perspectaand announcedthatit wouldbe
used for all of its VistaVisionproductions.Experience showed that Paramount'scurrentstandardformat productionswould also benefit from the
Jean-Pierre Verscheure
process.At Columbiathe situationwas verydifferent, and only a few filmswere encoded with the
system.WarnerBros.adopted the same strategy
as MGM and all its importantproductionswere
distributedin bothsystems.Thesuperiorqualityof
magneticrecordinggraduallyconvinced the majorsto review their positionregardingsystematic
use of PerspectaSound. PerspectaStereophonic
SounddisappearedfromUS productionsby 1960
in the US, althoughit was used by the Japanese
until1965, and for the rest of the world information is seriouslylacking. Only the examinationof
individualprintswill allow the exact situationconcerning the abandonment of the process to be
known.
A technical overview of Perspecta Sound
Exceptfor a few very rare cases, the Perspecta
StereophonicSoundsystemwas used only foroptical sound for 35 mm films. The principleof the
Perspecta system consists in directing a monophonic recordingto three volume amplifiersthat
feed threespeakerssituatedbehindthescreen.The
monophonicoptical recordingis directed by the
frequency and amplitude of pilot signals, previouslyrecordedin the mixingof the film.Inprojection, a device called an 'integrator'detects the
frequencyor frequenciesand integratesthem as
one continuouscompositewhichcontrolsthe gain
in a variable gradient tube. Three frequencies
were chosen, inaudiblein the installationsof the
period:30, 35 and 40 Hz.
Afteramplificationas photoelectriccurrent,
the signal is directedto fourcircuits.Thefirstcircuit
is composed of a high-passfilterthat suppresses
the pilotsignals. Thesound of the film,purifiedof
the controlsignal, is then directedto threeamplifierseach equippedwitha variablegradienttube.
Outputfrom these amplifiersis controlledby a
tripleattenuatorplaced beforethetheatre'svolume
amplifier.Thethreeremainingcircuitsare selective
filters,each assigned to one of the pilot frequencies. The30 Hz frequencycommandsthe leftchannel, the 35 Hz the centre,and the 40 Hz the right
channel. The frequency of the pilot signal thus
determinesthe positionof the soundsourcebehind
the screen and its amplitudedeterminedthe loudness of the soundin the hall. Theoutputsignal thus
The
challengeof
of sound
soundrestoration
restoration
from1927
1927 to
to digital
The challenge
from
digital
consists of only one pure frequencythat is integratedas a continuouscomposite.Thisdirectcurrentcontrolsthe gain in the variablegradienttube
and thus the outputlevel in the hall. The studio
sound mixerhad the ability, using one or several
frequencies at different levels, to direct monophonic sound toward any part of the screen. He
could also, using all the frequenciesat maximum
level, give greater sound volumeto the presentation10.
Twoexampleswill illustratehow thisoperates
in practice.Ifdialogue occurs at the centreof the
screen,the mixerwouldadd the 35 Hz pilotsignal
to the sound on the film. Duringtheatricalprojection, the integratorcaptures that frequencyand
augmentsthe outputlevel in the centralchannel.
Spectatorswouldthenhearthe soundfromthecenterof the screen no matterwhere they were in the
hall. Ifa second actor situatedat the rightof the
screen responds,the mixerreducesthe 35 Hz frequency and progressivelyadds 40 Hz. The integratorthen directsthe sound fromthe filmto the
rightchanneland suppressesthe centre.Now, if a
symphonyorchestraappears on the screenwithall
the instruments
playingat the same time,the mixer
wouldadd allthreefrequenciesto thetrackand the
integrator would direct the sound to all three
screen speakers at the same time. For this last
example, it would evidentlybe impossibleto loin theirrespectiveplaces, so
calize the instruments
thatPerspectaSoundis, in reality,a pseudo-stereophonicsystem 1.
Themajorstudiosevidentlyused Perspectain
differentformsand under differentnames. Paramountcalled the process 'DimensionalSound',
and, since their productionsat that time were all
filmedin full-frame
panoramicformatfrom1.66:1
to 1.96 or 2, the stereophoniceffects were more
modest than in CinemaScope productions.Perspecta, in this instance, functionedprincipallyas
noise reductionand gave a subjectivelysuperior
sound qualityto Academy recording.InMGMor
Columbia'sCinemaScopeproductions,however,
the recordingswere highly stereophonicand the
soundfollowedthe actionon the screen,fullyutilizing the Perspectaintegratoras a stereophonicsystem as well as a subjectivenoise reducer.When
correctly adjusted, the integrator brought the
sound into extraordinarilynuancedrelief,adding
269
269
greaterdimensionto the film- a dimensionwhose
loss is regrettable.The CinevolutionCenter has
three Perspectasystemsas well as a collectionof
films recorded in the differentsystems. This material is available to researchers,historiansand
studentswho wish to studythe historyof filmpresentation[see Fig. 1].
'Dimensional Sound' in the work of Alfred
Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much
(1956)
An analytical study12of the Perspecta/Dimensional Sound system in the worksof AlfredHitchcock is underway at Mons, Belgium,and a brief
examinationof The Man Who Knew Too Much
Fig. 1. PerspectaSoundrackinstalledin booth.
270
270
(1956) in the contextof thispaper may illustratea
preliminaryapproach to furtherresearch.Itis importantto note here that there is no questionof
undermining all the studies, and they are
numerous,which have been done in the realmof
AlfredHitchcock'swork. DimensionalSound, an
optional projectionprocess, does not introduce
significantelementswithrespectto filmnarrativeit must be considered a complementary,not an
essentialelementto the form;the system, justlike
VistaVision,would only be appreciated by those
who attached importanceto film presentation,a
subtlemixtureof essence and form.
Inthe mid 1950s, Paramount,likeall the majors,wanted to imposeitsVistaVisionwide-screen
process,one of thebest image processes,on directorsof the time;and itwas inVistaVisionthatHitchcock's TheMan Who KnewTooMuchpremiered.
Hitchcock, an indefatigable perfectionist, mastered the VistaVisionprocess in several of his
works, where the qualityand the compositionof
his images were all of the firstorder. VistaVision
filmswere projected in a relativelywide format
(1.96:1) approximatingthe CinemaScopesystem
withopticalsound (2.35:1). Duringthe 1950s the
sound, for such a wide image, had to be stereophonic. Forthe sound in TheMan Who KnewToo
Much, Paramountopted for its version of Perspecta, called DimensionalSound - a complex
processthathad, as I have describedearlier,only
a shortcommerciallife. Paramounttookthe option
of DimensionalSound for its VistaVisionproductions but never imposed the acquisition of the
equipmenton the projectionistsin the commercial
theatres.Thismeans thata workdirectedat Paramounthad to be conceived fromthe beginningso
as to be projectedeitherwithor withoutthe Dimensional Soundsystem.
Obviously,a similarsituationexisted regarding the image. Itscomposition,with respectto the
filmnarrative,had to be establishedin a 1.96 or
2:1 format,butthe compositeformatof the VistaVisionsystemalso permittedprojectionin multiple
formatsof which the smallestwas about 1.5:1.
Therefore,TheMan Who Knew Too Muchcould
eitherbe presentedon a smallscreeninthe proportion 1.66:1 withmonophonicsound,or on a large
screenwitha proportionof 1.96 or 2:1 and stereophonicsound. Thougha mediocrepresentationin
Jean-PierreVerscheure
the smallerformatstillallows a plotanalysisof the
Soundversion
film,in theVistaVision/Dimensional
the worktakeson its fullvalue and the filmpresentationitselfadds a realdimensionto the intrigue.
As for the sound itself, Hitchcockemployed
DimensionalSound in a discreet mannerfor two
precise (and occasionallyintermingled)purposes:
we find the process used partlyto accentuatethe
idea of space, and partlyto attractthe attentionof
the spectatorwhen the sound of the filmplayed a
role in the intrigue. DimensionalSound is used
fromthe beginningof the film.Theorchestra,conducted by Bernard Hermann, serves as backgroundto the credits;a cymbalcrash is heard, of
which the audience does not yet knowthe importance withinthe plot.Thesoundon the filmis at this
point reproducedby all three speakers at a level
thatconventionalphotographicrecordingwas not
capable of reproducing. After the credits, the
space in which the action occurs does not justify
theuse of particularsoundeffects,and thesoundof
the filmcomes fromthe centralspeaker [see Fig.
2]. An instancewhere DimensionalSoundis used
to accentuate the idea of filmic space occurs
shortlythereafter,duringa dialogue scene set inside a bus. At first,the sound is reproducedfrom
the centre.As the bus arrivesin Marrakechat market time, the sound passes progressivelythrough
thethreescreenspeakers.Theopeningof thesonic
universethus accentuatesthe idea of filmicand
scenic space [see Fig. 3].
Where DimensionalSoundplaysa significant
role in the narrativeis the pointwhen the fatherof
Hank(theyoung boy), having been locked in the
chapel, attemptsto escape throughthe bell tower.
He uses the bell ropes to raise himselfup to the
towerand DimensionalSoundopens up the sound
space. We are, like the neighbourswho congregate, taken into this noisy sound universe,which
makes us aware of the mob of onlookerscurious
about the outcome [see Figs. 4 & 5]. At the same
time,Hank'smotherfindsherselfin London'sRoyal
Albert Hall, a notoriouslysonorous space even
more open than the precedingone. Dimensional
Soundplungesus intothe sound universeof large
achalls,wheretheaccumulationof reverberations
centuatesour impressionof anguish,and accentuates also the isolationof the character,lost in this
cacophonicworld[see Fig.6]. Duringtheconcert,
Thechallenge
challengeof
of sound
sound restoration
restorationfrom
from 1927
1927 to digital
digital
The
271
271
Fig. 2.
Fig.4.
the amplitudeof the soundwould be proportional
to the scene; thesystemreproducesthe soundtrack
of the filmin all threespeakersat a relativelyhigh
level [see Fig.7]. Hank'sparentsfindthemselvesin
the AlbertHalland converse;the amplitudeof the
sound is such thatwe cannot hear theirdialogue.
Thissort of situationappears several times in the
filmand the process accentuatesthe realism.The
sound dynamicfollowssubjectivereality,which is
one of the particularities
of the process. Ifa scene
demandsa softersound level, the soundof the film
is automaticallyreduced, and the effect is much
272
272
Jean-Pierre Verscheure
Fig.5.
Fig.6.
Fig.7.
moreperceptiblethan it would be withoutthe system [see Fig. 8].
Finally, during the soiree at the embassy,
Hank'smothersings 'Che ser6 ser6'veryloudly,in
the hope that her son, imprisonedin the same
building,will hear [see Fig. 9]; he hears and re-
sponds with a whistleso as to let his motherknow
that he is indeed there [see Fig. 10]. The loud
whistlecould be heard by the parentsbeyond his
room, up the staircaseand in the receptionroom.
Duringthiswhole scene, sonorousspace plays an
importantrole in the narrative and the use of
273
273
The
challenge of sound
sound restoration
restorationfrom
from 1927
1927 to digital
digital
The challenge
Fig.8.
Fig.9.
Fig. 10.
DimensionalSound is a considerable asset. We
effectivelypass fromthe salon to the boy's room,
passing the staircasewhere the camera shows a
succession of levels as we approach the room,
receding fromthe salon, then returnto the salon
[see Fig. 11].
This first examination of the use of Dimensional Sound shows us the technical possibilities
the processcould offerwhen exploited judiciously
by a directorlike Hitchcock.A moreprecise study
of the use of special processes, both visual and
aural, in the work of Alfred Hitchcockwill be
274
274
Jean-Pierre Verscheure
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
undertakenlaterby PaoloCherchiUsaiin collabor- tion mustnot only take into account the decoding
ationwiththe CinevolutionCenter1.
systemof the optical sound track,butalso the dynamiccharacteristics,which are not linearlikethe
Academy filterin use at the time. Threeimportant
parametersmustbe takenintoconsideration:
The restorationof Perspecta
The restoration of Perspecta systems poses
numerousproblems,which are the object of an
importantprogrammeput in motion by Cinevolution in collaborationwith Berkhamstedand Bologna, the universitiesof Brusselsand LosAngeles,
and the Equipe studio in Brussels.Using period
reproductionequipmentis an extremelydelicate
business. Cinevolutionhas a collection of Perspecta integrators,and only equipmentof a particularmake is used. These devices are of such
raritythatinstallingthemat everyarchiveis inconceivable, and onlyan equivalenttransferto a more
currentsystemis possible. One studyhas already
shown thatonly digital systemswill work. Restora-
Decoding
Currently,no analogue sound-on-film
systemwill
permitthetransferof Perspecta-style
decoding. The
systemultimatelyused mustpermitthe recordingof
threedistincttracks,non-matricized,
forthe signals
of the threechannels are always in phase. A system of matricingand de-matricinglike DolbyTate
DES,or even UltraStereo, will not work. Suppose
we have as outputfromthe integratorsignals from
the rightand left,and nothingfromthe center.We
will hear in the hall sound from the left and the
right.Ifwe pass these througha 4-2-4 mixer,the L
and R signals, whose phase is identical, will be
mixedand reproducedonly in the centre.Theyare
275
Thechallenge of sound restorationfrom 1927 to digital
Fig. 13.
[0
L
o0
-
0
00000
co ,ti.ncoI
CM
Integratormeterreading
I-Normalcontrolrange-I
I--Range 6Db Low- I
-Range 6Db High
I
thus incompatibleas muchelectricallyas electro- the Alfred Hitchcockfilm cited above brings the
issue into high relief.To conserveand collect the
acoustically.
special equipmentpertainingto these processesis
to conservethe heritageof evolvingfilmpresentaDynamic characteristic
The relative dynamic characteristicof Perspecta tion. A precise and trustworthyclassificationof
recordingsis controlledby a circuitwhose transfer these processes mustcome to join the numerous
characteristicsare not linear. The proportionof chaptersalready presentin the historyof cinema.
relativecompressioncan reach 1.5, and the time The study I propose to writewill revivetechnical
constantis on the orderof about 0.3 seconds [see history,which is, we mustnot forget,the pedestal
on which the historyof cinema art is built,bornof
Fig. 13].
to followits
technologyand constrainedimmutably
evolution.
Academy filter
TheAcademyfilterwhich mustbe applied to three
fromtheFrenchby PhilipandAliceCarli
volumeamplifiersdates from 1948. Thuswe are Translated
concernedwith the second familyof Academyfilterswhichare nearlyidenticalto thoseof today.
Conclusion
It has taken a centuryof filmpresentationhistory
for us to take into seriousconsiderationthe more
than sixty sound systemswhich were an integral
and indissolublepartof cinematicworks.Cinevolutionowns morethanthirtysystems,and continues
to directitsresearchesin thatdirection.Thecase of
Notes
1. TheCinevolution
research
andstudycentrehasan
collectionthatallowsanalysisof the
equipment
evolution
of soundfromVitaphone
disksthrough
DolbyStereo.Cinevolution,
BelgianMons.
2.
Thisstudyis not yet published,but is availableto
researchersat Cinevolution.
276
3.
4.
Jean-PierreVerscheure
See thetwo excellentarticlesby RobertGitt,'Bringing Vitaphoneback to live', FilmHistory,Vol. 5,
number3, September1993, p. 262, and Steve
Wurtzler,'Thespace betweenthe objectand the
label:exhibitingrestoredVitaphonefilmsand technology',FilmHistory,Vol.5, number3, September
1993, p. 275.
The Altec LansingCorporation,HeritageHistory
formAltec Lansing,IndustrialProfessionalSound
ProductsCatalogue 1993, p. 4 Altec Lansing,a
MarkIV Company,P.O. Box 26105 Oklahoma
City,OK,USA.
5.
Idem5.
6.
'Reportof SoundCommittee',SMPEJournal,Vol.
23, July1934, p. 6.
7.
John K. Hilliard,'Projectsof the Committeeon
of TheaterSoundProjection
Standardization
Equipment Characteristics',SMPEJournal, January
1938, p. 81.
8.
Petro Vlahos, 'An Optical/Acoustic Response
Standardfor Theatersand its Correlationto Dub-
bing Rooms',SMPTEJournal,Vol. 84, January
1975, p. 3.
9.
PaulRaibaud,Promoteurs
et r6alisateursdu specsur 6cranlarge, Latechtacle cin6matographique
EditionInternationale,
nique cin6matographique,
Paris1956, 400.
10.
InstructionBook for the PerspectaStereophonic
Sound Integrator,StelmaIncorporated,
Stamford,
CT,1954.
11.
Norman H. Crowhurst,'Advantage,Scope and
of the PerspectaStereophonicSystems',
Limitations
SMPTE
Journal,Vol. 64, April1955, p. 184.
12.
Translator's
note:M. Verscheurehas notedearlier
inthisarticlethatParamount's
versionof Perspecta,
whichtheycalledDimensional
Sound,differedin its
effect from the way other studios employedthe
process, justas Paramount'sVistaVisiondiffered
slightlyfromFox'sCinemaScope.As TheManWho
KnewTooMuchwas releasedthroughParamount,
and DimenandM.VerscheurereferstoVistaVision
sionalSoundin conjunctionwiththe film,'Dimenthissectionin
sionalSound'willbe usedthroughout
referenceto the film'ssoundtrack.