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The Ethel O’Brien Printer
Letters from Walter P. Siegmund, 2006 |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter
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Written by: Walter Siegmund. Hand written letters retyped for
in70mm.com by Brian Guckian, Ireland |
Date:
28.02.2015 |
Full
circle image
to show distortion in the Bug-Eye lens causing vertical lines to bend. Walter Siegmund to the
left. Note the shadow of the camera lens on the ground to the right.
Brooklyn, CT,
March 27, 2006
Hi Thomas,
Well, it is just over a year that we visited
Bradford with you and it
was a perfectly marvellous experience. You were so kind to make all the
arrangements. We remember so many things with great fondness, meeting
all the great people and the fantastic films, especially the beautiful
print of “Oklahoma!” It does not seem possible that so many years have
past since those hectic days in 1953-1955. What a wonderful exciting
experience it was, and then to relive a portion of it fifty years later!
Many, many thanks again.
It was sad that Brian did not join us but he refuses to fly in
commercial aircraft (the safest mode of travel)! He would have enjoyed
the nostalgia of it all.
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More in 70mm reading:
Todd-AO's Distortion
Correcting Printing Process
Walter Siegmund
Interview
Todd-AO Home Page
Hollywood Comes to American Optical Co.
Walter P. Siegmund, a small bio
Walter Siegmund
remembered
65mm Todd-AO
Concept Tests
Internet link:
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Distortion
corrected image made with the Todd-AO "Bug Eye" lens. Walter Siegmund
to the left.
Thomas, when I was moving some boxes of files from our old “Barn” the
other day, I came across the enclosed “booklet” describing our detailed
plans for printing
"Oklahoma!" I thought you might like this for your
collection. J Lions was one of our technicians (a photographer) and
received a copy of the “bible”.
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Preparation of Release Prints
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Additional Printing Ideas
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"Oklahoma!" Cue Sheet
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"Oklahoma!"
Printing Operation
Have fun reading all about it.
All the best,
Walt.
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Distortion
in the Bug-Eye lens causing vertical lines to bend.
Contact print from a “Bug-Eye” frame taken of a
house somewhere either in New England or near Buffalo, New York.
Brooklyn, CT,
May 8, 2006
Dear Thomas,
During our big move from Pomfret to Brooklyn (some 8 miles – 13km) many
things were found which were long hidden and forgotten, including more
old Todd-AO files and photos. I gave Brian copies of those items and I
have enclosed two photos of possible interest.
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American Optical Printing Lab
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Behaviour of
the SSC printer
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CC Type Printer
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Geometry of first steps
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Definition of keystone
formular
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Case for x1,7 magnification
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Calculations
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Rectification
Printing
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All barn findings:
24_fps_Projection
Projection aperatures
MGM-65
(Panavision)
Cinemiracle
Todd-AO Patent
Application
American Optial 1953
American Optial 1954
American Optical Printing Lab
Behaviour of
the SSC printer
CC Type Printer
Geometry of first steps
Definition of keystone
formular
Case for x1,7 magnification
Calculations
Rectification
Printing
Preparation of Release Prints
Additional Printing Ideas
"Oklahoma!" Cue Sheet
"Oklahoma!"
Printing Operation
Todd-AO
Installation Procedure
Todd-AO
Installation Procedure projection layout
Todd-AO
Installation Procedure Pre-installation requirement
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During the early days of Todd-AO correction printing the question arose
regarding the distortion in the Bug-Eye lens causing vertical lines to
bend. The horizontal curved lines were corrected by the deeply-curved
screen and from the “best” viewing position, i.e. the centre of
perspective near the front of the theatre. The vertical lines are not
corrected unless some other step is taken.
Dr. O’Brien asked me to look into this problem along with the correction
of the “droop” curvature we needed to correct for projection from the
high booth. The latter is described in Dr. O’Brien’s
patent, which you
have. The correction of vertical lines resulted from a suggestion made
by the first Mrs. O’Brien (Ethel D. O’Brien) who was a smart “technical”
lady and often assisted her husband in his research. She said “why not
curve the film in the other direction” according to Dr. O’Brien and he
reported this to me.
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Todd-AO Patent
Application
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Todd-AO
Installation Procedure
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Todd-AO
Installation Procedure projection layout
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Todd-AO
Installation Procedure Pre-installation requirement
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A “corrected” print which I may have made using my
printing fixture - the “Ethel O’Brien Printer”, which we called the
C-C printer.
So I had a fixture made and used a Leica camera lens to relay the image
at about 1:1 from a curved negative to the print.
[Drawing]
Enclosed is a contact print from a “Bug-Eye” frame (enlarged) taken of a
house somewhere either in New England (or near Buffalo, New York)? The
other is a “corrected” print which I may have made (who else?) using my
printing fixture (the “Ethel O’Brien Printer”), which we also called the
K-K printer (for reasons I can’t remember).
At one point in the overall development I recommended we use the K-K
printer to correct vertical distortion in those scenes taken with the
Bug-Eye (128˚) lens and possibly also the 64˚ lens but not needed for
the 48˚ and 37˚ lenses, and then use the mirror anamorphic projection
system (Delrama-derived) for the “droop”. All of which came just a
little too late in the program, sadly, to say.
Anyway, that’s the story on the K-K correction. I am sending you the
original fixture (without the Leica lens) for your collection. You can
find such a lens in any good used camera store.
All the best,
Walt.
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My
printing fixture, the “Ethel O’Brien Printer”, which we called the
C-C printer.
Brooklyn, CT,
May 11, 2006
Dear Thomas,
You may find the enclosed material of further interest in connection
with the printing of the Todd-AO “Process”. These are descriptions and
original calculations on various ideas about corrective printing the
release prints. The first printed pages are dated 8/10/53 (Aug 10) and
some later printed pages done by George R Simpson (a great friend,
office mate and skilled optical engineer) dated 9/3/53.
I assume, therefore, that all this material was produced in the late
summer and fall of 1953. Many of the sketches and calculations are mine.
For example, the sections titled “Calculations for case of concave
object and image” and also “[?] of Keystone Formula”, but you see my
handwriting has hardly changed in 50 years!
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My
printing fixture, the “Ethel O’Brien Printer”, which we called the
C-C printer.
Anyway, I thought you might enjoy seeing these early notes and ideas on
Todd-AO printing. Note also the printed section titled “Rectifications
Required” written by Dr. O’Brien (B. O’B) himself. Many wonderful
memories.
In my last letter I referred to the K-K printer. I don’t know why I
thought K-K was the right designation but these notes refer to the C-C
“printer” for the obvious reason that the negative and print are curved
like 2 C’s.
[Sketch]
Anyway forget the K-K. I have no idea why this came to me.
Also the thread on the printing (C-C) fixture is not a Leica thread
mount. It is larger. Whether I used an adaptor or yet another lens I
cannot recall. Still it is an original!
All the best,
Walt
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