European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 16, 1963, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sound and Light spectacles in France exterior staircase at the chateau de Blois finds itself in spotlight. By Morton p. Gudemoos a Paris Bureau during the course of that fearsome 3 million people visitor to Hehli Toroc Chateaux cathedrals and Monu ment in France will pay around in Mil lion to have then tevet carried emotionally Back into history through the mail of what the French Call Bon to refer sound and Light sound and Light which somebody Hei called history All lit up and talking Hai grown in Only 11 Yean into a new form of dramatic entertainment with painless educational overtones that Hai become a thriving buil Neu not Only in France wherein originated but in other lands from the Loire Chateaux and Versailles Palace tothe egyptian pyramids the acropolis and Independence Hall in  by Frich writers artists and technicians. Sound and Light articulate the stories of  structures through dramatically changing coloured lights projected on their facades in syn Chvonn Patlon with recorded voices  narratives of their histories. Although no live actors take part spectators often come away with the impression of having actually teen the personages involved in the kaleidoscopic pageantry under the Tummer  a typical son it Lumiere presenta Tion a Large audience Uta in the floodlit Leafy lanes and Girdens facing the dark Silhouette of Che Monceaux Chateaux a turreted Castle built Over a Bridge of the Cher River close to where it runs into the Loire. An Engineer in the Central operation Booth starts a tape recorder. Music flu the  go up along the Bonks of the Cher from loudspeakers hidden in the foliage an cornices and a Naira Toi begins the Story in the time of the ladles of Chenon Caiu. A the script makes reference to them different parts of the Castle Are lit flour a wishes of trumpets Are heard As the voice of actress Edalge Feu Lalere tells episodes from the local Hunting adventures of King Francois i in the Spring of 1545. Later it describes the struggle betwee Ncatherine de Medici wife of the son of Francois who succeeded him As Henri Iii 1547, and Diane de Poitiers his mistress both of whom intrigued to gain Pompi Ilono the great chateau and its riches. Cath Erine won As the water flows under the Castle s Arches a three dimensional pageant comes to life evoking the fabulous past of France s Kings courtiers and nobility. There Are now Well Over 100 sound and Light spectacles offered nightly through out France during the summer months i virtually every Region from the Channel coast to the Mediterranean. The test known Are those in the Loire Valley the Chateaux of Chambord away be Eldeau Gro Bols and others and at ver Sailles. Fontayne bleat and Vincennes in the Paris Region and in Paris itself at the invalid and the Cathedral of notre dome. Sound and Light begun As the inspiration of Paul Robert you Dan grandson of a celebrated 191 h Century French magician alter he watched a thunderstorm sweeping the Loire one summer night in 1951. Rob Frt Komi in Wuh spellbound a he watched the Vail chateau de Chambord. The 440-room, sos Chimney Palucc of Francois 1 leap out of the Darkne in the lightning flushes and disappear while Thunder rolled and the wind howled through the surround ing Boulogne Forest. It buc Motl Robert Houden has since said As if the old chateau itself were who Spur ing and crying out the most agonizing an most wonderful o its memories. To then and there decided to try to match and per haps surpass nature in open air stage  a year Robert loudly had enlisted the Aid of major lighting and sound Rei Ordung interests to design and instal the technical equipment script writers to prepare a narrative and top flight dra Matic artists to Supply the voices for hit first  1952, Chambord was the setting for the first sound and Light spectacle. Al though the chateau had always drawn the largest number of tourists of All the Loire palaces the number doubled that Senton. Tie sound and Light shows Are variously sponsored by the Public or private owners of the monuments. They have already served posterity by providing the Money to pay the High Cost of main Taining and preserving the ancient architectural treasures or for their full Restora  of the pageants arc offered during the tourist season. In some areas two knows an evening Are often necessary. Longuil tuft can be a problem for International audiences but sometimes the spectacles Are in both French and English. Atcheson Crux portable receivers giving simultaneous narrations in English Are available. Sound and Light has marked a mile i one in audio engineering outdoing the phenomenal account los of the ancient greek outdoor Heaters. The stereo technique lends such Luuga Steve reality to the faintest human Vlf a or subtlest musical note that the lenten or  turns his Headin the direction from which he thinks the sound  Daylight can hardly match directional lighting in drama tic  one admirer of sound and Light has remarked it is As it Tho stones speak an Tell of their own greatness.". Lill Hitt Mph m the stars and stripes history teem to i prong to life when chateau Dulude is alight. Che Monceaux chateau Mahdi vivid scene by night