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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: Gaumont-Kalee 21 ( Sexy beast)
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Bill Purdy
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 139
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted 07-06-2001 11:17 AM
Wow! Did you give me the perfect opportunity! We manufacture a conversion for the Kalee sound head models 378,543, or 876. This unit allows for not only today's wonderful reverse scan with 660 nm red LED light source, but you can add Dolby Digital as well. Because the Kalees were so well made they pull film with the accuracy needed for both very low wow and flutter in analog, and stable film positioning for solid digital. We have one here in our shop (complete with nice new belts) which was loaned to us by Dick Prather of Portland. I don't think that he wants it back, so, if anyone wants to come to Seattle to fetch it.................... For a picture and blurb please go to:
http://www.componentengineering.com/readers.html ------------------
Bill Purdy
Component Engineering
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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-06-2001 03:35 PM
Fine projectors for their day (1947) built like tanks. During my freelance days I worked GK21 projectors also a complete GK20 outfit with the normal rounded spool boxes. I never liked the brown colour or the aperture plates which inserted at the top of the gate between the gate runners. I was told that there was a gate modification that allowed aperture plates to be inserted side on. A friend of mine was equipped with the complete GK21s and was very happy with them, his only criticism being the long gates that could not always maintain even focus on buckled prints. The huge base of the 21 was also known as the Elephants Foot. The GK21 was also the only projector to show 34mm film, Mike Todd, (of Todd AO fame) Around The World In 80 Days at the Astoria Theatre Charing Cross Road, London in the late 1950s. Why 34mm film ? this was to overcome 35mm cinemas having to show a percentage of British made films every year (British quota laws).
..................................................................... Jim Schultz did an interesting article on The Gaumont Kalee 21 in the October 1989 issue of Cinema Technology. Here are some interesting short extracts allowed by the BKSTS. Gaumont Kalee 21, GK21, and the initial equipment was basically for theatres over 2000 seats. The massive pedestal assembly incorporated the bottom spool box, mains input terminations, arcbeam and soundhead platform, and would require the efforts of five or six men to lift or move it. To distinguish it from later pedestal systems, it earned the unofficial name of Queen Mary assembly and became disliked for both its weight and size. To further the success of the GK21, the Rank organisation (who had acquired the well known Kershaw Kalee company) had engaged the services of various advisers including stylists and psychologists one of whom had previously worked on the design of the popular Triumph Mayflower car. Known as the Razor Edge style, the resemblance could easily be seen in the full GK21 assembly. Although even heavier in build than the previous Kalee 12, the machine was reasonably conventional except for the double speeded, single blade flicker shutter which claimed to pass about 4-1/2 % extra light. The shutter shaft ran at 2880 rpm. Two other versions of the GK21 are worth a mention, one the 70mm prototype, which was never demonstrated, and the VistaVision models that were. The Rank Organisation had accepted Paramount Pictures wide screen system with some enthusiasm and had produced a number of films in the process. Four GK21 projectors were modified for horizontal film traction and eight perforation shift, and two London West End theatres equipped with a pair each (Odeon Leicester Square and Plaza Piccadilly Circus). VistaVision, in its showcase exhibition required this horizontal film transport to the total exclusion of conventional projection and a cinema therefore required two sets of projectors. It is argued that if VistaVision machines had featured a compatibility feature with standard film the process would have stood more chance of success. Some engineers claimed the projectors could have been designed to accept the film in the normal top spool to bottom spool configuration and the image turned to horizontal by optical means and in doing so would have left the machines available for conversion kits to project standard four perforation films.
...................................................................... Two years ago a new company was formed trading as Gaumont Kalee, for rebuilding projectors, spares and servicing. The company details were published by the BKSTS. ------------------
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Stefan Scholz
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 223
From: Schoenberg, Germany
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 07-07-2001 11:03 AM
To James Robertson, yes, the Kallee is not among my favorable projectors.
A little bit of background. During High school I got a deluxe color brochure from about 1952, showing the Gaumont Kalee "21" projection setup. Wow, what a gorgeous machine! I needed to own THAT!
Some years later, at the age of 18, I was able to get hold of the featured product, from a basement in my hometown Hamburg. It was originally installed in the prestigeous Streit's theatre in Hamburg in 1953, at that time owned by thew J. Arthur Rank organization. It was put in storage in the basement about 1968, after a dsesastrous premiere with Barbara Streisand's "Funny Girl". The projectors were equipped with synchronus motors, running 25 fps at the power frequency of 50 Hz. The sound pitch was higher, and too high for a professional singer. What a desaster with the artist in the show. So the beasts were pulled out of operation, and replaced with Kallee 60's, which is basicly Victoria 8.
There they were, and I curious to get them running, with president arc lamps etc. A friend was nearly killed, when we wanted to move the rectifier box to a his basement, as the rope tore, the box rushing down the staircase. Luckily he jumped away soon enough, and wasn' caught in the corner.
Finally we were able to get one running, the design was really outstanding, and the fantastic Pyrene fire extinguisher on the top spool box was something special. Single bladed high speed shutter and nicely crafted outer shell...
But technically, I had to find out, beeing silent as a machine gun, and picture steadiness far below my set of Bauer's or my Norelco AA.
So my brother and I decided to give it some real usage, building a 9000 ft pedestal on wheels, just using the #1 picturehead and BAF 83 soundhead, handing the complete thing to a collector friend for appartment use. It was equipped with our own horizontal 500 W Xenon lamphouse (quite good for that age..., the housing mechanically made by a friend's father)... but our friend tended to use 400 W halogen within.
This did some reliable service for a couple of years, until it was destroyed in a fire in that appartment, which broke out while we were in the Streit's theatre together watching a Stallone premiere with lots of fire.
There still is the second projector sitting in my barn, and I never found a space or time to put it on display, you're right it's a masterpiece of design and should be displayed...
... but I prefer any Simplex XL, Bauer or AGA Baltic to work with.
And my favourite remains Bauer U2.
I have tried to scan the pictures from the 1952 brochure, computer genious, It did not work. So I hope my webcam shot, mailed to Brad could workout. 
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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 07-10-2001 10:21 AM
Mark:According to the opening souvenir programme of my cinema (October 1936) the equipment installed was also selected for the four theatres aboard the S.S Queen Mary. Supplied by G.B. Equipments Ltd. Projectors: Gaumont Eclipse.
Sound: G.B.E. Q type. Soundheads of the latest P.U3 pattern 50 to 12,000 cycles.
Arclamps: Gaumont Kalee Vulcan. Four theatres in the 1930s, must have been the first multi-screens in the world.
Friends of mine recently returned from a cruise on the Q.E.2" and visited the projection box which was equipped with Philips DP 75 projectors.
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John Pytlak
Film God
Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 07-10-2001 01:46 PM
There is a Kalee 20 at the Odeon Cinema, Aberdeen, Scotland which is being demolished.
The Screens, many projection lenses,and most of the working parts of a GB
Kalee "20" Projector have been left for re-sale, we therefore wondered if
you (or anyone you know), would be interested in the purchase of any of these?See the Equipment Wanted or For Sale Forum.
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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
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