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Topic: why did so many theatres buy new projectors in the 1950s?

Monte L Fullmer
Film God

Posts: 8367
From: Nampa, Idaho, USA
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 06-15-2012 12:53 PM

In the same town where I mentioned that single, is a drive-in that has BX-60 sitting on top of a 4-Star with a Xetron 4k lamphouse behind its. Brenkhert gets pretty hot, but runs real smooth and quiet. What I did like about the Brenkherts - a sturdy machine. Sad, the BX-100 dbl shutter units did have their problems.

quote: Mike Blakesley
the carbon slag would drip onto the bottom of the reflectors due to the tilt, so they had to put in new reflectors every year or so.

Interesting that the never developed a guard of sorts to keep the copper slag from hitting the reflector. Almost sounds like they used an indoor lamphouse for a drive-in since the reflectors with these lamphouses do sit closer to the carbon trim than did either the Ashcraft or Strong 135's...or just one high degree of upward tilt.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 06-15-2012 01:39 PM

What did the theatres that presented dual projection 3-D in the fifties do? Did they have to purchase new projectors that handled the required 6000 foot reels or were they able to convert their existing equipment?

-Claude

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-15-2012 01:55 PM

Many of the houses I worked in DC in the late 60s through early 70s had Supers; many with mag penthouses.

All of the 3D equipped houses I saw had XLs with 6K magazines. I don't recall ever seeing an E-7 or Super with big magazines.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 06-15-2012 02:31 PM

I did not ask what kind of projectors with 4K magazines existed in the sixties and seventies in some theatres . I just wanted to know if theatres in the fifties had to buy new projectors that were able to handle the large reels 3-D required or were they able to convert their existing equipment.

-Claude

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Stephen Furley
Film God

Posts: 3059
From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England
Registered: May 2002

posted 06-15-2012 03:10 PM

quote: Claude S. Ayakawa
What did the theatres that presented dual projection 3-D in the fifties do? Did they have to purchase new projectors that handled the required 6000 foot reels or were they able to convert their existing equipment?

A few ran 2k reels on four machines, the State, Grays and I think the Regal, Edmonton and the Davis, Croydon did.

For those that used large spools on two machines, usually 6k for 3-D, most projectors could be converted by removing the 2k spoolboxes and fitting larger ones. There were exceptions, the BTH SUPA for example couldn't easily be converted for example. Most projection rooms in that era had enough height to fit the larger spools in. Of course, many cinemas at that time were installing new projectors anyway.

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 06-15-2012 03:31 PM

Claude: My post was in response to discussion on page 1 and not specifically to answer your question. It was intended to illustrate that many theaters did not change their equipment for the addition of scope.

When I saw your question on page 2, I responded to what I had seen; and that was all 3D theaters I saw had XLs, implying that they had either changed for 3D or some other reason.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 06-15-2012 03:35 PM

I believe that RCA/Brenkert left our industry in about 1955 or so. Factory closed/Wolk bought parts and machinery. No more new stuff. 9030's would have to be at least that old and that assumes you got the very last one.

btw: The BX-200 was really a rebadged Century C to solve a few legal problems at the time of the shutdown. I believe only about 100 were ever made.

If you had large reels, then all you needed was an additional rectifier. Most theatres were on motor generator before 3D. Because of 3D theatres were forced to try rectifiers, so that started eliminating the old generators.(The genny could only run one lamp at a time, except for changeover) Louis

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Mark Hajducki
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 500
From: Edinburgh, UK
Registered: May 2003

posted 06-15-2012 03:38 PM

The strange thing is that (locally) the 1950s projectors will still be showing film long after most of their modern equivalents have been melted down for scrap.

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Brent Francis
Film Handler

Posts: 84
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Nov 2008

posted 06-15-2012 03:42 PM

The mid-50's Century at our old film lab was still being used, last I heard. It was converted to screen 3 perf workprint.

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Dick Prather
Master Film Handler

Posts: 259
From: Portland, OR, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 06-15-2012 04:23 PM

The war and lack of metals had a lot to do with keeping older equipment running through the 40's. Also when TV started in your city. There were Power's machines still running on the Oregon coast in to the 50's

Theatres who could afford it bought new equipment and a surplus of used stuff became available. Many new theatres opened in the late 40's with used projectors. I don't think CinemaScope was a major reason. La Vezzi had covversion kits for all projector models so convertion to Scope was easy. The projector manufactors were also pushing new equipment. Some theatres never converted the screen they just letter boxed.

As late as the 70's I ran Standards, Supers, lots of E-7's as well as lots of Century C & CC. Portland had lots of Century C projectors and most were still runing when replaced with digital. X-L's were mostly in the major chain houses like Fox Evergreen. Some Brenkert's and Motiograph.

Louis, all the RCA 200's I saw were a 4" lens double shutter CC with brown paint and a full size glass with a round red RCA screwed to it. I hated that 4" lens assembly.
Dick

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Robert E. Allen
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1078
From: Checotah, Oklahoma
Registered: Jul 2002

posted 06-15-2012 07:38 PM

Dick: I think there were so many Centuries in the Portland area because the theatre supply dealer (whose name I can't remember) in that city in the 60s and 70s was a Century dealer, right? He installed a Century for me in Cathlamet when I converted a vacant drug store into a 105 seat theatre there in the late 60s.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-15-2012 08:08 PM

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Interesting that the never developed a guard of sorts to keep the copper slag from hitting the reflector. Almost sounds like they used an indoor lamphouse for a drive-in since the reflectors with these lamphouses do sit closer to the carbon trim than did either the Ashcraft or Strong 135's...or just one high degree of upward tilt.

It's very possible that they picked up a pair of used lamphouses meant for indoor use without realizing about the tilt problem. The drive-in closed before I was old enough to care about brand names and stuff. I only remember the projectors being Brenkerts because they had big BRENKERT brand-name plaques on them. I have no idea what the lamps were. Now my curiosity is raised. There is one guy still alive who might remember what they were...I'll have to get hold of him and see if he knows.

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Robert Throop
Master Film Handler

Posts: 412
From: Vernon, NY USA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-15-2012 10:46 PM

quote: Louis Bornwasser
I believe that RCA/Brenkert left our industry in about 1955 or so. Factory closed/Wolk bought parts and machinery. No more new stuff. 9030's would have to be at least that old and that assumes you got the very last one.

The RCA 200 was sold with 9030 soundheads so I would think that these were in production after the Brenkerts stopped production.
Ron Offerman of CFS once told me he installed the last pair of 9030's somewhere in the midwest in the late fifties.

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Louis Bornwasser
Film God

Posts: 4441
From: prospect ky usa
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 06-16-2012 06:57 AM

Robert: that is right. They had everything but the projector; got in legal trouble for not fulfilling contracts, so purchased projectors from Century. According to Charlie Wolk. Louis

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-16-2012 09:33 AM

Just to add another variable into the mix, the 1948 Paramount decision, among other things, required the studios to divest themselves of their theatres. I wonder if there was any cause and effect along the lines of new owners and increased competition driving the upgrades of the theatres.

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