Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Why Century "C"

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Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 03-16-2000, 10:13 AM:

Does anyone know why Century's first projector head is called the "C"? And what does "SA" mean? Just curious.

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"All right, brain. You don't like me and I don't like you, but let's just do this and I can get back to killing you with beer." - Homer Simpson

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-16-2000, 10:16 AM:

Century's first projector was the K and was made by Kaplan and was basicall a Simplex standard knock of
the S is single shutter or a D for Dual shutter model A

Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 03-16-2000, 03:34 PM:

Gordon, does the "W" in Century SAW indicate provisions for a water cooled gate?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-16-2000, 04:49 PM:

The "W" in a Century model number does indeed indicate "water cell trap"

I'm sure I have posted, elsewhere, the Century schemes thoughout the years.

I have finally seen a "K" up close and if you weren't paying attention, you would swear it was a Simplex Super...very creepy.

Steve

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"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Patrick S. Chaffins (Member # 348) on 03-16-2000, 05:12 PM:

Reprinted from Ballantyne's fall flyer:
The CenturyÒ projector originally known as the Kaplan Sure-Fit, has been the workhorse for thousands of movie theatres since its birth in the early 1930's. Called the Cinemex (Mexico), Centree (Peru), CineCita and Monee (India), Westrex (UK) and Westar (USA -- Westrex and Westar were manufactured under a license granted by Century in 1950). All are direct copies of the famous Century design. To truly appreciate the Century's acclaimed contribution to the cinema, we need to journey back to the roots of the machine, back to a time when a dollar lasted all day at the movies.

Sam Kaplin, owner of the Kaplan Sure-Fit Company, began as a supplier of Simplex projector replacement parts. The original Kaplan projector, similar to the Wenxel Ace and the Ballatyne BW, was virtually a carbon copy of Ihe Simplex Standard, and the parts could be interchanged among the three. Kaplan's projector was marketed later as the Century Model "K," and sold in 1938 to avoid conflicts with the projectionist's union, where he was past president. Under new ownership, the New York based Century Projector Company employed many highly skilled machinists and engineers passing through Ellis Island, hoping to escape the brewing storm clouds of war in Europe. Ball bearings were used extensively in the new design, a characteristic still present in today's machine. The Century Model "P," introduced in 1939, departed from the Simplex design and would be recognized today as a Century Machine. The framing mechanism exposes major differences between the Century and Simplex. Simplex machines correct framing by rotating the intermittent movement while the machine is running, thus repositioning the intermittent sprocket. Rotating the Century framing knob employs rack and pinion gearing to move the intermittent movement up or down. More advancements then followed, and by 1940 the model "C" projector made Century a threat to the Simplex. Model "C" production continued until 1961.

The early 1950's ushered in a new home for the Century Projector Company, when it was purchased by Harry Lebensfeld and became a subsidiary of the United Industrial Syndicate. Century's product was unrelated to UIS's other interests, (hardware, furniture, auto parts) and grew in acceptance among exhibitors.

Outside the normal 35mm cinema venue, the Model "C" served as the launching point for the "VV" (VistaVision) and Cinerama machines led to the development of the model "H" projector. A magnetic soundhead was added to the 35/55mm projector for the sole purpose of the Twentieth Century Fox film release of Rogers & Hammerstein's "Carousel". It is estimated that no more than 50 of these machines were built, but the unit served as the prototype for the 'JJ" 35/70mm machine. The "JJ" was introduced in 1960, and is still in production. When the three-machine Cinerama process gave way to the single-gate 70mm format, a modified Century "JJ" became the new Cinerama projector. After Cinerama closed its doors for good in the late 1960's, virtually all of the Cinerama "JJ" heads were re-fitted for 35/70mm use Optical
Radiation Corporation (ORC), of Azusa, California purchased the Century Projector Corporation in 1982, and moved operations to their Cinema Products Division headquarters in Azuza. In 1993, ORC sold the Cinema Products Division to Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc.

Reprinted from Ballantyne's web site:
Century Projectors are world-renowned for quality and reliability. Developed as an offshoot of Simplex designs, Century came into its own in 1939 with the Model "P" soon followed by the Century "C" Projector in the early 1940's. Century was an innovative company, designing and building several different versions of the "C" projector, including the VistaVision and "DD Cinerama" (double-shutter, 5-perforation 35mm) machines in the 1950's. These innovations led to the JJ 35/70 Projector in 1960.

Century MSC & SA Projectors
The Century SA (Standard Drive) and MSC (Direct Drive) are single lens versions of the projector. Includes lens adapters (100.6mm x 70.6mm / 4" x 2-25/32") and aperture plates for two formats (Flat and Scope undersized), accessory kit, gear lube, oil, tools, operator's and parts manuals

Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 03-16-2000, 08:17 PM:

Let us not forget that Sam Kaplan was originally employed by the Precision Machine
Co., NY. (Makers of the Simplex) That is why
the Kaplan machine was basically identical to the Simplex. The Model P was a derivative of
the close geartrain type used by Simplex. The C model (rumored to mean 'Century') was assisted in design by Larry Little under Sam Kaplan, Larry is the originator of the simple open gearing and the vertical shaft & framing technique still used by Century today.
It was not until the C was introduced, that the name of Sam Kaplan Manufacturing Company was changed to Century Projector Corp.

[This message has been edited by John Eickhof (edited 03-16-2000).]

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-16-2000, 09:32 PM:

It is interesting but the original Coxakie Superior projector at brief look has the same simple verticle shaft arrangement that the Century later had
also many mid sixtie machione that were direct drive were labled MSA or MDA

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 03-16-2000, 11:29 PM:

Ah yes the infamous Century 'alphabet soup'

A=the 'standard' Century 35mm projector since the 50s, comes in several different sub-configurations:

SA=Single Shutter (or 'Standard')
DA=Double Shutter (or 'Drive-In')
SAW,DAW, etc..-the 'W' indicates water cooled trap

B=35mm Cine-Focus vacuum attachment version
Same sub-flavors as the 'A' machines (SB, DB, etc)

C=35mm straight gate late 30s/early 40s with the 3-piece 'circle and triangles' door glass
CC=Double shutter version of above

H= Curved trap version of the 'C', C mechanicals in a 'SA' style casing, no vent holes in the shutter casing
HH= Double shutter version of above

JJ=35/70mm

TA= Turret version of the SA series

M=As a prefix for the other models, it denotes the 'direct-drive system where the motor drives the picture head's mainshaft rather than the soundhead. Soundheads on 'M' machines are driven via a flex shaft and a slot in the bottom gear of the vertical shaft. Examples: MSA, MDA

VV=VistaVision 8/35 horizontal projector.

Soundheads are a bit trickier, I have seen several very different versions of the R3 and R4 heads, though the 'T' prefix (TR3, etc) indicates 'Transistor' for the then-new solid state sound systems that were coming out at the time.

Aaron

Posted by Scott Hicks (Member # 376) on 03-18-2000, 03:05 PM:

Thanks for listing the alphabet soup.

I've got some late model C's with 4" lens barrel with ONE window in the door (H-SA style). S/n in the 10,000 range I think.

Apparently at the near the end of the run, some of the later model features started showing up on C's.

Anybody know when the A series was introduced? And did the C production cease at that time?

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-22-2000, 06:55 AM:

The first A model came out in '61, when they stopped making C's and H's.

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Better Projection Pays!

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-22-2000, 09:53 AM:

I was always under the impression that when the H was introduced that the C serries ended
The original VV prototype was a C on its side with the original C 4 lens mount bolted on where the shutter housing is and the shutter where the lens mount was
On Martys Widescreen museum library is the scans of the article by Davis on the development of the VV machine and pictures of the handmade C version at Radio City Music Hall as well as the production machines and the special magnetic sound versions for Williamsburg

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-24-2000, 07:50 AM:

Gordon, I was under that impression, too but according to the "This is Strong" book, C's were made until '61. H's were made from '59 to '61.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-24-2000, 10:34 AM:

Interesting I have a list somewhere of every serial number ever built by century with the date
I will have to try to find it in the morgue

Posted by Larry Shaw (Member # 388) on 03-24-2000, 11:35 AM:

The first VV's are stamped "CV"

The 35/55's are stamped "EE". (get it?)

-Larry

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 03-24-2000, 09:10 PM:

Gordon, that's fantastic. Please, if you find that list, could you upload it to the Downloads section?

That's a handy list to have on hand.

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Better Projection Pays!

Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 03-28-2000, 07:19 PM:

The model H also had an A type intermittent.

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Bob Throop