Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Identifying old 35mm Projector

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Posted by Zachary Vex (Member # 4204) on 01-26-2008, 04:43 PM:

Hi. I know this is a pretty useless post for most of you, but I need a bit of help identifying this projector. Any information would be helpful. A local antiques shop is bringing this in on Tuesday and they don't know a thing about it.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-26-2008, 05:02 PM:

It's a Super Simplex on what appears to be an RCA 9030 soundhead. The lamphouse is most likely a Simplex High carbon arc, made by Strong. Probably a late 1930s-early 1940s setup.

At the very least it is an intriguing display piece, although it can be a fun adult toy in the right hands. While parts are still available for the projector and soundhead if you know where to look, the lamphouse is pretty much obsolete (which is a shame, because a properly adjusted and maintained carbon arc lamphouse put out better light than xenon).

I'd be a little wary of what the antique shop thinks the system is worth. From what I've seen on eBay, antiques dealers think they can sell vintage 35mm gear for steep prices when in reality these things are nowadays mostly worth pennies on the dollar, not adjusted for inflation.

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 01-27-2008, 06:14 AM:

I thought it might be dated a little later (middle to late 1950's) because of the larger reel magazine.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 01-27-2008, 09:15 AM:

It could just be the angle of the photo, but relative to the width of the mechanism housing, the magazine looks like 70mm to me.

There's also a scope lens on it, so the projector must have still been in use in the mid-50s at the earliest.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-27-2008, 09:37 AM:

Simplex maintained the super in production right up to the XL
so it could be late 40's
Also I thought the simplex badged 1k was introduced in 1940

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-27-2008, 01:05 PM:

quote: John Walsh
I thought it might be dated a little later (middle to late 1950's) because of the larger reel magazine.

The Super mechanism is fairly short (only about 13" tall, compared to the E-7 at 14" or the 15" tall X-L), which explains why the 18" magazine on the machine appears larger.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-27-2008, 01:30 PM:

Looking at the perspective on that picture it seems to have been taken with a wide angle lens from a close distance, which would make the magazine look larger.

Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 01-27-2008, 02:54 PM:

Not much light on anything. Hard to tell. Super Simplex was only made into 1938 although National Theatre Supply had some thru 1941 on their inventories. Simplex E7 was introduced in `1938 along with the SH1000 soundhead and their miserable sound system[AM 1000; AM 1001 made by Webster Electric in Chicago, poorest tube amplifiers ever, although National Theatre Supply unloaded a boatload of them nationwide clear thru 1949. It looks like a Simplex High lamp but it could also be a Strong Mogul.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-27-2008, 04:09 PM:

It doesn't look like a Mogul, not with that arcscope up on top at the front. I'm betting it's a Simplex High, as others have suggested.

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-27-2008, 06:46 PM:

National Theatre Supply actively promoted the super up til the introduction of the XL
and at one point the E7 was dropped but the super remained in there adds until the XL