This is topic Ernemann 2 Projector in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 04-21-2012, 03:33 AM:
Here are a few photos you might find of interest of this old projector.
A quick history. It started its life here in a South Island cinema back in 1927 and was later sold to a rural town hall in 1935 and continued in use up to the 90s. I came across it by accident at that hall lying in bits and forgotton. They told me if I want it I can have it, so I did. After putting it back together "well sort of" I was surprised how well the mechanics of it ran so that got me thinking, so years on and a new projection box was built for it. It runs really well, the projector was originally a front shutter but somewhere along the line to accommodate Scope it was modified to a rear drum shutter.
Anyway its been a lot of fun and a real joy to kick into life every so often. Because its only projecting at the most a Scope picture at 11 feet wide I am just using a 24volt 300watt lamp mounted where the carbon arc rods used to be along with a 7 inch mirror. The light output is not to bad, a 36volt 400watt would be better but its done now.
When the cinema where I worked for the last 12 years as a projectionist closed down last November for good due to further mall expansion, the owners gave me the chance to buy and take some stuff which I did. I should add I was given our old Bauer U4 projector as well and later the 5 deck platter. It was all heading to the junk pile "shame" so got plenty of spare bits as well. I modified an old Bauer sound head, cut/drilled and fitted "just" between the lamphouse and projector. Also a digital sounhead just below the spool box. Its all fed into a Ulta Stereo and DA20 Processor which in turn fed into the multi channel input in a Yamaha amp.
It was all done on a shoe string budget "or less", the platter is in the garage about 30 feet away but its great to run a full feature from it to the Ernemann. That in itself is a real joy "I do like platters" anyway enough rambling.
What I had to come up with was to fit a adjustable drag roller to smooth things out between the intermittent and sound head. With so little room thats all all I could come up with, but it works and the bottom loop seems fine, once again old Bauer bits.
Fitted the digital reader last week.
For a 85 year old projector...not bad eh!
One last photo, and this is the platter next to the Bauer projector, there is a hole in the wall with double row of roof rollers to the Ernemann, The cinema owners were very good to let me take a lot of this stuff and the Bauer...its found a new home ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Graham.
Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 04-21-2012, 09:04 AM:
You did great job re-building and upgrading that projector. That lamphouse is the same one as I have on mine Ernemann 4.
Posted by Robert Koch (Member # 3728) on 04-22-2012, 05:36 PM:
The Erneman of that vintage had many innovations that were ahead of its time. They were made in Germany and imported to the US as Fulco projectors. There were many of them in the SF bay area in the old Golden State circuit when I was in high school. The projectionists loved them because of the innovations and the ease of disassembly. Then came Hitler and the war and no more Fulco. Sure would like to see one again..
Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 04-22-2012, 09:10 PM:
One thing that I've always wondered about when seeing stuff like this: Where do hobbyists/collectors get their prints?
A 35mm projector doesn't seem to be of any value without a movie to play on it, and any print I've ever seen was always sent back to the depot on completion of its theatrical run.
So where do these prints come from?
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 04-26-2012, 04:47 PM:
Thanks Marin
A friend of mine that lives here locally had fully restored an Ernemann front shutter years ago, he did a fantastic job, hope he does not mind me adding this photo of his projector I took a couple of years ago. Its really something.
Posted by Marin Zorica (Member # 1716) on 04-26-2012, 05:28 PM:
Wow! That Ernie is beauty! Only don't know were original 1930's ernemann's were black shine or matt colored? ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 04-27-2012, 07:00 PM:
Good question, the only thing I can say for sure is that all the machines I have seen, including a spare that I have were painted black and looks like a semi-gloss. It might be after 80 plus years the shine has gone of a bit. I never painted mine but it does look like original paint. I will try to find out a bit more about it.
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 11-18-2012, 06:10 PM:
A couple of weeks ago I put the old Ernemann up on YouTube. I cant figure out how to link it to the forum, however if you are interested in seeing a bit of "history in motion" search on Youtube "Ernemann2 35mm projector" and it should come up. The quality of the video is not the greatest, it has come across a bit on the dull side and the sound tinny, "not true" however its all there.
Came across this photo taken in 1931 at the time the hall was built. The same year the two second hand Ernemann2 projectors were installed. I just recently came across the other machine sitting in the museum.
They ran here until the late 1990s.
Graham.
Posted by Jonathan Wood (Member # 4614) on 11-19-2012, 03:36 AM:
Frank- any where and any how you can !
Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 5226) on 11-22-2012, 02:57 PM:
A few months ago I was given this old print from the 80s. It had been stored and forgotton in rusty reels in some damp basement and had a strong acidic smell. The worst part was how badly warped it had become over the last 27 years.
After inspecting the reels, I thought that even if the Ernie can project it, there is no way, due to the extreme warping and the projectors flat gate that its going to hold focus and most likely the focus is going to be all over the place. I fully expected one screening only and then to scrap it.
The print however did have good colour and was basically scratch free.
What a pleasant surprise when I ran it through the Ernemann, it went very well indeed, and only at one point for about a minute that the focus moved in and out and that was only slightly.
The print is going to be kept as is, either on the platter or on a storage bench. I do hope that with plenty of fresh air the acidic smell will back of a bit...anyway, it was a thrill to run this film through the old Ernie.
those photos were taken last September. I had to be slow and carefull getting it on the platter as the warped film was causing it to do weird things.
......some screen shots....
Graham.
Posted by Tim Asten (Member # 4051) on 11-22-2012, 04:23 PM:
The film looks like Brainstorm (1983). If it is, We ran this as a one off late show in 70mm years ago. Aaah, those were the days.
Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 11-22-2012, 07:36 PM:
Yes that is Brainstorm!!
Posted by Brent Francis (Member # 5008) on 11-23-2012, 11:21 AM:
Used regularly from the 20's to the 90's... wonder how long the current stuff will last?
Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 11-23-2012, 03:04 PM:
Single digits.
Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 11-24-2012, 05:41 AM:
Brad we need more private screening room pics in the warehouse. It's been awhile since any updates. There always interesting.
Posted by Tony Bandiera Jr (Member # 2365) on 11-25-2012, 12:18 AM:
Paul, for that to happen people need to send in more pics. Brad can't force people to submit pics. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
That said, I realize I still haven't sent in the pics of my new screening room at UC Irvine. Oops.
Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 11-27-2012, 05:54 AM:
True... I need to do the same, but that being said I think lots of people send stuff too (Film-Tech/Brad) but the booths never get posted. He's gotten to busy! with all this DCP stuff.
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 02-24-2016, 02:55 PM:
It has been 1184 days since the last post.