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Topic: Wenzel Projectors

Geoff Bradley
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-29-2001 11:07 PM

My Film-Tech collegues,
Well, enough lurking. I enjoy the valuable information and chat from all of you and decided it was time to speak.

Just came across some old manuals for Simplex
regular projector, Peerless Magnarc and the Wenzel Ace Pro 4 Projector.

I was lucky enough to grab them before they were buried in the ground at an abandoned drive-in. These babies are now in their new home......mine.

Would anyone have any information on Wenzel?
I believe they were in Chicago.

Also, thanks to Greg M. for the advice. Hurley came through and a new screen
will soon be mine.

Thanks and regards.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2001 12:24 AM

It was my understanding that a Wenzel projector was supposed to have incorporated the good points of a Simplex Super, and a mixture of some other off-the-wall crap. (that's what I have heard, anyway.) Some old timers told me they were a very good projector.

I have seen a few, but never operated them. I'll bet Gordon, John, or Mark can tell all about them. They kinda look like Super Simplex.

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John Eickhof
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 588
From: Wendell, ID USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-30-2001 12:34 AM

Fred A Wenzel was a machinist at Simplex in the 20s. He broke away and formed his own company called the Wenzel Projector Company in Chicago in the early 30s. The Wenzel 'ACE'
projector was a carbon copy of the Simplex Regular (Standard) Fred developed many variations on his machine, like the model BW
that was made for Ballantyne. It was an ACE with a couple of heavier bearing surfaces and a different film side door that had the Ballantyne logo. The Pro 4 was a mid 50s
model still basically the ACE model but with easier oiling, and an easy to remove film trap door and an optional 4" lens holder.\
Wenzel developed the model 6 'ACE' in 1958
that had a conical shutter like the Simplex XL and other new improvements, but it was never mass made, as Edw. H. Wolk Co., Inc. purchased the Wenzel Company in 1958 after Fred Wenzel took ill. Wenzel made a couple
of soundheads too, as well as repair parts for the Simplex machine, and many specialty repair tools for the projector repairman, such as intermittent run-in holders, sprocket pullers, and taper pin reamers. Of course Wenzel made a pedistal and other projection accessories. In a simular light, Sam Kaplan was a machinist too at Simplex in the 20s,
he too formed his own operation in the 30s known as Kaplan 'Sure-Fit' Projectors & parts. (Also a copy of the Simplex Regular) Kaplan went onto form the Century Projector
Company and with the help of Larry Little
developed the famous Century C model in the 40s.

------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2001 12:55 AM

Hey, John. Thanks for the write-up on the Wenzel.

Now, I have one for you - can you tell us all about the Weber Synchro-film Sound head? I ran those things in the Skagit Drive-In in Burlington, WA in 1973 until it closed. It was not too bad of a sound head, except for those funky PE cells that I replaced with a wooden dowell (small broom stick handle) with a Radio Smack solar chip glued to it. They were not too bad. I understand that was an export model of a Western Electric soundhead, but I don't know what model.

I might add this: One of those soundheads, I had to make a gear with a hacksaw and a file to finish the season, since there were no parts available for it.

Whatever it was, it had steel balls in the rotary stabilizer, (which took forever to come up to speed) and they were very smooth when it came to wow and flutter. It was a chain driven soundhead.

Speak, O Toothless Soothsayer.. LOL (just had to do that, John.)

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 04-30-2001 06:22 AM

Geoff, kind of off topic, but what drive-in was it? Recently abandoned or long gone?

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-30-2001 08:29 AM

Paul,
I have several little booklets that were published by Weber. They are pretty interesting and include a fireside chat by Carl Weber himself. I'll send copies to Brad to post here. I think the remains of Weber were purchased by a dealer in NYC. I may be wrong but I think the stabilizers were magnetic.
Mark @ GTS
NOTE: Richard Fowler just reminded me that the late Saul Tanny bought Weber Synchrofilm and kept selling them until the 70's. We would sure like to see Richard drop in here once in a while...he's a walking encyclopedia of info....

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Geoff Bradley
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2001 08:26 PM

Thanks John and Paul.
Much appreciated.
There are some parts missing off the lens holder and collar but not too much else.

Dave , they came from the Crystal Lake Drive-in near Canora Saskatchewan.

This is my lucky day indeed. I just hauled another pair out of the Unity Drive-in. Same projectors though. Northern Electric Soundheads and a pair of really nasty and heavy rectifiers. 4 flat lenses and 4 scope.

Thanks everyone.

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-30-2001 08:31 PM

Mark, it seems you might be right about it being magnetic. Unless the ones I had were modified, they had about three or four steel balls in them that made contact with the outer shell to gradually get it up to speed.

When they coasted down, all the balls would sound like ping pong balls bouncing around from the outer shell to the ball carriage retainers.

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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!

Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000

posted 04-30-2001 08:40 PM

Say John,

You mentioned that Larry Little helped out with the development of the Century C. By any chance that wouldn't be the Larry Little of Nevada Audio Visual nee Little Machine Co. in Las Vegas would it?

Ogenki de,

Paul, SMPTE OOF (Otaku Over Forty)

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John Eickhof
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 588
From: Wendell, ID USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-30-2001 10:04 PM

Absolutely! I had spent many hours in the past with Larry talking about his exploits in the industry. I saw him last March, He is still rebuilding intermittents! And has slowed a bit, (He's in his 90s!) Larry is probably one of the nicest and most knowledgable in the industry!

------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com

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John Eickhof
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 588
From: Wendell, ID USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 04-30-2001 10:15 PM

CORRECTION ON WENZEL INFORMATION!!!
I received an email from Konrad Sheike in Ill. regarding my information as stated above. First, the PRO-4 (Updated ACE) was introduced in late 1930's or early 1940's,
the Pro 6 was prototyped in 1939 but it's release was canancelled due to a major design flaw...the distance from gate to american soundheads was 5 frames off! Thus it was abandoned. It was apparently designed by two Detroit Projectionists, but Konrad and his associate beiliev it was primarily of a european design. (Thus simularities to the XL) Wolk did end up with some of the Wenzel assets, but the majority of them were purchased by Iver Burek. Thanks Konrad for the corrections! I wish you would participate in these forums instead of just browsing!
I know you have a lot of other historical data in your archives! I sit corrected!

------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com

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Geoff Bradley
Film Handler

Posts: 12
From: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-01-2001 12:25 AM

Thanks John.
Sixty year old projectors. Cool!
Do you handle parts for Wenzel or is it Wolk?
Maybe it's just me, but alot of the projectors I'm running into around the province are Wenzell's. A few Simplexes and very few Century's.
All the sound heads are Northern Electric.

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Robert Throop
Master Film Handler

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

posted 05-01-2001 12:50 AM

The Weber Syncrofilm soundhead was made by the Weber Machine Co. in Rochester, NY. I operated a pair of them at the Rialto theatre in Utica, NY in the sixties. I believe they also made a 35mm portable projector and a theatre projector that was one unit (projector and soundhead). In the late fifties Weber made a couple of sets of curved water cooled gates for Simplex E7's for the Schine theatre circuit.

------------------
Bob Throop

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Paul G. Thompson
The Weenie Man

Posts: 4718
From: Mount Vernon WA USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 05-01-2001 01:11 AM

It is amazing how a topic like this can explode....it is wonderful. Since I became a film-tech member, I have learned alot of info! Thanks to you all.

Brad, you created something that is most beneficial to the industry. I don't think anyone would dispute that.... Kudos...

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Dave Bird
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 777
From: Perth, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Jun 2000

posted 05-01-2001 07:37 AM

If you don't mind me asking Geoff, whatcha doing with all the projectors? Is this a hobby or a biz? I also bought the equipment of an abandoned drive-in here in Ontario. I found it bittersweet, sad to see a place where so many happy times had occured (and by taking the equipment, ensuring they would never again even if they wanted), but glad to "save" them, hopeful to re-create the happy times in the future. I have both Crystal Lake and Unity listed as OPEN as late as 1988, closed by 1999. Go 'Riders!

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