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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Kalee 32 projector.

   
Author Topic: Kalee 32 projector.
John Spooner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 186
From: South Australia, Australia
Registered: Jan 2003


 - posted 07-04-2003 02:07 PM      Profile for John Spooner   Email John Spooner   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
My UK colleagues may especially find this picture of the Kalee 32 heads of some interest.
They are currently installed and running well in a drive-in located in a large regional town north of Adelaide.
I called in during a short holiday trip where I was made welcome by the operators and took this picture. The picture was remarkably steady, a credit to the old British engineering of the day.
When was this model Kalee produced and how many would still be around? There is one other venue in Adelaide with the same heads to the best of my current knowlege.
John Spooner.  -

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 07-04-2003 04:50 PM      Profile for Ken McFall   Email Ken McFall   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The last pair of these I saw running was at a small coastal town, can't remember the name but it was where The French Leiutenants Woman was filmed! They even had the original Kalee Xenon lamphouse on them. I'm sure someone will come up with the name of the place for me...

========================================================
later edit :- Just came to me Lyme Regis, I think?
and they were Kalee 37's... old age is a terrible thing!
========================================================

There were also a pair stored under some stairs an Anglia Television, all this is some 15 or so years ago.

John hope they are not still using the Varamorph lenses... from what I could see there was an old Kershaw lens in there....

The whole Kalee range were great machines, real projectors that were built to last. I've worked on 12's, 18's, 19's 20' & 21's. Projectomatic model 'O' and the drum version.

Happier days by far, thanks for sharing the picture [thumbsup]

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Stan Gunn
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 176
From: Clematis, in the hills near Melbourne Australia
Registered: Aug 2000


 - posted 07-05-2003 05:16 AM      Profile for Stan Gunn   Author's Homepage   Email Stan Gunn   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have a pair of 19s with their full history, from 1948 they are Nos 19013 and 19014. They have been out of service since around 79, They are still in working order with their President lamps.
They dont make em like that any more. [thumbsup]

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000


 - posted 07-05-2003 05:36 AM      Profile for Leo Enticknap   Author's Homepage   Email Leo Enticknap   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
The last pair of these I saw running was at a small coastal town, can't remember the name but it was where The French Leiutenants Woman was filmed!
Lyme Regis in Dorset.

For some reason there are a lot of GKs in the (surprising number of) independent surviving fleapits in the Dorset and Devon coastal towns. We also had them at the University of Exeter film society. Very solid machines - built like tanks and with excellent picture stability. But the film path was full of nooks and crannies and a real pain to keep clean, and what are simple routine maintenance jobs on most other mechs are a complex nightmare on those things. Timing those drum shutters does not bring back pleasant memories!

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Bernard Tonks
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 619
From: Cranleigh, Surrey, England
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 07-05-2003 07:51 AM      Profile for Bernard Tonks   Email Bernard Tonks   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
During my freelance days I worked two evenings relief at the House Of Commons, which had a complete Kalee 37s with xenons installation. The Compton Cinema in London's Soho had the same equipment.

I was told that the Regent, Lyme Regis had the very last two Kalee 37s installed. www.scottcinemas.co.uk

John's picture is of course with the doors removed.

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Gordon McLeod
Film God

Posts: 9532
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 07-05-2003 10:17 AM      Profile for Gordon McLeod   Email Gordon McLeod   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
We had 2 Zies Favorite 16B's installed in Toronto way back when that had the three electrode Kalee Xenon Lamphouses on the back of them (looked like the smaller universal 1k carbon lamp)
It was interesting to watch and listen to the result of when the arc established itself to the ignition electrode rather than the current ones [Big Grin]

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John Spooner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 186
From: South Australia, Australia
Registered: Jan 2003


 - posted 07-05-2003 02:06 PM      Profile for John Spooner   Email John Spooner   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Dear colleagues.
Thank you for the information re the 37`s.
I believe the varamorphs are still in use, on the night I visited both features were W/S. The light on the screen was very good.
As a matter of interest, they had removed all the field speakers, sound being delivered by a low powered mono transmitter on the Australian FM broadcast band allocation via a folded dipole on the box facia.
Here is another view of the box, of the lhs machine.
Stan, have sent a private e-mail.
Best regards. John Spooner.

[ 07-06-2003, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: John Spooner ]

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Howard Johnson
Film Handler

Posts: 87
From: Felpham , West Sussex, UK
Registered: Jun 99


 - posted 07-05-2003 02:23 PM      Profile for Howard Johnson   Email Howard Johnson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There is one GK37 at Chichester Film Society that is being retired in 3 weeks. It was originally at Pinewood Studios running double headed. It's over 40 years old ! There were many installed in studios and preview theatres in the 60s. A Vic 5 is going in mainly because of longer running hours and the annual film festival.

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John Spooner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 186
From: South Australia, Australia
Registered: Jan 2003


 - posted 07-05-2003 02:31 PM      Profile for John Spooner   Email John Spooner   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear colleagues.
Thank you for the information re the 37`s.
I believe the varamorphs are still in use, on the night I visited both features were W/S. The light on the screen was very good.
As a matter of interest, they had removed all the field speakers, sound being delivered by a low powered mono transmitter on the Australian FM broadcast band allocation via a folded dipole on the box facia.
Here is another view of the box, of the lhs machine.
Stan, have sent a private e-mail.
Best regards. John Spooner.

 -

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Ken McFall
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 615
From: Haringey, London.
Registered: Apr 2001


 - posted 07-05-2003 05:00 PM      Profile for Ken McFall   Email Ken McFall   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Even now they look current.... Keep them going guy's as long as you can.

BTY I followed the img link on one of your posts and was greeted by a very nasty face with the message...

ILLEGAL PICTURE!!!

The piece of shit who tried to post a picture here is
illegally STEALING bandwidth from another web server.

Now I'm not too sure if you're the piece of shit he's refering to.... but it was NOT a nice pic..... subject matter aside! Lighting is everything and I would suggest turning it all OFF! or lighting from behind.... VERY brightly!

Could it have been a very close up of Joe Redifer by any chance? I'm still shuddering [Eek!]

[ 07-05-2003, 06:14 PM: Message edited by: Ken McFall ]

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Pete Naples
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1565
From: Dunfermline, Scotland
Registered: Feb 2001


 - posted 07-06-2003 04:51 AM      Profile for Pete Naples   Email Pete Naples   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Ah Kalee! AFAIK there's not any running in Scotland now, there might be in the far north, but I'm not certain. The only one I look after now is at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal, Cumbria. It's a 20 which is quite unusual, I'm more used to seeing 19s and 21s. The Brewery machine has a Super LumeX on the back, and a Walter Voight combined laser/optic unit installed. Sound is via a CP55.

I've got a picture somewhere, I'll post it if I can find it.

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Andy Muirhead
Master Film Handler

Posts: 323
From: Galashiels, Scotland
Registered: Dec 2000


 - posted 07-07-2003 06:28 PM      Profile for Andy Muirhead   Email Andy Muirhead   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Pete, The Roxy in Kelso use a Kalee, not sure what model. Its only been there a few years, I believe it may have come from a student cinema in Northumbria.

Since the Roxy is only two minutes from my house, I sometimes run the odd show there for pocket money, I must say I don't like that machine at all!

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