my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Film Handlers' Forum   » Ernemann 2 Projector (Page 1)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Author Topic: Ernemann 2 Projector Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 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 Graham.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Robert Koch Film Handler Posts: 93 From: Williams Ca USA Registered: Apr 2006 posted 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..  |  IP: Logged Frank Cox Film God Posts: 2234 From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada Registered: Apr 2011 posted 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?  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 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?  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Jonathan Wood Expert Film Handler Posts: 206 From: Oxfordshire, United kingdom Registered: Jan 2008 posted 11-19-2012 03:36 AM                     Frank- any where and any how you can !  |  IP: Logged Graham Ritchie Film Handler Posts: 54 From: Christchurch, New Zealand Registered: Apr 2009 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Tim Asten Film Handler Posts: 98 From: Brighton, United Kingdom Registered: Nov 2006 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged Victor Liorentas Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: london ontario canada Registered: May 2009 posted 11-22-2012 07:36 PM                     Yes that is Brainstorm!!  |  IP: Logged Brent Francis Film Handler Posts: 84 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Nov 2008 posted 11-23-2012 11:21 AM                        Used regularly from the 20's to the 90's... wonder how long the current stuff will last?  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 11-23-2012 03:04 PM                        Single digits.  |  IP: Logged Paul Gordon Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 580 From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Registered: Aug 2005 posted 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.  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.