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Author Topic: Wikipedia page for the DP70 Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 02-26-2014 11:30 AM                        The thread about the drive shaft had me re-reading bits of Thomas's DP70 site last night, from which a process of clicking led me to discover that there was no Wikipedia page for the DP70. This struck me as a notable omission, as most of the other major systems and inventions related to widescreen do have a page. So I have had a stab at writing one - here - based mainly on information on in70mm.com. I thought the regulars here might like to check it and make corrections/additions as described. A picture or two (I don't have any that I own the copyright to, or else I'd have put one on), plus some more references would probably be useful. If anyone doesn't want to edit the page themselves but has suggestions for revisions, please feel free to put them here and I'll update the page when the discussion has run its course.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 02-26-2014 12:38 PM                       Great work and a god start. I believe some final assembly and finishing was done in the USA as some of the operating side of the projector's fasteners were SAE and not metric. Perhaps this was all done in Holland for USA sales, not clear on that. Someone knows I'm sure.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-26-2014 05:55 PM                        Sam; I know for a fact that the base and lamphouse table were USA. I was called to a theatre that had "a basement full of old projectors" and found all of the AAII crates (along with paperwork) full of the 1920s projectors that were removed when AA2's went in for "Raintree County." Louis  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-26-2014 08:46 PM                        Is there a list somewhere of changes in the design of the machine over its production run? I am thinking of things like the color of the glass in the door (went from clear to dark green), the switch from two motors to one, and the color of the rollers.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-27-2014 01:50 PM                     When the machine was known as the AA-2 (about 1966) I believe the base parts were actually made by Ballantyne (This is way before they ever bought Strong and Simplex). John Wilmers who is very much still around would know this for sure. They also distributed the projector around that time period. Somewhere around here I have a magazine ad in it from Ballantyne selling the AA-2. Although the first batches of projectors were likely fully imported as complete units Todd-AO would have later on contracted some US manufacturer to build the pedestal parts while they were distributing it... Also, the European and USA electrics and motors and mounts were completely different from each other. It could not have been worth shipping those heavy parts over seas even back then unless it was more localized there in Europe or the Middle East. Mark  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 02-27-2014 03:07 PM                     The first machines came straight from eindhoven later ballantyne under Ed Nelson made the magazines and bases for them as well as a lot of the FP20 columnes and DP75 columnes ever wonder how they came up with the framing coupler for the PRO35 hmm they were assembling for phillips  |  IP: Logged Steve Guttag We forgot the crackers Gromit!!! Posts: 12814 From: Annapolis, MD Registered: Dec 1999 posted 02-27-2014 04:49 PM                     Ever notice that a Pro-35 aperture fits an FP20/30? The Ballantyne was a rip off of the DP75 mechanism.  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 02-27-2014 06:42 PM                        We even had FP-20 drive ins here; full Ballantyne contract. They distributed Norelco for awhile. that did not work out so well for . . . Norelco. Louis  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 03-01-2014 03:17 PM                        Thanks, folks - I've tweaked the page to take in everyone's comments. Some secondary fact-checking revealed a bit of confusion as to when the AAII version was launched, though: Thomas's site says 1963, but I've found one or two other places that say 1966. I've gone with 1963 in this write-up, because in70mm.com looks far more authoritative to me than anything that contradicts it, and the production run was either over or almost over by 1966, and so it doesn't make sense that a major revision to the model would be launched that late.  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 03-01-2014 04:20 PM                        AAII is short for Academy Award, Class II Nice write-up Leo.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 03-01-2014 05:09 PM                       I was just looking at Thomas's 70mm site. The last two pictures labeled as being in LA are actually of the Galaxy in San Francisco. I took part in the installation and had salvage rights just a few years later for everything except the projectors which were donated by Regal to a facility in LA. Maybe USC or UCLA. Regards the Coronet and Alexandria; I had salvage rights to these as well. The related note regarding someone from Dolby acquiring the DP70's is close but I had exited Dolby Labs years before. Lost track of the machines but I believe they went to Claco in Salt Lake City. Some of these ended up in Randy Pryde's cinemas in Utah and Wyoming. Now four out of service machines from Randy Pryde are back in LA with Jess Daily, ex of UCLA. I will see if I can obtain the serial #'s. BTW, Alexandria and Coronet had 5 large Ampex speakers behind the screen. All went to audio collectors in Japan.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 03-01-2014 05:36 PM                        I seem to recall that when Fox West Coast built their Charleston Plaza location in Las Vegas in 1965, they put in Norelcos...  |  IP: Logged Thomas Hauerslev Master Film Handler Posts: 451 From: Copenhagen, Denmark Registered: Aug 2000 posted 03-02-2014 12:56 AM                        Thanks Sam, pictures are moved to the UA Galaxy, SF. I seemed to remember they were some sort of cinema in Pasadena, where Todd-AO had had one rebuilt for Compact Distribution Print in 1994. I saw a test with "Scent of a Woman" there - but could not remember the place. And 20 years later, it turns out to be in SF. Btw, there are US states without the DP70: http://www.in70mm.com/dp70/country/usa/index.htm At least, I have no records. Most DPs are in CA and NY  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-02-2014 09:52 AM                     Sam, I thought that Bob McRae ended up with the DP-70's that were at Dolby? Didn't Ray call them Nazi projectors or something along those lines? Mark  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 03-02-2014 10:55 AM                       Mark, Dolby had a pair AA11's back in 1984 from Circle Theatres in DC. They never got used in favor of brand new DP75's. They were sold to Malco's Mike Thompson along with 2 others. Ray did express disappointment when he saw he saw the DP75's and said he thought we were getting "the big ones." Thomas, I hope I did not cause confusion. The pictures I was referring to were marked LA Theatres with no names. I think it was under California cinemas.  |  IP: Logged

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