Hello Vito,
Yes we had Kalee 21 machines with bell on the top spool boxes.
In fact if the cinema was not busy you could hear the bell at the back of the balcony.
I don’t think the patrons noticed it, probably just us projectionists maybe we got our ears tuned to listen for it!
I well remember the “continuos performance” days.you would run a B movie, then interval for ice cream sales,(with the sales girls spotlighted with their trays)-hand fed carbon arc spots. Adverts, newsreel or short, trailers then main feature, then repeat all again 3 times a day no stopping.
There were 20 minute reels with changeovers. An occasional stage presentation(rare).Hand written slide anouncments (scratched on glass slides), magnetic sound on some CinemaScope films. rewinds, house tabs.
Mercury arc rectifiers.
Quick lace up if a ‘scope trailer and WS feature.
Boxes hot in summer and cold (up on the roof) in the winter.
Carrying the film crates up all those stairs…..the smell of ozone, oil and celluloid.
They were still good days, and there was presentation.
Hello Vito,
Yes we had Kalee 21 machines with bell on the top spool boxes.
In fact if the cinema was not busy you could hear the bell at the back of the balcony.
I don’t think the patrons noticed it, probably just us projectionists maybe we got our ears tuned to listen for it!
I can still hear it now in my memories…….
John (UK)
I well remember the “continuos performance” days.you would run a B movie, then interval for ice cream sales,(with the sales girls spotlighted with their trays)-hand fed carbon arc spots. Adverts, newsreel or short, trailers then main feature, then repeat all again 3 times a day no stopping.
There were 20 minute reels with changeovers. An occasional stage presentation(rare).Hand written slide anouncments (scratched on glass slides), magnetic sound on some CinemaScope films. rewinds, house tabs.
Mercury arc rectifiers.
Quick lace up if a ‘scope trailer and WS feature.
Boxes hot in summer and cold (up on the roof) in the winter.
Carrying the film crates up all those stairs…..the smell of ozone, oil and celluloid.
They were still good days, and there was presentation.
John (UK-London)