I worked as a projectionist and I also maintained the xenon arc lamps in the 35mm projectors in the cinemas around Hobart. Depending on the size of the screen and the size of the lamp they would operate from 60 to 140 amps at around 30 volts DC. We had three phase rectifiers to supply the DC for the lamps. Projectors that had lamps that ran at over 100 amps had water cooled film gates to avoid the film buckling from the heat and causing focus problems. In the early 60's they would have been using carbon arc lamps. Drive In theatres had to have high powered arc lamps due to the large outdoor screen and large throw from the projectors.

IMAX is the spiritual successor to Cinerama, I've got one of those 15,000 watt IMAX xenon lamps on display, drilled out of course! Changing the lamp was always my least favourite task.

If any one has any Westrex doco I've got an AE288 wall cabinet I'd love a schematic or literature for!

I was wondering at what voltage the carbon arc lamps ran at. I suppose at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (where Windjammer premiered in CineMiracle in 1958), they would have ran the same DC voltage outside for the searchlights in the 1920s!

Westrex.. AE288 wall cabinet

What year would this be? I have a 1940s Altec wall cabinet using A126 amplifiers that have P/P 6L6's running at only 15 watts speaker output for reliability.

Most single screens ran between 1 and 5kW lamps, IMAX uses up to 15kW and needs water cooling in the anode and cathode connections. Xenons were a replacement from the 1960s onwards for carbon arc lamps. Carbon arc has a beautiful light that cannot be faithfully replicated, but they allowed cinemas to employ automation. Giant metal platters that feed from the inside while rotating the platter and depositing the film on a new platter with the start of the film on the inside allowed many cinemas to be manned by just one person. The old 20 minute changeovers were a relic of the burn time of carbons and the amount of highly flammable pre-1950s nitrate film you would sanely want in a projector magazine at any one time.

Here's a link to some of the equipment I use in my home screening room, the oldest projector is an almost complete project but more or less a display piece. The Westrex cabinet is for magnetic sound so must be circa 50s. The 15kW lamp is one of the largest short arc xenons ever made and has been brought to air as they are at very volatile atmospheric pressure when live. You would routinely wear a face mask and gloves when handling all xenons towards the end of life.

https://imgur.com/a/uaNOr

I was fortunate to visit the Melbourne Imax projection room. It was fascinating to watch the projectionist thread up and screen a 3D feature as it involved running two prints at the same time, one print for left and right eye. I have a piece of the 70mm 15 perforation imax film from an old trailer. Melboune Imax no longer uses film or xenon lamps as they now have laser projection. I remember holding a 15kw Imax xenon lamp. It had been drilled at the nipple so was no longer under pressure. I wonder how someone drilled a hole to let the pressurised xenon gas out without the quartz glass bulb exploding. Xenon lamps can do a bit of damage when they break. I never had a xenon lamp explode while in use, but I have seen photos of damaged lamphouses where the xenon lamp has exploded and taken out the curved mirror with it. I used to have to break expired lamps after replacing them by dropping the lamp while inside the box.

A masonry drill bit (with a tungsten tip) can be used to drill through plate glass and is sometimes used to stop cracks spreading on car windscreens. Normal glass is softer than people often realise. Glass that is heat treated to let it be load bearing - different story.

Perhaps the same drill bits are used to drill holes in quartz.

Quite by chance today I had a very interesting conversation with a guy about Cinerama in Sydney. I'm awaiting some info from him that should prove enlightening about the fate of the equipment itself.

There's a guy over East that turned his whole backyard into a Cinerama theatre, I can't remember the name unfortunately.

That's who was being spoken of. Standby for more info when I get it.

A little off topic, but this reminds me of my first job as a page boy at the Hoyts theatre in Bourke Road, Camberwell, aged about 9, (70 years ago!). Mainly selling "Screen News" magazines but sometimes catching the train to Glenferrie with a film reel that was played at Camberwell first then played at Glenferrie.
Harold

I wonder if the Sydney collector got that Cinerama sign that was attached to outside of the middle projection booth in the auditorium?
Wouldn't mind finding one of those!

Microsoft billionaire revives his hometown Cinerama theatre:

CINERAMA REOPENS, 1999
"Philanthropist and entrepreneur Paul Allen saves the theater by buying it
and embarking on a multi-million-dollar renovation that includes advanced
sound and projection and a restored Cinerama screen."

2014 MASSIVE UPGRADE/RENOVATION
"Cinerama installs a state-of-the-art Christie 6P digital laser projection system,
Harkness Matt Plus screen, Dolby Atmos surround sound,
Meyer Sound cinema speaker system .."

https://www.cinerama.com/History.aspx

I remember (very vaguely!) as a kid, going to a Cinerama demo in Sydney.
Dont rememebr where etc, but the movie was filmed from the nose cabin of a Mitchel bomber, while it was flown around many of the Seven Wonders of the World (that might have been the title - better Google it).
Anyway, I clearly remember the footage of the Grand Canyon. You could look straight ahead and see the scenery rushing towards you, or wtach out the side windows and see the scenery wizzing past.

So, I just Googled it. All over youtube! Many articles about history, restoration of the various Cinerama movies etc.
Even available on Blue ray.

Worth a search!

J

Okay, last night by invitation I had the pleasure of watching Holiday in Spain (1962) projected in Cinerama in his backyard by the guy who salvaged the gear from The Plaza.

We saw part (one up til the reel change) but then something blew the 3 phase RCD so part 2 has been postponed.

The setup is scaled down in order to fit his narrow backyard, nonetheless you still get the full Cinerama experience, including the 7-track surround sound.

The screen is made from fibre cement sheeting formed into the requisite curve. The three projectors are housed in the garage, along with a 70 mm projector.

The sound is separate 35mm magnetic film mounted on a playback machine. I was looking for some sort of sync generator however I was told that once brought up to speed all 4 machines are synced to the 50 Hz mains.

Each reel holds 6,000 feet of film.