ROSS GC with PEERLESS MAGNARC converted Arc Lamp and
RCA Photophone Sound Serial No. 5839
The Ross of London range
of projectors were machines of a strong pedigree and both
the FC and GC could be found in many projection rooms
around the country. Granada Theatres and ABC cinemas seem
to have had a predominance of them. The GC was a very
versatile projector as it was simple to operate and was
able to accommodate the developmental trends in the Motion-picture
industry.
This particular GC shows some
of these developments with the 4000ft spool boxes which
were necessary for showing 3D films and later Cinemascope
with 4-track magnetic Sound. The projector itself is thought
to date from around 1935 and probably would have had a
Ross Arc Lamp (one of which can be seen in the collection).
The projector is special as it has the larger spool boxes
and when completely fitted up will have a Magnetic sound
head (can be seen resting on the rear arm of the stand)
aperture plates and The Peerless Magnarc light source
as is shown. This is the way they were in cinemas equipped
for Cinemascope at it's introduction in 1953. This projector
must have come from either a Granada or ABC cinema.
ROSS GC PICTURE & SOUND HEADS
Optical Sound head Model LM1 Ser. No. 2378
Magnetic Sound head Model LM1 90164 Ser.No. 80528
From the top spool box
downwards the first item (not pictured yet) was the four
track magnetic sound head. Within this head were film
smoothing rollers and from there to film passed over the
magnetic cluster head which had four 'pick-up' heads corresponding
to the four tracks on the film (LH-Centre-RH and ambient
or 'effects' track). From the magnetic sound head the
film passed as normal through the film gate and onto the
optical Sound head. At this time (1953/4) cinemas fitted
with Cinemascope would also be showing the occasional
'Academy' ratio films, the more recent 'wide screen' films
and of course Cinemascope. Each ratio had it's own aperture-plate
and this had to be changed according to the film to be
shown. On the Ross GC this required the side runner to
be removed via two small screws, the plate changed and
side runner replaced. Simple yes, but you try it when
a reel had just come off and the film gate was more than
warm. One had to have asbestos fingers.
The optical sound head was
a standard RCA Photophone which was the normal set up
one would usually find with Ross GC's and were an excellent
unit as of course was RCA sound.
PEERLESS MAGNARC Xenon Converted A5-57AA
Converted from Carbon Arc to Xenon by Thorn Lighting Ltd.
circa 1980
This particular Xenon
is not originally part of the Ross GC on which it is mounted
but has been used to show how the GC looked in the early
days of Cinemasacope.
This xenon was rescued from
the Gaiety in Wells Road, Bristol after the cinema had
closed and has been lost forever. Apart of preserving
something from that well-loved cinema the lamp has enabled
an authentic GC to be exhibited correctly.
It is thought the Lamp was
converted in the early 1980's though no record exists.
The advantage of course was a totally different light
projected more powerful and some say more true but of
course others have differing views. Xenon is mostly used
today and one can see that basically the principle is
the same as that of Carbon Arc except the current is now
passed between Anode and Cathode and it is incorporated
into a glass envelope. Extreme care is required when handling
Xenon lamps and they are never viewed directly with the
naked eye.
