ROSS GC PROJECTOR fitted with PEERLESS MAGNARC converted to Xenon Lamp, RCA four- Magnetic sound and 4000ft. spool boxes.

ROSS GC PROJECTOR fitted with PEERLESS MAGNARC converted to Xenon Lamp, RCA four- Magnetic sound and 4000ft. spool boxes.

This projector installation is particularly important. With the introduction of anamorphic prints in 1953/54. many smaller cinema chains and independents took advantage of 20th.Century-Fox eagerness to get CinemaScope widespread in the UK particularly as Rank would not convert his cinemas wholesale. One of these smaller circuits, Granada Theatres, along with Essoldo and some ABC's installed CinemaScope with its four track sound thus giving them the edge. Many of the Granada's and some ABC's had Ross projectors, either FC or GC models hence these projectors had to be modified to handle the widescreen process. This is a mock up of a Granada Ross GC. In many cases the 4000ft. spool boxes were in situ as they had been showing 3-D films which came on 4000ft. spools. The 2.55 to 1 ration 'Scope films also came on 4000ft. anti-magnetic spools. The projector also had fitted a new magnetic sound head cluster which was installed below the upper spool box. (magnetic film track was in retard of the picture aperture). The optical sound head remained. The anamorphic lens is fitted ahead of the special backing lens (usually 114mm) the Ross arc lamps usually fitted were not strong enough for either 3-D or 'Scope so Peerless high intensity arcs were fitted. The one you see here has at some time been converted to Xenon but on first installation it was Carbon Arc The original Ross arc lamp can be seen below. This projector display is a replica of those to be found in 1954 onwards in most Granada projection rooms and also in many Essoldo's, ABC's and other. Rank eventually took on Fox but not until magnetic sound had largely given way to optical sound tracks the likes of Perspecta sound etc.

Projector: Ross Ltd. London Lamp: Peerless

Projector: circa 1930's Magnarc: 1970 (converted) Sound: (magnetic) 1954

Projector: MCT (PPT) Lamp: Gaeity Cinema, Knowle, Bristol.

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