8mm Forum: Pre-War GB 16mm Projectors

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Topic: Pre-War GB 16mm Projectors

Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted July 08, 2013 04:41 AM

Here is a review from the June 1938 issue of "Home Movies & Home Talkies" speaking about the Gebescope (GB) 16mm projectors. Most interesting is the model H16 which may look familiar to a lot of us. Yes, it's a Bell & Howell 142 imported from USA, it was fitted with an amplifier made by British Acoustic Films Limited.

The L16 had a 110 volt, 200 watt lamp. It was superseded by the L516 which had a 500 watt lamp.

http://www.cinerdistan.co.uk/Pictures2/hm&ht0001a.jpg

On the introduction of the L516 the H16 was discontinued. It, however, saw new light of day some ten years later. But that is another story.

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Maurice

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted July 08, 2013 09:52 AM

The price was £186. In the Northern mills where my father worked before the war, most of the workers were getting £1.50p a week, and if your loom broke down and another wasn't available, you got sent home with no pay. I believe that when the Filmo 70A came out in 1923 it was the same price as a Ford automobile.

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted July 09, 2013 02:54 AM

As Robert says, the workers at his Father's factory were only earning £1.50 per week, although the stated average wage for 1938 was £208 per annum, i.e. £4 a week.

However, a 16mm sound projector was obviously perhaps beyond the average wage earners ambitions to own.

I have been looking at a copy of the "Amateur Cine World" for February 1938, the prices for new 16mm sound projectors are as follows:-

Bell & Howell Filmosound 138J.....£146
Gebescope Model C.....£175
Amprosound Model L.....£175

It would be interesting to know who actually bought them, schools obviously, in the 40s at my school we had weekly film shows in the Winter term, documentaries and a Mickey Mouse cartoon. We were charged 3d (three old pence - 240d to the £ pound.) At the end of term we had a full feature! I can still remember "The Scarlet Pimpernel", "The 49th Parallel", and "Oh, Mr. Porter!".

The first two scared me but I loved the Will Hay. I have it now on Super 8 and DVD.

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Maurice

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Robert Crewdson
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1031
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2013

posted July 09, 2013 07:56 AM

I have Oh Mr Porter of Super 8 and DVD as well, it's probably one of the most loved of British films. We have to think ourselves most fortunate to be able to own these old cameras and projectors, that would have been beyond the reach of many of us at the time they were new.

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