Bell and Howell Projector Film 1940s

[@adriancressy8363]

The Filmosound 16mm projector was world wide famous. Especially for the military. I was the chief projectionist for the club in Vietnam and we watched endless movies. The big problem was looking for projection bulbs. 750W....Luckily we had a AFTVN station on the mountain with us and they had a Filmosound. I would beg for a bulb now and then. Probably worth $750 back in the day

[@quantumleap359]

Lifetime performance is not just a sales blurb, my model 179 humpback is from 1950, and it still projects a solid, stable picture with perfect sound. They built those old Filmosound projectors to last. Keep them lubricated and clean, and they'll run forever.

[@stevematz7354]

179 Model was first produced in 1945 up to 1949 with 11 revisions in that time period starting with 179A and ending with 179K in 1949. (k model the best of 179s IMHO) 1949 was the 1st year of Model 185(shown in demo/sales film) which was produced until 1951; then followed by Model 285 in 1952. The B&H projectore were used by more Schools/College/Universities across the Country than any other Mfger. Reliable and Great Work Horses. If you kept them oiled/cleaned they would out live you and your Grandchildren. Thats why B&H wasn't afraid to give them a life time Warranty. There is a 1959 "Twilight Zone episode The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine" Starring Ida Lupino that showa a Model 179 used by Lupino's Character showing her old films from when she was a Film Star... Neat Episode for 179 Buffs

[@smwca123]

I well remember in my high school days often being "pilot-in-command" of various B&H projectors. Most of my school's machines were the 8399, with detachable speaker. I loved those, because I could put the speaker at the screen, where it belonged. The volume much easier to set so I could hear it at the back of the room, instead of trying to guess if it was loud enough - without being too loud - at the front.

[@stevematz7354]

8399 B&H Projectors were built in Japan, Not in Chicago. While all the American Made 100-300 Projectors used Vacuum Tube Amplifiers; The Japan built 8399T had a Transistorizwd Amp. Hard to Find but a Desirable Model as No Tubes to Replace...

[@smwca123]

@@stevematz7354 I would have loved to command one of those.

[@yamarhabawahalla3237]

The audience back then they were different than these day audience. They are in harmony with movie even if the movie has no silent they were so awesome audience

[@Musicradio77Network]

I used to have my Bell & Howell Specialist 530 and it was okay, but the autoload feature sucks, because it eats the film. So I ended up with a Singer Graflex 16 and it was good, but not that great due to the supply reel got spit very quickly to run the projector. That was no use. So thankfully, I got my third movie projector which is my Revere S16 and it works perfectly, because it’s easy to use, and it’s easy to thread film manually, and it looks perfect. No tearing up the film. But the amp is not running due to the dead exciter lamp and the lack of sound, and the tubes are not glowing.

[@fromthesidelines]

"Motion pictures have been a part of our lives for almost a half a century! Of course, in the 'good old days', 'B.S'.......'Before Sound'......YOU might have been in the audience to see an exciting afternoon of silent films......with a piano accompanist right in front of the screen............."

[@robfriedrich2822]

I'm impressed how a little speaker system, that would maybe fit into a small living room, could give 100 people the sound.

[@DandyDon1]

I had a Bell & Howell Film O Sound older than this. The motor ran so slow, I had adjust the governor screws in the back of the motor! lol

[@robfriedrich2822]

I would love to watch the movie "Will the ladies please remove their hats" And "One moment please, the operator is in trouble". But I ever wanted to see the wonderful place called "Notinservice"

[@rbratcherjr]

Other than amplifier & outer case changes the 100 to 300 series pretty much was the same projector inside the case. Well built too....

[@DandyDon1]

@Ragrog105 The RCA with a transistorized amplifier and the removable load guide wasn't better/simpler? Can't remember the model but saw these in the mid 1970s.

[@Sunsetdrivein]

You are thinking of the RCA model 1600 projector. Possibly one of the worst projectors ever made. RCA's engineers must have been out to lunch when they designed it. RCA sold their 16mm projector line to Viewlex around 1972 I think. The Viewlex engineers fixed what RCA screwed up.

[@SchoolforBlakes]

I'm about to fire up a B&H 601 with a gripping industrial doco titled "Pulverised Fuel". Netflix doesn't come close.

[@alanfritch3639]

I have a 1957 B & H 385.....still running w/original tubes in the amp! Yes, B & H WAS the Cadillac of projectors. The Victor Model 80-25 isn't a bad machine either...with solid state 20-watt amp! Yes...B&H went downhill with their AutoLoad caper.

[@luisreyes1963]

A look at wartime-era film projectors. 📽️

[@KDoyle4]

These 100-300 series Bell and Howell projectors are of excellent quality. The B&H machines that came after them in the 1960s, with belts and plastic gears, are quite inferior.

[@GuyBodart]

The main gear always goes bad on newer projector

[@stevematz7354]

Even the last years of the 385 and 399 started using sealed bearings (no manual oiling. Always look for a 385 with the 3 snap cap oil fillers if buying that model. all 399's used sealed bearings.

[@dontstealmacosx]

The finest 16mm projector ever made is undoubtedly the Eastman 250, which was also available in a TV version. TV versions had an incandescent lamp (a pair, in a quick-change arrangement). All of these came with magnetic sound as standard (and optical sound as well, with two quick-change exciter lamps). Conventional versions usually had a Strong carbon arc lamphouse. These are self-oiling, and the intermittent, which is a Geneva movement, is separately powered by its own motor. The B&H FilmoArc (197 ?) was pretty good, too.

[@stevematz7354]

The Eastman 250 was the Television Projector, followed later by the 275 and 285. These professional projectors had 5 blade shutters for use in TV Stations to project film through a Vidicon Camera and to your Television with no Flicker. The Professional Theater type Version was the Eastman 25A,B & C used from 1952- 65. It was followed by the model 30/ 40. the 30 being used for Tungsten Halogen 1000Watt Bulbs. The 40 model for use with A Carbon Arc or later Xenon Lamphouse . The projectors used a Geneva type Star and Cam intermittent movement like professional 35mm projectors. They were and still are probably the finest built 16mm professional projectors in the Business. I have a Model 30 that I bought new in 1968 for my film library and it still looks and runs as well as when it was new. They weren't cheap in cost either. I could have bought a new 1968 Corvette back then and still had about $1200 Left over from what the Model 30 cost back then. They were handbuilt precision machines and their production volume was minimal compared to the AV Kodak kodascope and Pageant projectors...The projector in the Demo film was the Model 185 filmosound first introduced in 1949 and successor to the previous Model 179. It was in my humble opinion the best of the 100,200 and 300 series projectors. That's why it had a life time warranty. I t was also quite elegant inside, having a crushed Velvet type interior, Projector head thread lamp, double snubber takeup rollers, etc., all which were eliminated in later models. These projectors if lubricated periodically in the 3 snap type oil filler caps and sprockets holes will out live you and your Grandchildren.they use metal gears and aluminum rollers, No Plastic like later B&H Models. I have 2 of them in my 16mm Projector Collection and they both still look and perform as well as the one demonstrated in this Film. 16mm and 35mm Film is pretty much gone nowdays, but it was the staple of the Industry for many decades and now has been replaced by Digital Projectors. Progress isn't always for the best ...

[@robfriedrich2822]

I can't imagine, that the projectionist has to crank all the time. How could he prepare the other projector?

[@Paul-tk2my]

I've got 2 185s (a 'B' and a 'C') but the one I'm using has started to 'chew' film. I'll try some maintenance but the oil I have is from the 40's and looks a bit dark and thick. I've read that you can use sewing machine oil but would like some advice. Also, when is the best time to turn the clutch clockwise for projection? Is it after I've placed the film round the sprockets and hand set it, or after I've wound the film on to the take-up spool or after I've started the motor and turned the lamp on? I've seen all three used

[@sharks445]

Omg this is rocket science

[@robfriedrich2822]

19:50 Lifetime of the first owner? Lifetime of the projector? Lifetime of the company?

[@johnbellas490]

I have a question. I have a Bell and Howell 385 projector and I am rebuilding the amplifier right now. My question is what frequency does the oscillator normally run at? My spectrum analyzer sees a peak at about 192 Khz! is this normal or should it be lower?

[@claireandmatt1]

4:10 & 9:33 blotches detected on the frame.

[@smwca123]

Part 2: We also had one 399 and several of the newer lightweight models, like the 542 and 556, all with speakers cramped into the nose - I didn't like that at all. Nor did I care much for the quality of the newer ones; in operation they sounded like cheap toy machine guns. The older ones sounded like a diesel locomotive coming at me - maybe annoying to some, but reassuring to me.

[@stevematz7354]

399's came with sealed bearings (no more 3 snap cap oilers or oiling the Spockets. B&H advertised them as" lubricated for Life" which really means until the grease is dried up/ used up. Also eliminated the Line/Lamp Toggle Switches and used a single knob turn switch. AC Cord wasn't removable any longer and as mentioned the speaker was mounted inside the projector; no more removable 15 watt Speaker on Left Side. Least desirable of the 300 Series IMHO ..

[@claireandmatt1]

A blotch at 4:10. What a coincidence there.