DP70 / Universal 70-35 / Norelco AAII

THE DP70 WEB SITE

The web site is in three parts: a simple story about the the DP70 / Universal 70-35 Projector / Norelco AA11 machine and several lists of cinemas and serial numbers.

SERIAL NUMBERS

0600-2729 - see many numbers and where ther are

COUNTRY

ASISTANCE NEEDED

Please send the following DP70 information to the editor:

* Serial number
* Present location (Cinema or private)
* City
* Country
* and a picture

RECENTLY ADDED NUMBERS AND MACHINES

• 2304 moved to Bob Leader
• 880+881 from Warner (DC), are scrapped
• 2311+2312 moved to the Academy, California (CA)
• 1352 is a now a museum exhibit in England
• 1513 was taken to the scrap dealer in April 2013
• 1960+1967 added to the list of D70s in Virginia (VA)
• 2171 moved to new home in Denmark

TESTIMONIALS

• Wonderful stuff on the DP70s site – where do you find the time?!! Jim Slater, Cinema Technology, UK

• It's a great job you'v done! My compliments. Keep on!
Best regards, Volker Hannemann, Germany

• Very interesting website as I just have been looking it over. Bill Dubiel, USA

• Hi, Enjoyed your wide-screen site very much. Charles Slater, Australia

• Congratulations for all what you do in favour of DP70. I am a fan of these machines. Best Regards, Gerard Cortés, Spain.

• Your web site? YEAHHH, STILL GREAT !!!! Best regards, Luc, France

• Just a quick note to congratulate you on your excellent website in respect of the Philips DP70, projector a machine I worked with for a few years at the Queens Theatre in Newcastle On Tyne. U.K. Neil Thomson, Odeon Cinemas, Newcastle, England

• Go to more testimonials

Jan Kotte and his Academy Award

The Story of the DP70, the Todd-AO projector. The famous and time proven 70mm film projector developed by Philips in Holland more than 55 years ago. The DP70 was a remarkable 70mm projector. On Monday April 8, 1963 Fred J Pfeiff, technical manager of the motion picture equipment department of Norelco (North American Philips), received the 1962 Class 2 Oscar plaque for:

"The design and engineering of the Norelco Universal 70/35mm motion picture projector".

BUILDING OF THE DP70

Jan Jacob Kotte
By Anton P Kotte
Philips is known all over the world for electrical shavers, food processors, consumer electronics and a "millon" other things. Little known today perhaps is that Philips was a leading company in manufacturing a series of outstanding motion picture projectors.

A Brief History of Philips Cinema
By C. G. Nijsen
The Philips Light bulb factory was founded in 1891 by Gerard Philips and Dr. Anton Philips. When the "Philips" brand became so successful, they decided to enlarge their scope from lamps only to everything electrical or electronic.

THE DP70 NEWS

DP70 at the Casino in London
By Peter Philips
The pictures are taken of the left hand DP70 projector and two show it laced up with one of the reels of "Zulu". I used to know the Chief Engineer for Cinerama at the time and I made several visits to the Casino and got shown around.

Imperial Bio Scraps 70mm projector DP70 #1640
By Thomas Hauerslev
Copenhagen: DP70 serial number #1640, installed for the 70mm opening of Imperial Bio in Copenhagen in 1961 has been taken out and scrapped. Sister machine #1644 will continue 70mm and 35mm operation is needed.

A new film gate for the DP70 projector
By Emmy Rosbeek
We have some news about the DP70 projector: We made a new film gate for this projector.

More updates for the DP70
• RED-LED reverse scanner
• Reverse scanner
• Cinefocus
• Photo mask by Todd-AO

A pair of DP70s on their way to the scrap dealer in a back street, somewhere in Tunisia.

Photographer unknown. Picture taken February 2013

• Go to DP70s in Africa

REQUEST

I need some lens collars for my DP70's. The original Philips lens collars that fit into the front of the DP70 lens mount. If you ever hear of any surplus lens collars, please let me know immediately. I need at least a dozen or more of them, but I will take what I can find, even if it is only 1 or 2 of them. If they are located in Europe, the postage might be very high to send them to the USA though....Please contact Robert Leader

• Go to DP70s in Washington (WA)

Construction of the Philips “All Purpose” projector DP70
The Cinema Department of the Philips works in Eindhoven (Netherlands) were asked to develop a special projector which had to be suitable for running 70mm films with magnetic sound tracks and which after replacement of some easily removable parts could be made suitable rapidly for the reproduction of 35mm films with optical sound track and of CinemaScope films with four magnetic sound tracks.

BROCHURES AND ADVERTS

Three DP70 Brochures
DP70, Universal 70/35mm Projector and Norelco AAII

Classic trade magazine DP70 adverts from Denmark, France, Germany, North America, Holland and many more

Original 1957 DP70 invoice:

• Haus Savoy, Hamburg 1957
• Haus Savoy, Hamburg, Rechnung April 1957
• Haus Savoy, Hamburg, Rechnung December 1957

• 70mm film projection lenses for the DP70

• All those who have helped finding the DP70 information

• North American DP70 brochure (PDF)
• Norelco AAII Universal 70-35 Projector (PDF)
• European DP70 Brochure (PDF)
• Der Projector DP70 (PDF)
• British Kinematograph - Philips DP70 (PDF)
• Norelco AAII / DP70 Theatre List (PDF)

DP70 - A MASTERPIECE

I think DP70s are a sight to behold in their own right and were the most visionary piece of engineering imaginable

Trevor Wilson, 10.04.2006

ABOUT THE DP70 WEB SITE

This is a labour of love - and a fair amount of insanity. The history of one of the most remarkable film projectors; the DP70 Todd-AO projector.

In 1982, as a teenager, I started my film-life as a projectionist apprentice at the 3 Falke Bio, my favourite cinema which was "purpose built" for Todd-AO in 1958. My new interest became the history of the Philips DP70 projector. I was intrigued and wondered "Why did the DP70 receive an OSCAR and what was Todd-AO?".

My collection of DP70 information started to build and soon I discovered how much the DP70 was appreciated everywhere. I also discovered the wonderful story about Todd-AO and have spent a lot of effort and time to document the Todd-AO process and the DP70 projector.

I remember finding the original European sales brochure of the DP70 with a list on the back cover of all DP70 installations by August 1960. I started to collect DP70 serial numbers from Copenhagen, and soon expanded the search to Denmark and soon to Malmø in Sweden and in Hamburg in Germany.

Just how many machines were made? An intriguing question which I have tried to answer here.

I wrote letters to cinemas and soon answers arrived with serial numbers and pictures from fans all over the world. This was amazing! The list grew and I sent out regularly updated lists to all contributors in return for their help. Today, nearly 30 years later, the lists are too long to do that, and instead you can find the information online.

It would not have been possible to find all this data without continuing support from enthusiasts everywhere. To those individuals who have assisted me I am very grateful. My thanks to everyone and keep up the good work. We still have a long way to go ;-)

It is very difficult to record all DP70 cinemas and serial numbers. Projectors are moved and often re-installed in new places. Cinemas open, close and sometimes the machines are destroyed when cinemas are demolished. When available those details have been included on the cinema lists.

So far I have collected DP70s in:

44 countries, 541 Serial Numbers and 908 Theatres (to be updated)

Little did I know, so many years ago, what this interest and lifelong hobby, would bring me of wonderful visits to projection rooms, cinemas and unique historical places connected to the DP70 story. Imagine the thrill to receive a letter from The Todd-AO Corporation in Hollywood with serial numbers and images of their machines. What joy to find 24 machines in one single day in Paris' projection rooms - and by the end of the day be able to say "70mm" and "DP70" in French - fluently.

I have traced the story back into the home town of the chief engineer, met his son, shared memorabilia and information. I have seen the birthplace of the DP70 and photographed the Academy Award Jan Jacob Kotte won in 1963 for his achievement. I have seen American Optical in Southbridge in the United States, the birthplace of Todd-AO, and met with several key people from the early days of Todd-AO.