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Author Topic: Sam Kaplan's Sure Fit Projector & Century Model K Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 06-27-2003 04:52 PM                     "I'm trying to find out about Sam Kaplan and his 'connection and problems' with Local 306. Sam was the owner of The Kaplan / Sure Fit Projector Co., which made the Kaplan projector mechanisms. I suspect that Sam got into trouble with the local over a conflict of interest for trying to convince local operators to sell Kaplan machines to the theatres they worked in. The union may have told Sam to either resign his union office and membership, or to sell his company. He must have sold the company, as the investors renamed it TheCentury Projector Corp.! (The first Century Projector was the Model K, as it was merely a Kaplan with a Century name badge. The first 'real' Century mechanism was the Model C in 1940.) [Enclosed photos, not shown here, show the Simplex Standard, (identical to the Kaplan and the Century K,) and the Century C of 1940.] I need some more information to confirm or amplify the few details above, and would be grateful for any facts, or leads to anyone who might be in the know." --R.S. ................................................................. The above was sent to me by Robert Sprague. Robert would appreciate any info sent to him by postal mail, or to me by email, which I can print and forward to him in a letter. Robert A. Sprague, [Motion Picture Historian American Society of Master Projectionists IATSE Projectionists Local 521] P.O. Box 948 Petoskey, MI 49770-6948 ................................................................ [EDIT] Our trusty Search turned up a topic by Chad Souder, "Why Century C" posted 03/16/2000, in which Patrick S. Chaffins reprints from Ballantyne's Fall Flyer a most interesting article, and Gordon McLeod, John Eikhof and others contribute. Anything additional would be appreciated. [ 06-27-2003, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Gerard S. Cohen ]  |  IP: Logged Bob Koch Expert Film Handler Posts: 183 From: williams ca Registered: Nov 2001 posted 06-27-2003 07:04 PM                     I always heard tht,in addition to being a member of 306, Kaplan had worked for Simplex and as Simplex had brought out the Super and was working on the developement of the E7 the patents on the reg could be got around and Sam baby came up with the Kaplan. I worked in a theatre, the Uptown Napa which opened in 1937 with new Kaplan projectors furnished by Walter G Preddy equip dealer in SF since 1906. There was absolutely no difference in it and the Simplex Regular,none. We used to have Japanese copies of things but they were`nt up to Sam`s standards. I never saw a Kaplan with a Century label on it. The first Century`s in the SF bay area were installed in Rodeo CA.in 1940. They were the C and were quite a departure from anything we`d seen before and must have been pretty good as they`ve been around,lo, this long. As far as Kaplan and 306 I remember way back when he had trouble within the local but I forget what it was about. It was shortly after 306 absorbed The Empire State Motion Picture Machine Operators Union and I don`t know if it had anything to do with that. As a callow youth I was told by my elders that Sam had to do with the design of the Century C, that he was a machinist of sorts. As far Local 306 is concerned, they had several "entrepreneurs", from Joe Basson who manufactured "bootleg" rear shutter attachments for reg Simplexes, Al Kunze used to win all the RCA Service Co sales contests with his leverage as a 306 vp. and several others who used their standing in the local to "suggest" the equipment that should be opurchased  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 06-27-2003 09:51 PM                     I had a pair of Century K's for a while. Have bunches of Century K / Simplex parts in plain yellow boxes which were made by Century. They were exactly the same as the Simplex Standard except the covers were a different texture then the Simplex or Kaplan. They did have the familar Century logo eched in the door glass. I have copies of the Century diary for the first few months which shows the first C in 1940. Nothing on the K at all. When I was in Los Vagas some years ago and while visiting Larry Little was shown some of his sketches showing a vertical shaft machine done in the mid to late 1930's. He said he knew and had met with Sam Kaplan. I had also heard that a couple of the large theatre chains wanted to get away form Simplex and assisted finacially on a new designed projector. I think someone in my local #159 told me about the theatres being involved. Most of them are gone now.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 07-02-2003 08:41 AM                        The Century Model C projector was introduced with an excellent and detailed paper "Recent Developments in Projector Mechanism Design" by Ewald Boecking and L. W. Davee, published in the March 1942 SMPTE Journal, Volume 38, pages 262-280. The paper was first presented at the fall conference of the SMPTE in 1941.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 07-02-2003 07:06 PM                     Check out the histories of Simplex, Century, Strong and Motiograph in the Manuals section of F.T.  |  IP: Logged Dick Prather Master Film Handler Posts: 259 From: Portland, OR, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 07-02-2003 10:01 PM                     From what I have found out from lots of sources some of the histories do not appear to be as accurate as they could be. I do not completely agree with the Simplex version.  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 09-25-2014 10:08 PM                 It has been 4103 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-25-2014 10:08 PM                     It would be interesting if someone had a photo or mug shot of Sam Kaplan to post and knew what became of him in his post -306 years (when he died). I have done some research on line and have been able to ascertain the following info: Kaplan had direct relations with Louis Buchalter of Murder Inc.(who may have been the one "really calling the shots" in Local 306). Buchalter went to the chair @ Sing-Sing on March 4, 1944. Kaplan went around town always surrounded by body-guards and thugs...many of whom were used to keep Local membership "in line". According to an article in The Pittsburgh Press on Monday Nov 4, 1940, Kaplan was earning $21,800/yr and voted himself other perks totaling $55K over a 5-year period. After Kaplan and his mob associates raided -306 for all its assets (amounting to several thousand $$), he imposed a 10% levy on all Local membership to boost -306 assets. From my own research: Kaplan started the Sure-Fit company while head of -306 to supply after-market replacement parts for Simplex. He then started Kaplan Projectors, which was a direct copy of the Simplex Standard to the point where parts were interchangeable. I have helped restore both Standards and Kaplans and can personally attest to this fact. I also heard that Kaplan struck deals with theater owners to drive down -306 salaries in exchange for purchasing Kaplan projectors. Kaplan was brought up on racketeering charges and did go to the "clink". Interesting book called "Shadow of the Racketeer: Scandal in Organized Labor" by David Scott Witwer.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-26-2014 07:47 AM                     BULLS-EYE & BINGO!! from the El Paso Herald Post dated Friday August 2, 1940, page 7 - complete with photo of good old Sam "the Prosperity Man" Kaplan: "Prosperity Man Leaves Jail, Rises in Union Ranks Again" by Richard Lamb, Scripps-Howard Staff Writer http://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/el-paso/el-paso-herald-post/1940/08-02/page-7 Maybe Brad can post image of this article on this thread?  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-26-2014 11:25 AM                     Dick Prather... I had a pair of Model C's from 1939. They came out of Canada and they were the original projectors installed in the building which opened that year. So not so sure how accurate that diary you have there actually is... What are your thoughts on this? BTW: I did a six plex with refurbshed very early Century's that were all steel alloy. The owner of that chain said those six were the best running most trouble free projectors in their entire chain. Mark  |  IP: Logged Rick Raskin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1100 From: Manassas Virginia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 09-26-2014 03:39 PM                      |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-26-2014 06:28 PM                       Mark, You are dissing an 11 year old post by Prather? Chill already.  |  IP: Logged Jarod Reddig Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 513 From: Hays, Ks Registered: Jun 2011 posted 09-30-2014 02:40 AM                     Indeed  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-30-2014 09:48 AM                     quote: Sam D. Chavez Mark, You are dissing an 11 year old post by Prather? Chill already. You bet cha! And on a 75 year old projector... Mark  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-30-2014 07:37 PM                     Mark Do you still have the E-7 you offered me? I have e-mailed and p.m.'d you several times with no response.  |  IP: Logged

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