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HAPPENINGS                                                                       by Fred Page


            Our speaker at the April meeting, Jan Williams, spoke of his experiences working at the Melbourne Regent and
            other Hoyts theatres.  He revealed some interesting tactics used by film exchanges and prestigious theatres in
            publicising films to the trade and the public.  I an's talk was well received and together with remarks made by
            other members points to a whole area of film showbusiness that has not been documented- the workings of the
            film exchanges and film sharing between theatres. Have we got a Les Halliwell amongst us to record these
            activities in the cinema heyday before it's all lost?

            Now to the Gippsland Convention. In spite of a dreadful weather forecast for May 27 -28 weekend, twenty-one
            "conventioners" set off for Sale via Moe and Yarram. The first stop was the Moe Civic, a 'SO's style building with
            little  in  the way  of architectural  merit but none-the-less a  valuable  community asset.  It is  presently  in a
            neglected state and there is a dispute as to who owns it between the local council and the R.S.L.  If it is retained
            by Council it has a very uncertain future but if the R.S.L.  is successful in completing its purchase it will be
            updated into a general purpose hall and reception centre. Having journeyed to Moe in appalling weather, when
            we emerged from the Civic the clouds were clearing and a _little sun appeared and as we travelled to Yarram the
            situation improved the further we went and the scenery was magnificent.
            The Yarram Regent was the next stop.  What an imposing building in a town of just over 2000 people.  The
            theatre is still in quite good condition and has the potential to become a well equipped performing arts centre
            if the regional community of around 6000 will get behind the project.  You  have to admire the commercial
            confidence of the cinema showmen of the Depression era. Lunch was then the order of the day.

            Our next destination was the Telstar Theatre at the R.A.A.F.  base in East Sale.  This venue isa converted
            parachute packing hut which as been made very comfortable.  The walls have been draped with blue/green
            curtains, the floor raked at the rear and the space between the rows of seats most generous. The projectors are
            Bauers.  This theatre operates on a semi-commercial basis although no external advertising is allowed.  The
            public are allowed to attend screenings.  A budget allowance has been made available which will be spent on
            upgrading the sound system and replacing  some of the seating.  A  brief visit was made to the gymnasium
            which has been used in the past as a cinema.  The experience must have been painful as the verberation in the
            building would have made listening unbearable.
            It was then  on  to the Wetlands Motel  and  after a  three course  smorgasbord  meal we  sat  down to watch
            "Iceland" starring Sonja Hieni, a typical wartime romance/propaganda film but nice light entertainment.  Denzil
            was master of the projectors and did a great presentation.  During the showtime interval members were asked
            to consider "performance indicators' by which to measure various aspects of the Society, e.g. membership,
            articles for CinemaRecord etc.  and to expand their personal project activities.  At this point our three "day
            trippers" returned to Melbourne and the rest enjoyed the show and socialising.
            Sunday morning started with a huge breakfast after which we left the motel and returned to Sale to the Twin
            Cinema.  This is an unusual complex in that the cinemas are at right angles to each other.  One cinema has a
            predominately blue/grey colour scheme and the other is in shades of red/russet.  They are well raked and have
            good sight lines, but there are numerous architectural problems concerning entry/exit and maintenance issues
            in the ceiling areas.  There is a restaurant within the complex but this has been a commercial failure.  A single
            L shaped bio box serves the cinemas and plans are in hand to re-equip it.

            It was then on to Morwell to inspect the Village Twin, built within the old Maya Theatre.  This is quite a modern
            facility with both cinemas being almost identical, one has its walls draped in alternate red and white curtains,
            the other plain red.  The foyers are spacious and the whole complex a credit to the operators.  The bio box
            enjoys generous space and the equipment that everyone remarked on was the double sided rotating spool
            holders which permit film to be screened on one side and the previous program rewound on the other.
            It is disturbing to learn that the entire complex will be raised to the ground later this year when a new multi-
            screen building opens on a nearby site.

            The final destination was the "Tynong Talkies" at the Moe Pioneer Village.  CATHS-V member Peter Ricketts
            has equipped the bio box with reconditioned projectors that look as though they came from the factory last
            week.  The hall is being restored and curtains that were formally in Hoyts New Malvern will soon furnish the
            proscenium.  Seats were from the old Warrigal theatre.  Peter screened some archival newsreels which were
            a joy to see projected with clear arc light.

            This ended the formal program which was organised entirely by Gerry Kennedy who also made the presenta-
            tions and thanked the various hosts for their co-operation.  Gerry was formally thanked by our President for
            doing such a great job with the convention program.  I am happy to endorse Garry's sentiments, especially as
            I was able to enjoy the whole event free of responsibility.
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