Page 13 - CinemaRecord #11R.pdf

"Movie Memories" By Cinepix - From My Scrap Book Of Cuttings

"BRESNAHAN USES 16mm TO PACK OUT 'MAGIC BOX' MELBOURNE"
We (exhibitors) are accustomed to moans about 16mm competing with 35mm, but live .showmanship by Alan
Bresnahan switched the story. He used 16mm to turn an otherwise dead night into a sellout.

It happened at Victoria Theatre, North Richmond - an industrial area where a picture like "The Magic Box"
looked pretty hopeless until Alan Bresnahan went to work. He tied up chemists for window displays of box
cameras and stills of Robert Donat with his "Magic Box" on its tripod - one chemist donated a camera for a
lucky child on the quietest night of the 3 night booking, and this alone resulted in 4 times the average number
of youngsters being present. But 16mm cameras had been at work some weeks in advance, on a Friday 'family
night' shooting patrons on arrival and also at the matinee next day, exposing 200 ft of film. "Come and see
yourself on the screen" was plugged all the way through.

The completed picture was shown on the 'give away' night during "The Magic Box" run. Entitled "Patrons on
Parade" the film was projected on to the normal 15ft screen (and filled with) with a 90ft throw from the front of
the balcony. The projector belonging to Managing Director, Graham Slobom, was a Harmer & Heath with a 750
watt lamp, it gave a good light and a clear picture.
Alan Bresnahan is past Treasurer of the Victorian Amateur Cine Society, Keith Greenwood past President of
the Society ably assisted in the filming. Together they lifted what could have been a 'flop' program into a
worthwhile season, and that's what spells showmanship!

from "Film Weekly" - The Showman Column - March 1953

This photo is dated 8/9/1956 and captioned "Albany Theatre Days". The photo was lent to Fred Page and
is of Miss Joyce Parsons, the one in the clown suit outside the "Albany" Newsreel Theatrette.

Featured at the Albany were:- Newsreels showing Lewis Hoad & Ken Rosewell Defeat U.S. Pair, Olympic U.S.
Women Train For Selection, Atlantic City Star Studded Ice Capades of 1956, Flying Saucer Sighted Over
California, The Three Stooges "Fling In The Ring", Tom & Jerry Cartoon, Donald Duck Cartoon.