Page 26 - untitled

tered them on a tally sheet She also had bundles of block to the wall. I found myself on a small platform looking
numbered tickets for the Lounge and Dress Circle. She down onto the stage but out of sight of the pan·ons. Hany
explained that the Cinema had a number of permanent was explaining to me "The curtains are hand operated. It's
bookings for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. She important that you learn how 10 pull them. Watch the cur-
was pencilling names on them and placing them in an al- tains and tell me when the Val Morgan slide hits them"'. It
phabetical file. Same people: same seats: same nights each was almost half-pasr seven. 1 saw the flicker of lighL "Now
week- rain or shine- no matter what was screening. I got Hrury. l see it·· I called. Harry grabbed two knife switches
to know them. They were good for tips. and pulled them down. There was a blue flash near his
hands as the stage lights instantly dimmed to off. The Harry
My induction still had one tina! component that I remem- grabbed the rope. ··watch me·•. he said at he tugged and
ber vividly. I followed Harry up the stairs to the bio-box. T grumed. ··Hand over hand"'. he said. "No jerking. lt must
met Mrs Harris·s husband who turned out to be the head look smooth' You can do it next time. but you must never
projectionisL. I looked with awe at the two huge projectors. do the switches- too dangerous for lads"'.
spot lights. slide projector, twin wrmables. re-winding gear.
bits of tilm and cans everywhere. So that's what its like For the next fomieen minutes I was in a sweat. What if I
behind those small windows. I thought It was smelly and couldn't do it? I had no idea if I could move the cunains.
not very clean. Doing it smoothly was a subsequent worry. Hany was oc-
casionally watching the slides. He knew them off by heatt.
Back to eruth nov.. ··Right"'. ~aid Harry. ·Time for work Suddenly he called. "No~ watch. That's the \Ia/ Morgan
Follow me··. By now the patron~ were rolling in. We passed slide. next if.. the No Smoking slide. you start closing as
Bert Morris's counter where he had three helpers exchang- soon a~ the £rin slide hits the screen··. It happened. I pulled
ing sweets. chocolates and ice creams for cash. His displa} on the rope. It moved. l could here the hum of the curtain
of contectionery looked very different to the Saturday af- rollers high up above the stage. "Faster lad. you·re domg
ternoon display. Most noriceable was the concentration of tine'". encouraged Harry. I"d done it. Harry threw the knife
blocks of chocolate for ten pence and boxes of Old Gold for switches and the stage lit up. ··No~ watch the house lights
two shillings and sixpence. and tell me when they start to dim'". said Harry. 'They do
the house lights from the bio-box··. I could see the set of
Bert was supervising four lolly boys who were checking lights hanging from the ceiling closest to the stage and
their trays. Harry led me past Harold still tearing tickets in kept my eyes firmly focussed. "'They·re dimming HatTy"'.
two. We revisited the auditorium which now was all lit up. The recorded music faded. The cathedral was quiet. Be-
side me. Harry checked my observation and said. ··Right!
The stage looked different with the curtains closed and the In a couple of moments the Hoyrs Startup will flash onto
foot and stage light<; doing their thing. In full view of the the curtains. When it does, start pulling··. We were a team.
audience and feeling ,·ery conspicuous, J followed Harry I thoughl. The curtains suddenly lit up. Music blared. I
started pulling the rope. HatTy tugged the knife switches.
through the stage door. sharp left. and up a ladder attached
The show was underway. It was precisely a quarter to eight.

lnte.rior of Hoyts Cinema - Richmond c. 1938

- 26 -