Page 29 - CR31R.pdf

Arthur Pyers - The Man Who Kept The Cinemas Going by Ken Tulloch

The year was 1936 when I had the pleasure of being intro-
duced to this brilliant man, and it came about by my being
mad keen on the flicks, as we used to call the pictw-es in
those days.

l happened to be riding my bike past the public ball in the
suburb of Murmmbeena where we lived and noticed that
projectors were being taken into the hall. This naturally
sparked my interest so l dismounted and went over to make
enquiries as to what was going on. I was informed that
they were going to run films within a few days so from
that day on it was my ambition to get into the projection
room.

I can say it didn't take me long to get to know the owner
whose name was Les Crossling, once having achieved that
1 found that I was invited into the holy of holies where I
started off by being able to rewind the I 000 foot reels of
nitrate film (what a lovely smell) onto the stripping plate
then putting the film into its can and then into the fire-
proof safe as was tbe practice. 1 then learned to strike and
handfeed the arcs as there was no motor feed in those days.

lt was round about this time that Les said on one Saturday
after the matinee had finished, I will take you to see some-
one who will interest you. So we walked up to Leila Road
wb.ich is at the top ofMurrumbeena Road where we were Arthur and the State Theatre WurliTzer
ushered into a room which had cine cameras, sound equip-
ment, film etc. That's what struck my eye first, then Les He put his heart and soul into study of electricity and a
introduced me to Arthur Pyers and what a brilliant man projectionist course. When exam time came be sat for his
he told me he was working on putting sound on to sub electricians licence on the Monday and on the Friday sat
standard film and the gauge he bad selected was 9.5mm for the Projectionist Ucence and obtained both licences That
as it was cheaper than 16mm, be had finally succeeded shows you the type of brain he had.
after trying various lenses for tbe sound optic. I still have
a strip of the 9.5 film that he put sound on. By way of Arow1d the early 1930's he took over the public hall in
interest he made his own camera and projector as he was a Rosstown Road which we know today as the Dutch Club.
Precision Engineer. Pictures had been showing there under the ownership of a
man named Devenish and it so happened that I went to
The Pyers family prior to coming to Melbourne Uved in school with his son which made it easy to become involved
Mil dura. Atthur after finishing school worked at the power with films.
station and gained his engineering degree, in his spare
time he worked at the pichrre theatre which in the mid Arthur had the theatre until Hoyts decided to open and
twenties was the silent period. The projectors were hand refurbish the old silent theatre opposite the Carnegie rail-
cranked and I can remember Arthur saying if they wanted way station around 1935. Until this time he ran a very
to knock off early they would crank a bit faster. successful business as well as mnning l1is precision engi-
neering workshop part time. His full time job was making
He decided to come to Melbourne where he had greater X-Ray equipment at a finn in Huntingdale. It was while
scope. He had a motor bike at the time so put a few things he was there that Hoyts approached him to see if he could
together and rode it to Melbourne which would have been make up a device that would automatically compensate
quite a feat in those days as you can imagine what the so for the burning away of the carbon arcs. He did this in the
called roads would hav,e been like. On ani val he made for form of a geared drive with a resistance in circuit to attain
Bemleigh as there was a job going at Hoyts Bentleigh the correct driving speed. Hoyts were very pleased so they
Theatre. He applied for it and was fortunate enough to be gave him all their service work.
hired. He explained to the manager that he had just ar-
rived from Mildura and as he had nowhere to stay could At this time, however. World War 2 broke out and heap-
he stay at the theatre this was granted until he could ob- plied to join the services. but manpower would not allow
tain somewhere to live. him to join as they said that he-was more useful to the war

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