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multitude of wrong numbers, he’d also lots of laughs when the language
accept Saturday night bookings. I still didn't matter.
wonder at the consternation at the box Another memorable occasion was
office that must have ensued from when as 16 year olds at MacRobertson
time to time! Girls High, my chum and I dashed
There were occasional trips to the into Bourke Street to catch the 5 pm
Astor in East St.Kilda, and the odd revival of “London Bridge” with
excursion to The Broadway at Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor
Elwood -which had double seats for (sigh!) and wept over each other, glad
comfortable canoodling. And yes, I've that it was dark when it was over and
Coburg Grand
been married to the canoodler for we could bury our swollen tear-stained
almost 50 years! faces behind books on the trams
School holidays meant Shirley
Temple and Walt Disney films in the During the war years my mother taking us home.
city and pantomimes at Christmas. I often took me to the newsreel theatre - Shirley Westaway. Toora. (Vic)
sobbed my heart out at ‘Susannah and at the Australia Cinema - thrilling for
the Mounties’ when the Indians had a young child because we walked
tied up her father - were the Germans down stairs to go underground. In the
doing the same thing to my father? I fifties, there were regular visits to see
think that was at the Melbourne the foreign language films for which
Regent but I've never watched a rerun the Australia became well-known and
of Susannah because of that painful the films have become classics. I've
memory. forgotten most of the titles, except for
“La Ronde”, but I was considered a
Our home phone was one number
bit odd by most of my workmates who
from that of the St. Kilda Victory and
knew there were naked bodies in
when my father was fed up with a Foyer of Australia & Curzon, Melbourne
many of these films. But there were
★ From Ross King, Essendon: balcony. The balcony ran along each Some of these “Theatres” would
In my younger days, I remember side wall and across the back of the out-do many of our current multiplex
visiting the old Savoy Theatre in theatre and I don't think cinemas!
Russell Street just prior to its closure. I accommodated a great many people - I sold and installed a plant at the
wagged technical college to do so. The typical of Victorian halls - not unlike LaTrobe Agora when that was built.
Savoy was not the sort of theatre I the Cathedral Hall (Central Theatre) They did not want to spend money on
would have ordinarily visited as it in Fitzroy. new equipment at the time and I had a
screened “continental” films (less The Savoy’s morning sessions were plant of C&W P5's on Raycophone
appreciated then)! often poorly attended and if no one Sound Heads that I had bought from
The projection equipment was had arrived by start time they would “Snowy” Blencoe who ran the
C&W Model E and the screen masking not run the film. If a sole customer Progress Theatre at Merlynston. The
was operated by rope and pulleys from arrived late, the ticket seller would Raycophone arcs, transarcs and
the bio-box. At that time, Harry buzz the bio box and the operator Raycophone amplifier came with a
Davidson was doing some of the would thread that part of the film they plant I had purchased from Lakeside
operating at the very end of the Savoy. would have been up to had they started Mental Hospital at Ballarat.
Converted from the Temperance the film. i.e: If the first patron arrived continued next page
Hall, the Savoy’s foyer was at street 40 minutes after the start time they
level and decorated in rather stark would start showing at spool 3!
black and white decor. A stairway lead Film Weekly shows an entry for the
to the stalls area on the first floor and Savoy for 1962-3 but not 64-65. Frank
another stairway went up to the Selleck (Sir) former Lord Mayor of
Melbourne ran the Savoy till closure.
His son ran the La Scala Theatre in
Footscray for a while during the 60's
showing U.S product.
I wonder, have histories or articles
ever been done on “the other theatres”
i.e: RMIT; the Union at Melbourne
University; the Agora Cinema at
LaTrobe Uni; the Alexander Theatre
at Monash Uni; B.P House Theatrette
in St. Kilda Rd; The Shell Co.
Theatre in William St; or the Art-
Deco Auditorium in Russell St. Police
Fitzroy ‘Central’
headquarters? Melbourne Savoy

CINEMARECORD 2002 29