Page 30 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

papers strewn
Marvellous Memories
everywhere. The kids
CONTINUED up the back would
roll Jaffas down the
successfully as a family concern for stepped timber floor,
quite a number of years until the clattering down to rest
present Croydon Cinemas were built at our heels in the
and the “old hall” simply could not front row of the dress
compete. circle. How I longed
A few of the other places where I to pick one up and
have screened films over the years pop it in my mouth,
include the Box Hill Regent; North but I never did
Melbourne Central; the Tullamarine because I was sure
Astrojet Cinema; Doncaster that it would be
Athenaeum; the Carlton Theatre for unladylike to do so.
Gordon McLelland, as well as Point In the foyer was a
Lonsdale and the Queenscliff Grand small vending
for Harry Davidson. machine which
Carlton Theatre: Another biobox known to Ross King.
dispensed salted
It Helps To Have Friends. peanuts if a sixpenny piece was put in
Arranging film bookings for the Saturday Matinees At The Valley the slot. Uncle Jim would come along
Mayfair Gardenvale and the Western Theatre Traralgon and say “ Hold out your hand and I’ll
West Brunswick so that the two ★ From Pauline Gaunt, Longford, put in some money.” The machine was
theatres could share one set of Tasmania: obviously not designed for children’s
Cinemascope lenses worked well (see As a child I was taken to picture hands because we could never catch all
Mayfair article this issue). The one theatres more than most children. My the peanuts that came out. I soon
glitch in this arrangement was a night Mother’s brothers James, Joshua and leaned to quickly drag out my hand
when Mel Elliott, now stretched as Alfred Lawrence, better known as Jim, kerchief and make a little basket with
Manager/operator at the Western and Jossie and Alf were all involved in the it so I didn’t lose so many on the floor.
‘arms length’ manager at the Mayfair theatre business. I vaguely remember These days plastic cups to catch the
was setting up and noticed that the their Mornington and Pakenham nuts would come with the dispenser
print was ‘Scope. Mel had checked the theatres, but have clear memories of but where’s the challenge in that?
publicity about the film and had seen times spent in their Valley Theatre. By the time I was about ten my
no mention of this. The lenses were The Valley Theatre at Traralgon cousins had married. Margaret was
over at the Mayfair. The Western was opened in December 1951 when I was living in Melbourne and Dorothy had
switching with the Empire Brunswick three so I don’t remember the opening, married one of the projectionists and
but the projectionist there was not but I can certainly remember holidays continued to work at the theatre. My
prepared to help. The night was saved with my Uncle Jim and older cousins sister and I used to take it in turns to stay
with a phone call to the Moonee when I was about five years old. Jim’s with them for the school holidays, and
Moonee Ponds where Joe Durkin twin daughters Margaret and Dorothy, this annual holiday was the highlight of
obliged with one lens. then in their late teens used to work at my year for about five years. The
An usher went on stage and told the theatre too. Margaret was in the Saturday matinees were still going, but
the audience that ‘technical ticket box and Dorothy was one of the numbers had diminished greatly from
difficulties’ necessitated the use of one usherettes. I thought they looked the crowds that had attended when I was
projector. The show went on and there majestic in their uniforms - floor length, younger. Eventually the matinees were
were no complaints. maroon skirts with a pale grey long discontinued.
sleeved blouse with the monogram VT
Now the thrill was going to the
in maroon on the pocket. My uncle
pictures in the evenings, which we
always wore a dark suit, white shirt and
thought was a much more grown up
a tie at the theatre even for the Saturday
thing to do, and we still had the special
afternoon kids matinees.
privileges we had enjoyed at the
We used to brag to the other kids at matinees.
the matinees “My uncle owns this
The Valley Theatre closed in May
theatre” and we had privileges which
1973.
made us feel special - reserved seats in
the dress circle, allowed into the theatre
before anyone else, and we could go
Archivists Note: On 23 June 1973 the
behind the lolly counter to choose what
theatre reopened, under new
we wanted. I can still remember the din
management, as the Latrobe Cinema
all those kids made, the theatre was
and finally closed on 15 January 1978.
always packed. And the mess
afterwards, it looked like a bomb A feature on the Lawrence Bros. will
Mel Elliott disaster area with lolly and ice cream run in the next issue of CinemaRecord.
30 2002 CINEMARECORD