Page 24 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

All the work was sub-contracted - a contract that wasn't up until opening
someone had a contract to put in the night, so they didn't have to put the
floor, someone else the ceiling, all screen up until then.
different. Craig Williamson's had the We got a whole lot of calico
contract to put up the screen and sheets, pinned them together and hung
curtains. The whole lot was going on them on a frame and we shot a picture
at once, there was scaffolding onto that. Well we didn't have a
everywhere. I didn't know what to do picture, just the light. The machines
but I had to get this thing about the were not fastened to anything, they
projection ports settled. were just free standing. We set each of
One things they didn't tell me was them so they corresponded to our
that there was supposed to be a false sheets and I said "For God's sake don't
floor in the projection box made out shift these machines."
of jarrah and they were going to cover When they put the screen up I
it with rubber That would have lifted showed them my marks where to put
the floor level and those holes would it. They had to move it down a few
have been right. They put in new holes inches. "That's it, don't move anything
and we finished up with nothing but a and we'll be right."
I went and saw the manager to be
bare concrete floor in there the whole All of this took place on Anzac
of the Metro, Bert Cowin and Percy
time I was there. Day 1934, there was no one else there.
Telfer who was the Victorian manager
Eventually they put in a Western We were to open the following Friday,
of Metro Goldwyn Mayer. I asked
Electric plant, so we had sound, but and although we now had a screen we
them who was going to run the theatre
we still couldn't see the stage for all hadn't seen one inch of picture, not
when it was finished. They said they
the scaffolding. They had given one little bit. We didn't even have an
didn't know. I asked to be considered,
everyone a deadline for opening, and old bit of film to try out first, we
and put in an application. Some time
everyone was aiming at it. started the first show dead on eight
later they wrote and told me I had the
I went to this Yank and said, "Look, o'clock with a news reel. Remember
job, the plant would be installed and
we're not going to be able to open." we hadn't seen a picture at all, but we
all I would have to do was go along
"Why not?" I said, "Well knew the sound was right. The
and run it. At this time I was still at
everyone's got a deadline to meet, but orchestra finished playing and away
the Empress.
I can't even see the stage." He got the we went.
About three weeks before the
scaffolding taken down, and there was The main feature was one of those
opening I was called in to see Cowin
no screen there. No screen! The dancing things with Joan Crawford. It
and Telfer urgently. They wanted to
Western Electric gear was all there, was another bloody awful show, black
make sure the show opened on time.
but no screen! "What about a screen?" and white, and duplicated. They had
Something or other had happened in
Sydney and they wanted me to go The Yank told me to go down and got a lavender print out from the
down to the theatre and see the Yank see what I could do about it with the United States and just made a negative
in charge. blokes who were working down there. from that.
They wouldn't listen to me. They had
So I went along and said to this
bloke, "Well, where's the box? Let me
have a look." When we went upstairs
and walked into the place there was
just a concrete room with a couple of
wires sticking out of the wall and a
place on the back wall for a switch
board. Nothing else there, no
machines, nothing.
I looked at the holes they had cut
in the wall for projection ports. They
were forty two inches above the floor.
Forty two inches was for flat
projection, but this wasn't flat
projection, it was British Steep. So I
said to this guy, "There's something
wrong with these holes, they're too
high." I was told to go and see the
architect about it, and when I found
him he said, "Oh well, all that front
wall is finished now." "Well," I said, Opening night at the Valley Theatre Traralgon.
"You'll never get a picture on your The new manager Jim Lawrence is on the right
screen." seen with his brothers Alf (left) and Josh.
Photo: Pauline Gaunt

24 2002 CINEMARECORD