Page 31 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

I haven’t really progressed that far
The stage setting. The first notes from the organ send tingles up the spine.
In hindsight, the first task was in
fact, the hardest. This was to convince
my wife, Jan, that it was a good idea.
For those many men who have been
through this, I’m sure they know what I
mean. Like most negotiations, one has
to understand where the “other side” is
coming from, and to be prepared to
make some concessions. On this
occasion Jan knew that she had me on
toast, particularly as I not only wanted
to take over one room, but to also take
over the linen cupboard in the laundry
for the bio box. This was a big ask, and
it would be too embarrassing to put into
writing the concessions I finally made
to achieve my goals. Suffice to say
here that mission impossible gradually
became a reality and, by April 2001, the
project had been completed.
The equipment for a portable biobox
from the early days as my new theatre
only holds 13 people and we only have
four legitimate theatre seats that were in
the original Southland cinema complex.
Being a romantic, I started off with
a Kaelart Victor 16mm manual thread
projector but soon got sick of this and
changed over to a couple of automatic
Bell and Howells (turquoise covers)
which regularly broke down. I now run
a couple of B&H TQIII’s, a 1692 and
1695 with the charcoal covers, which
run like a dream. I haven’t yet managed
to facilitate two projectors in the small
bio box, therefore, we still have reel
changes.
The projectionist’s inner sanctum
The curtains are operated by remote
control from the bio box which causes a
problem when the film ends with God
Save the Queen if a monarchist happens
to be sitting immediately in front of the
porthole and decides to stand. I then
have to dash around to the entry door of
the cinema and operate the remote from
there.
Purists would object to the fact that
the theatre houses a bower bird
collection - old projectors ranging from
a standard 8 Bell through the various
gauges to a 27.5mm Pathe hand
operated job, a life size Charlie
Chaplin, mannequin style program lady
and lolly boy, day bills, and an
assortment of other audio/visual
memorabilia.
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