Page 34 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

Marvellous Memories

YOUR PERSONAL MEMORIES & REMINISCENCES OF AUSTRALIAN THEATRES

Mallee Regents and Other Keeping Up Appearances. Projector Mania
Theatres A doleful story by Denzil Howson ★ From Don Kennedy, Port
★ From David Casson, Northampton recalling a youthful experience of the Melbourne, Vic.
(U.K.): ‘family way,’ ran in an earlier edition of The majority of cinemas ran with
I am writing to you from the other Cinema Record. It is worth one brand of projectors modifying them
side of the globe. I spent 10 years in Oz summarizing here as an example of the along the way or until an innovation like
after immigrating in 1950. Some of that cost of high hopes. CinemaScope necessitated new
time was spent in Swan Hill, where I Hoyts had vacated the Armadale equipment. At the prestige end of the
had my first job at the Town Hall theatre by the mid-thirties and a family market some theatres seemed to change
Regent (Later called the Civic) as had taken over, hoping to inject new life brands like fashion accessories.
second projectionist - my dream job! into it. Father was projectionist, his wife Consider the Regent Collins Street.
I went through the opening of the did the books and mother was front of When it re-opened in 1947 it was
new Regent in Campbell Street; house. A youthful Denzil and friend equipped with three matched Centrex
introduced CinemaScope to the Town wanted to see the Saturday night show. projectors, Peerless arcs and Westrex
Hall (smaller than standard!) and Certain that it would be popular they sound. With the advent of Cinemascope
opening and helping to put together went along to the theatre to book seats. two C&W Seniors with B.T.H. arcs
GK21's at the new Regent. The matinee was on. A grandmother (in were put in for ‘Scope features leaving
I also helped with 'Scope their eyes) was in the ticket box. She one Centrex fitted for 6,000 foot spools
modifications at the Kerang Regent, and insisted that they accompany her to deal with the shorts, film ads and
worked at Nyah West Regent where upstairs so that they could pick exactly trailers. The Health Department gave
everything was shown at 1.85:1, which the seats they wanted. permission to use this size spool,
made a total mess of non-croppable The boys felt embarrassed about providing no nitrate film was used.
standard stock, and "missed the point" making an entrance for this purpose, so The C&W’s were discarded after
of 2.33:1 movies. to get out as quickly as possible they about 12 months and Kalee 20’s
Your issue No.27 from Feb 2000 gestured in the general direction of the installed. These were the machines in
documents O'Halloran Theatres - a firm best seats, even though their guide use when Hoyts invited every cinema
I loved at first and hated at the end, but I wanted them to sit down and try out the manager and their projectionists to
have fond and precise memories of the seats for comfort. Their guide then attend a demonstration session of
times at the Regent circuit. escorted them back to the ticket box CinemaScope 55 one afternoon at the
where she wrote out their booking. Regent. I was working at the Central
I also remember the Rivoli at
Naracoorte, the Ideal at Kadina and That night the same lady escorted North Melbourne at the time. I can still
Town Hall Movies at Moonta - all in them to their seats. They were the only remember feeling for those chaps in the
South Australia. people in the balcony! Regent bio box; their every reel change
and sound match scrutinised by an
Also the Metro and Wests in
audience of their peers. What a
Adelaide, plus the use of the Panoramic South Australian Memories
Screen at the Metro, where standard ★ From Darrel Morley Adelaide SA nightmare!
stock was shown on a screen that must I digress. In about 1968
I am an ex-teacher who worked part
have been 75 feet wide - with all the Cinemacanica machines were put in to
time in cinemas as an usher, candy bar
light they could push through it! I also the Regent to show 70mm titles such as
attendant and cashier at the Town Hall
used to frequent the North Adelaide Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. These
Cummins, Odeon Mt. Gambier,
Piccadilly and Hoyts Ozone in machines closed the theatre in 1970. I
Chelsea, Cinema Centre Glenelg,
Prospect. On our second night of arrival understand that the current installation is
Sema 4, Windsor Theatres (Brighton
in Oz we went to the Ozone at also Cinemacanica machines with
Hindmarsh and Magill) and the Capri
Kilkenny! variable speed control. And these are
Theatre (more than 22 years at this one
As you can tell, cinema is in my theatre). only the changes in the second and third
blood - has been for the past 50 years, I started going to the movies in the Act of the theatre’s life. What machines
and probably will stay there! late forties – mainly Saturday matinees. opened it in 1928 and what changes
(The October 2002 CATHS-V Tour I still love the old serials (mainly those were there up to the time of the fire?
visited some of the theatres mentioned. from Columbia) and have been building Don Kennedy has had a lifetime of experience
The write up of this trip will be in the a collection on video ( mainly those in bio-boxes. He is currently part of the projection
next issue.) from Republic). team at Bay Brighton and Cameo Belgrave.

34 2002 CINEMARECORD