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great help because he went around all The frame for the screen was off. I raced it to Melbourne the next
the country towns in his job. He gave conduit screwed together, and the morning to be fixed.
us a great start. And there was a chap screen was laced on to it. All of this There was no hall at Walhalla.
at R.K.O. when they were in Flinders equipment could be transported in the The pub had a big dining room where
Street. He said, "You can come in van. It took two of us a couple of hours we used to run the show. After tea the
here and we'll sell you any film you to set up the equipment at each hall. bar would be chock full of people, no
want, you don't have to have a contract The car was left running outside one in the dining room at all. When
until you get on your feet, but if you the hall during the show. Afterwards I we'd announce that the show was
go round to Fox or any of those other used to pack away all the gear then roll about to start they'd all troop out of the
places and sign up, I won't have out my blankets and sleep on the floor bar and into the dining room. Then at
anything to do with you, because if in the hall, then continue on to the next Interval and at the end of the show
you sign with them it will break you." town in the morning. I particularly they'd troop back into the bar.
And then there was Gordon Ellis. remember sleeping at Neerim South The night we opened at Kongwak
He was in charge of British Empire Hall which was the coldest of the lot. Mechanics Hall there were only three
Films in the Majestic Building. He It was on top of a hill and got all the or four kids running about when the
said the same thing, "You can come in weather. In the morning I had to wash show was due to start. "Where's your
here and buy anything you want." And in the freezing cold water from a tank Mum and Dad?" we asked. "Oh,
the same with Stan Cherry at Columbia. at the back of the hall. they're still milking the cows, they'll be
We could get pictures from here later." And sure
three different companies. If enough by about half past
we had contracted to one eight more people turned up.
company we probably would There was another
have gone broke. I never did episode at Loch. There was
get my new hat from old Bob. a picture show there before
The night I brought the we came along, always
plant home we set it up in breaking down, discs going
the house and I showed a out of sync. and all those
picture about a navy air ship sorts of things. So when we
- Dirigible. We were having opened there nobody would
a cup of tea after the film come in. The louts of the
when Jim walked in and town were hanging about in
asked why the car was sitting front of the hall, "We know
in the back yard with the Veterans of the cinema business Alf and Joss in 1951 all about this. It's no good,
engine running. We sometimes had troubles they never are. We're not going to
I had a second hand Model 'A' Ford running these shows. The floors in the waste our money." We just set up and
panel van; my motor-bike went as the old halls were often not much good, I said to these fellows, "You come
deposit on it. We extended the chassis people moving about on them made around here later and see." They did
at the front and mounted a shaft that the discs jump. It was synchronized come around later, still laughing and
was driven from the front of the engine sound with start marks on the record jeering, but wouldn't come in. So I
with a coupling made from a piece of and on the film. If the film and the said, "Look, I'll tell you what I'll do.
hose. This shaft had a sprocket that record did get out of sync. the effects I'll let you blokes in for nothing if you
drove a chain, which in turn drove a could be funny - people mouthing promise to tell everyone in the district
D.C. generator. This produced all the words but no sound, or a man talking what you think of our show."
power for projection and lighting of with a woman's voice or an animal They were the only people in the
the halls. The generator was carried in talking. The audience would stamp hall. We gave them the full show -
the back of the van. It had to be bolted their feet and cat call. Sound discs news, trailers, cartoons, shorts and two
on to the engine before every show, were supposed to be replaced after 24 features, the lot. When it was over I
then unbolted again and placed back in runs, there was a label on them for asked them if they were coming back
the van. It produced about 400 volts recording how many times they had next week. "Too right". The next week
D.C. that was converted to A.C. and been used. Often they weren't we couldn't fit all the people in the hall.
stepped down to 110 volts with a replaced, the label would be taken off Once at Inverloch Hall with the
transformer. and a new one stuck on. van parked outside running on idle as
The projector was very good; a One night at Loch one of the usual, the projection lamp blew out.
compact twin machine with projector motors packed it in. It didn't stop but When we rushed outside we heard the
lamps, there were no arcs in it or it didn't throw off the slip rings and the engine running flat out. Someone had
anything like that. The transformer and stator winding was getting hot. My opened up the throttle on the van and
the controls were in the middle. With assistant worked the other machine created a power surge. We shut the
the lever on the right side the right while I fanned the crook one with a 78 engine down, replaced the lamp and
projector was working, throw the lever record to try to keep it cool. completed the show. After the show
over to the left and the other one was Fortunately the one thousand foot reels we decided we'd better have the
working. There was a switch above the only lasted eight or nine minutes each, amplification equipment checked for
projection light to turn it on and off. so the other machine would take over possible damage, so I went off to
That's how we did the change overs. and give the bad one a chance to cool Melbourne with some of the gear.

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