Page 32 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

Marvellous Memories

YOUR PERSONAL MEMORIES & REMINISCENCES OF AUSTRALIAN THEATRES

Last Films At Sunbury Memorial A year or so later I sold the plant to
Hall the Agora Theatre at Latrobe
Further to Peter Wolfenden’s University – that’s another story.
interesting article on the pictures at In 1970 the Memorial Hall was
Sunbury (CinemaRecord 39): Eric again rented for films to a Mr
Boardman who ran the show in the Bowerman of Broadmeadows. This
Sunbury Memorial Hall for many venture also failed. As far as I’m aware
years closed it in the fifties. He was that was the last attempt to operate a
also the publisher of the local show at Sunbury until the recent
newspaper. opening of the cinema complex.
Two young fellows John Stoward Ross King, Essendon.
of Sunbury and Tony Cordner of
Essendon decided to re-start pictures at
the hall. John was a
compositor/linotype operator with
Broadglen Publishing in Glenroy that
printed the Mount Macedon and
Regional News. Eric Boardman was
still involved with the papers and John
was able to get from him the
projection equipment that had been
used in the hall.
The machines were archaic - silent
era Ernemann projectors adapted to
primitive sound heads which were
coupled by bicycle chain and a bicycle
crank sprocket. The light source was
from Raycophone A.C. arcs. The
machines had not been adapted for
CinemaScope or anything other than
standard picture ratio.
The first show by the new team was
on Saturday 13 January 1968 with A
Fine Madness with Sean Connery and
Joanne Woodward.
As the exhibitor at nearby Gisborne
I made myself known to John and Tony
after they had been running a few
weeks. Among their problems was the
errant behaviour of many of the young
people who attended the theatre. Worn
out seating was easier to fix; they
purchased seats from a church in
Mitcham which were originally from
the Glen Glenferrie. Unable to show
anamorphic prints their selection of
films was limited.
I had a spare C&W plant on
Raycophone sound heads complete
with scope lenses. I suggested that
they use this equipment to see if it
would improve the situation. However
after about six months their show
ceased to be a paying proposition.

32 2002 CINEMARECORD