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Chapter 2 the outer end of the lamp and clear
Beware of Indians glass, not frosted or colored. Colored
globes were not readily available. To
color them, various wide-topped jars of
My first visit to the theatre was one
colored gelatine were lifted up to each
night about thirty minutes before
new illuminated globe and the bulb
interval. Taking me from my pram my
immersed in the liquid. The heat from
mum handed me to my grandfather
the bulb quickly dried the gelatine,
who, as usher, was dressed in his dinner
resulting in instant colored lamps.
suit with the glossy lapels, shirt with
celluloid collar and black bow tie. He These jars were on a tray sitting on
proudly paraded his new grandson to the top step as you entered the foyer
all the staff, bouncing me up and down from the street. Somehow I managed to
on his shoulders trying to get me to kick the tray and sent the lot flowing
smile. Apparently I was not amused, out down the steps and onto the
chundering down the front and back of footpath of Station Street. I learnt a few
his dinner suit. I managed to get quite a new words that night…
bit inside his collar and
shirt and all over the foyer In this series Peter Ricketts will tell his
floor. stories from the working side of the
Promptly handed back porthole. Peter’s range includes the
to my mother and sent Broadway Rosebud, the Dromana Drive-
home in disgrace, I had no In, O’Halloran theatres in northern Victoria
idea of the problem I had and the Riverina and management and
caused. My grandfather projection at the Moe Drive In. Peter’s
and the foyer stank to high home theatre is the Majestic Moe, well
heaven. known to CATHS touring members.
Within thirty yards
there were three milk bars Capturing the
that remained open for the
interval rush and the Entrance, Fairfield theatre, scene of a Magic
audience was due to come charging out messy clean up.
at any moment. My grandfather and the
After that episode, new restrictions They’re a special breed
staff went into panic mode. He stripped
were enforced. I was only allowed to projectionists; that small section of
down to his singlet and trousers. The
play in the auditorium, where the adults the population who want to
projectionist Alf Stewart came racing
believed I couldn’t get into trouble. understand the magic and then bring
out of the bio box with the sand filled
One day my grandfather caught me it to others.
fire bucket spreading sand all over the
trying to get up onto the stage. He told Seventy-six year-old Vic Basham
place. Following him was the ticket
me never go anywhere near there, as still plys country roads with his wife
seller trying to scrape up the wet sand
that was where all the dead Indians in a truck which doubles as a cinema
with a hearth shovel. The manager were. Believe me that worked. ★
threw water from buckets filled from screen towing his mobile projection
equipment behind him. On sports
the ladies toilet, making the foyer a
ovals at tiny wheat belt towns across
skating rink. Other ushers were trying
Western Australia, Vic is bringing the
to mop up.
It could be said that I had made an Don’t Miss magic of cinema to people who
impression on my first appearance at The Next Exciting usually only see films on television.
the Fairfield theatre! Episode of: He remembers the first time he
About 1945 I had grown old enough went to the pictures as a child with
this mother and was awestruck, not
to drive my grandfather mad with Through the Porthole
constant questions and would follow with the film, but wonderment at
him everywhere. He would say “Come At this CinemaRecord, next issue how the movement came to the
screen. While other patrons were
on, you can help me (do this or that),”
transfixed by the images, Basham
which was usually passing posters and
was looking to the back of the
day-slips up to him, as he pinned them
theatre. “I used to spend more time
to the billboards out the front and in the
looking up the back to see where the
foyer.
light was coming from”, he says.
One night he was changing blown
And so began Vic’s love affair with
light globes along the edge of the
the arc lamps, lenses and reels of the
theatre verandah. He was up the ladder
cinema projector.
and I had the job of passing the new
The Australian, 1 January
ones to him. In those days globes were
2004.
a tear-drop shape, with the glass seal at
CINEMARECORD 2004 21