Page 26 - CinemaRecord Cover Section # 45

Model’. Ross purchased a dozen seats Lonsdale which was sold to Ross by
from the Hoyts Store (the former Harry Davidson.
Paramount theatre in Ascot Vale) for The first screening at the re-opened
one pound ($2) each. He also fitted Gisborne Theatre in the Mechanics
dimming lights in the sleep-out. Institute was in January 1967. The film
After leaving school Ross became was the third in the James Bond series -
an apprentice radio mechanic for Pyrox Goldfinger. Admission price was sixty
and an assistant operator for Hoyts cents for adults and thirty cents for
Theatres (three nights per week and a children. Screenings were Saturday
Saturday matinee). A lot of the people (matinee and night) and sometimes on
who worked at Pyrox were theatre Wednesday nights.
people, mainly projectionists. They One Saturday afternoon Ross found
included Cyril Hyams (Manager for a possum stuck behind a film trunk. He
McLeish Theatres), Reg Shaw (operator knew nothing about possums and tried
for McLeish’s at The Rivoli to coax it out with food. He asked his
Camberwell) and Eric Willis (also an sister to help, but she wasn’t at all keen.
operator.) Ross learnt a lot from them. Ross went down to his car and found
The George Miller (his immediate boss) and his driving gloves. He thought he
Roy King (no relation) developed the
would try to drag the possum out by the
Pyrox PX5 sound head which was used scruff of the neck, like you do a cat. He
Road to by the armed forces during the war for pulled it out from behind the film trunk.
touring shows.
So far so good, but the tail of the
Ross worked for Hoyts at the Circle possum caught around the arc leads of
GISBORNE Essendon and the Barkly and the projector and the possum turned
Trocadero theatres in Footscray. In the
over and urinated all over him.
early 60’s he had reliefs as an assistant Ross dropped the possum and it ran
When Brian Hunt went to a
at the Westgarth, Regent Box Hill and madly around the projection room,
meeting of the Box Hill Historical
La Scala Footscray. In 1965 he became looking for a way out. His sister was
Society to hear a talk about the
a licensed Cinematograph Operator and hysterical. The possum eventually found
cinema industry, he became curious to
worked at Mitcham. He also worked at the door and bolted. Ross stunk to high
know more about the speaker.
the Essendon Drive-in and the heaven. His sister said, “I’ll sell the
Brian arranged another meeting, taped
Casterton Drive-in for Roy Touhy. tickets tonight, but will never set foot in
the discussion and obtained a chapter
After Pyrox got out of radio, Ross this joint again.” And she never did.
from the life of Ross King.
worked at the Royal Melbourne While running a matinee one day,
Ross had an interest in movies from Institute of Technology. While there he Ross looked out of the projection box
the first time he was taken to the decided to have a go at running his own and noticed all the kids had their hands
Moonee, Moonee Ponds with his picture theatre. It was something he had on their heads.
parents. He was fascinated by the always wanted to do, although he knew A bat had come out of the
coloured lights and the curtains and in he couldn’t make a living from it. The woodwork and was swooping up and
those days he didn’t realise that the theatre would have to be a weekend down along the light beam. Those
picture came from the back of the arrangement. moments in the light produced a giant
theatre. He imagined that everything Ross discussed his ideas with an bat silhouette on the screen.
was on stage and came into view as the RMIT colleague Syd Williams (he had Afraid that any repeat of bat antics
curtains parted. first met Syd at Hoyts). Ross had been would ruin his business, Ross spoke to
When his brother received a little looking through old copies of Film a friend who worked for Fisheries and
film-strip projector for his birthday and Weekly to discover where theatres had Wildlife. He borrowed a big net, which
wasn’t interested in it, Ross took it been. He thought Bacchus Marsh might he laid across the proscenium during
over. It was the best present he ever be a good place. So Ross and Syd set the week. With just the light beam on
had. So on Friday nights he used to off for Bacchus Marsh. the screen, Ross hoped to attract the bat
have the kids from the neighbourhood
On the way they stopped at and catch it, but no such luck. The bat
come in and he would show these film
Gisborne and noticed that the hall had stayed away for months, then one night
strips in the lounge room. Of course
been used as a picture theatre at some it re-appeared on the screen. During the
this was before television and it was
stage. Following an enquiry at a nearby show Ross climbed up behind the
quite a novelty.
shop, Ross and Syd were able to obtain screen with a shoebox, caught the bat
As time went on Ross became more a key and inspect the hall. The bio box and let it out down the road.
interested in showing films. He took over looked all right and there were a couple Ross ran the Gisborne Theatre for a
the sleep-out in the backyard, put up of old projectors. little over two years, until dwindling
curtains and showed the film-strips there. Ross contacted the previous audiences required a re-think of his
About the time Ross was 15 or 16, exhibitor Edgar Beer and purchased his situation. The Health Department was
he bought a projector for fifteen pounds equipment for $100. This equipment asking for fireproof curtains and the hall
($30) from The Carr Camera Company. was in poor condition and was committee was not prepared to outlay the
It was hand operated: a Pathé ‘Teachers eventually replaced by plant from Point funds. And what about that high priced

26 2004 CINEMARECORD