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UNDER THE STARS

by Roger Seccombe

Kununurra in July 1972 was still a a horde of noisy, aboriginal patrons) just Tidal River became the inspiration
bleak little town in the far north-west of sat on the ground. Ground that grew for a number of trial open-air
Western Australia. Not much more than harder and colder by the hour! screenings at my own Star Theatrette
one of those fabled wild-west or ‘one All we had was a bit of canvas as a in our backyard. Without the romantic
horse’ frontier settlements. It was the groundsheet. At first it seemed warm setting of Tidal River, however, a lack
jumping-off point for the Ord River enough as the sun set beyond the of interest was soon noticeable amongst
Scheme and a staging centre for the screen, but the temperature soon began prospective patrons. Or perhaps it was
giant road trains of the north. A place to plummet to zero-minus. The the cold nights?
of beetling, weathered hotels and red- interminably long, bleak and drawn-out Other ‘Ozones’ of my patronage
brown dust. Plenty of the latter! I was feature Patton - Lust for Glory seemed were rather less attractive affairs. The
there to shoot two films back-to-back to keep the aborigines perfectly happy, Alice Springs show I remember from the
set against the world of the northern but I don't think I ever felt colder than end of the 1950s was another primitively
cattlemen. Your Chips Rafferty-type by the end of that long show! I would fenced enclosure in town. Whether it
cattlemen were everywhere, while the have described that night as Lust for a was actually Kenna’s Open-air Show,
aborigines hung around the hotels and Blanket. the Pioneer, or Mrs Underdown’s
street corners. (Cameramen were My first open-air show I can recall Capital Cinema I can't recall now.
warned in those days against filming was a much happier event. Each Perhaps it was all three at one time or
aborigines in case you started a brawl, January, for a number of years, Mum another, else why would I remember
so you relied on long lenses and shot would take us camping to Wilsons those names? Either way Alice Springs
surreptitiously when you wanted to Promontory. The only screening I can was another place where you needed an
show typical street scenes!) actually remember at the Tidal River eiderdown or more in winter!
Kununurra after dark was even less camping ground's open-air venue was More exotic was the Torres on
than a ‘one-horse’ town! About the only The Three Faces of Eve. In those days I Thursday Island. Again, it was an
entertainment seemed to be the open-air think the cinema was operated by a Mr. unprepossessing, high-walled affair on
cinema. July days were hot but the Paine. the waterfront. The audience seemed to
nights could be oh-so-cold! I didn't The Tidal River Ozone was consist almost entirely of Torres Strait
realise just how cold until the evening surrounded by tea-tree and consisted of islanders. A lively night could be had at
my sound recordist and I decided to an average-sized compound with a wire the Torres years ago!
patronise the Kununurra open-air fence draped with hession or canvas to Then there was the appropriately
cinema. Night shooting of road trains keep out unpaid patrons. My strongest named Tropicaire drive-in at Mt Isa. I
ploughing up the bulldust had usually memory, though, of the Tidal River recall visiting this after a long drive
been made tolerable by a good dose of cinema was that, when the show across the Barkly Tablelands. A hot, dry
the cattleman's medicine: a tot of rum! started, there seemed to be more night under the stars makes for perfect
The walk-in cinema was definitely a patrons hanging out of adjoining trees outdoor viewing. The Tropicaire had a
no-frills place. It was essentially a bare, or otherwise achieving a free viewing distinctive open-air seated section for
red earth expanse like a football ground. than were actually seated within the patrons who either didn't have a car or
Anyone with any sense (not us!) compound! How Mr. Paine's rather didn't want to sit in it on a stuffy night.
brought their seats with them and loads cramped cinema could claim a seating It held some three hundred car-spaces
of blankets. The rest (the two of us and capacity of 300 beats me. and an equal number of seats.

18 2005 CINEMARECORD