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Waterfall Curtains: The New Zealand Experience.

By Tony Froude

Waterfall curtains were used
extensively in top New Zealand
cinemas, more so than in Australia, and
could also be found in some
independent suburban cinemas,
especially where the operator wished to
capture some of the city audience. As a
costly addition to a theatre’s ambience,
they were generally found in cinemas
of more than 500 seats.
Waterfall, called Festoon in
America and Britain, began to appear in
the 1930s, either in new cinemas or
after a major upgrade. One reason for
their popularity in New Zealand was
the invention of the automatic curtain
winch by two locals in Gisborne, on the
North Island’s east coast. Gisborne was
a town with several cinemas and it was
here that Kerridge, soon to become one
of the major operators, started. The Regent Manners Street Wellington. Architect: Cedric Ballantyne in association with
Charlie Banks, projectionist at the L. T. Williams. Kerridge Odeon. Demolished in the 1980s.
Regent, with the assistance of Doug
Paterson, an engineer, perfected the evening show they could overheat, significant chain of theatres, many in
winch. Doug Paterson went on to causing a fire at about 3am, which did Art Deco design. The chain tended to
become General Manager of New happen on the odd occasion. lease the buildings on a 15- year term,
Zealand National Airways, which was Post World War Two there were two and their designs reflected the style
absorbed into Air New Zealand in the major cinema chains, Amalgamated prominent in the USA at the time,
1970s. Charlie Banks had a long Theatres and R. J. Kerridge Theatres where waterfall curtains were used
history of theatre design and with his (soon to become Kerridge Odeon.) extensively. An Amalgamated Theatres
electrical skills helped re-wire cinemas Kerridge theatres were in all major building was synonymous with
to cope with and improve lighting cities and provincial centres while concealed side lighting, a centre ceiling
effects. Charlie was a major film circuit Amalgamated had a strong base in star with concealed lights, a decorative
operator in the pre-World War Two Auckland and was found in most cities, proscenium arch, suitably lit and set-
period who ran three cinemas in the but not in the minor provincial centres. off by a waterfall curtain. In most cases
Kapiti Coast. When he died, his work Christchurch, the main city in the South there were also side-opening curtains
was carried on by son Bill and his wife Island, had a local chain called as well.
and family. In the 1970s Bill sold up Christchurch Cinemas, which used Amalgamated Theatres’ projectionists
the chain and moved to the Gold Coast waterfalls in some of their major were proficient showmen when it came
where he became an Albert Shire theatres. Kerridge Theatres tended to to light shows which tended to last the
Councillor as well as holding down a use the waterfall in their top cinemas, duration of a 12inch 78rpm record. The
career in journalism and real estate. His usually a Regent, although after the light show preceded the first half of the
daughter Janis ushered for some time at merger with Odeon that name started to program, and in most cases the second
the Paradise and Mermaid cinemas in be used for top cinemas. half as well, and they became a feature
Surfers Paradise.
Amalgamated Theatres had strong of a visit to the cinema in New Zealand
Curtain winches could occasionally in the 1930s through to the 1960s.
links with 20th Century Fox and a
jam. If this happened at the end of the
20 2005 CINEMARECORD