Page 21 - RD_2015_12

The routine at an Amalgamated
theatre was house lights to half at 8pm
with a buzzer warning, and the playing
of a classical piece of music such as the
Overture from Act 3 of Lohingren.
The centre star went through a
number of colour changes and at the
same time the concealed wall lights also
changed colour, usually to match the
proscenium arch. About a minute from
the end, the star and wall lights
gradually dimmed in unison until only
the arch and the curtain were lit. The
arch lights dissolved and the waterfall,
still lit, was raised, while the side
curtains remained closed and lit. When
they opened to reveal the King (later the
Queen), the national anthem was played
and everyone stood to attention. No
projectionist worth his salt ever had the
Anthem on with partly opened curtains.
In New Zealand the first cinema to
get house light control in the projection
box was the De Luxe in Wellington in
1924. As far as I am aware, N.Z.
cinemas never had the union
demarcation problems about the control
of lights and curtains which surfaced in
some states in Australia. In most cases
the entire light show was under one
projectionist, although some of the
major city cinemas had an assistant.
Some suburban cinemas and then there was no finesse, the screen Top: Empire, Island Bay (suburban
independents in towns close to major remained uncovered and was often Wellington) after the 1942/43 earthquake
cities chose to have waterfall curtains, merely a painted back wall. In the refit. The curtain is a variant of ‘waterfall’;
but for many the cost was just too high. 1920s, as cinema presentation evolved, rising in a scallop pattern. Closed as a
Some of the independents with we had the Atmospherics, and later the cinema in the 1960s it is undergoing
waterfalls were the Century Edgeware Art Deco designs, then the smaller, renovation to a ‘Light House’ - three
Road, Christchurch; the State, Petone more intimate theatres arrived in the cinemas and café.
(suburban Wellington); the De Luxe, 1960s. Presentation, even at that stage, Centre and above: De Luxe (later the
Levin (90km north of Wellington); the was still important. Now the major Regent) Oxford Street, Levin (1980) and
Vogue at Brooklyn, Wellington; and the chains have reverted to tacky auditorium with waterfall curtain.
Berkeley in Mission Bay, Auckland. surroundings, poor lighting and Architect: James Bennie.
screening presentation. As they say, if
In the early days of cinema,
you have been on the planet a while you
operators used converted shops, old have seen everything at least once. ★
halls, and converted warehouses. Back

CINEMARECORD 2005 21