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original colours, despite the intense
heat of arc-lamp slide projectors and
more than sixty years away from
projection rooms.
Many of the 300 visitors wanted to
talk and reminisce. One lady brought
her scrap-book which included her
photo taken as a child in the foyer of
the Waratah where she had won a
singing competition. Another lady told
one of her father’s stories. As a boy he
would go to the pictures at the Moonee
Ponds Theatre where children were
allowed to sit on stage behind the
screen at a reduced price (she thought it
might have been one half-penny (0.4
cents)) and watch the film as a reversed
image. He later became a head master
and credited his facility with English to
learning the skill of reading the back-
The exterior of the Plaza today. Rod Cook is at the door.
to-front writing of the intertitles.
One man talked about a matinee at
the Plaza where he was introduced to
double-feature horror - the RKO pair
Cat People and I Walked With A
Zombie. “Was I frightened?!! Before
that film I didn’t even know what a
zombie was.” From the relish in his
voice in telling the story it was clear
that his education that day had not left
any mental scars.
The Ukrainian Community of
Australia runs a welfare service and
social club from the building, yet has
retained the essence of the theatre. The
proscenium has been brought forward
and widened, the stage concealed
behind side-parting curtains. Ross King
set up temporary footlights so that the
red curtains glowed. The balcony still
has its lounge chairs and some
remnants of traditional Hoyts carpet, CATHS members settle for a pre-dinner show. The lounge retains original seats.
but the bio-box is gone.
Sixty-eight members and guests sat the event also received air-time on Reporting by: Rod Cook, Ross King
down to a three-course dinner on Magic 693. And Paul Kalina’s column and Peter Wolfenden.
Saturday night, catered for by a local in The Age Metro Review of Thursday
firm. The logistics of dismantling 12 May gave it a plug.
displays, assembling and setting tables
The Ukrainian Community was said
and places for dinner, and later
to be considering whether to rebuild a
reversing the procedure to make way
projection room. Perhaps the weekend
for the Sunday Swap Meet and auction,
of enthusiastic activity will swing a
ably conducted by Mike Trickett, was
decision to do so, and make a walk
all in a night’s work.
from the train to an (occasional) picture
Strong publicity for these events is show again possible in this part of
vital and the organizers showed their town.
skills in radio talk-back when 774
CATHS and the organizers of this
presenter Richard Stubbs interviewed
event sincerely thank the members of
Rod Cook and Ross King, and set up
the Ukrainian Community and the City
an interesting half hour of
of Moonee Valley for their strong
reminiscences by listeners. CATHS support. ★
member Clyde Simpson ensured that

8 2005 CINEMARECORD