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I went back to the Plaza a month
Fair Exchange later to see The Men, which was
Marlon Brando’s first film role. I also
A number of CATHS members have
liked to see films from other studios,
worked in film exchanges.
but I had to pay to see them like anyone
Here Terry Wise recalls his time
else.
with United Artists.
One day I pushed my luck and
The UA exchange in Melbourne asked the Boss for two free tickets. I
was on the top floor of Mitchell House, wanted to return a favour to a friend
on the corner of Elizabeth and Lonsdale who had shouted me tea in the city. It
Streets. As accessories clerk from worked. We went along to Hoyts
January 1951 to January 1952, I shared Esquire to see a restored version of
a large table with Jim, the despatch Chaplin’s City Lights, with a music
manager. sound track. This revival was well
received. I think I had to wait a month
Jim was always busy moving cans of
before the last night came around.
film around. When a transport driver
arrived with a load, Jim would go down Another night I used a free ticket to
to the delivery bay, get them off the go to the Regent South Yarra to see So
truck and begin stacking the cans on a Young So Bad. It was on a double bill
goods lift. He then manually raised them Mitchell House, Melbourne. United Artist's with Seven Days to Noon, from a rival
to the top floor by hauling on a rope. administration offices overlooked exchange. Much as I hate to admit it,
Lonsdale Street (left) while despatch was Seven Days was better than the UA
Sometimes the two of us worked
on the Elizabeth Street side. film.
together to get the films back into the
building. I would be downstairs feeding My job kept me busy and I enjoyed
them on to the lift, a few cans at a time, it. I wasn’t just stuck in an office. I was
then working the rope to haul them up always going around to other film
to Jim who would carry them across to exchanges on errands. I had the keys to
the two women who ran the film two mail-boxes at the GPO, which I
examination section. Then they went visited twice a day. It was rare to return
back to the vault. to my desk empty-handed.
Sending films out to an exhibitor I sometimes walk past Mitchell
was the reverse process. Jim would take House and think about the old days.
his list, go into the vault and walk UA no longer has the top floor, but the
between the shelves where the films building itself hasn’t changed. I was
were stacked in alphabetic order by pleased to hear the President of the Art
title. The vault was kept cold, so it was Deco Society recently nominate it as
a nice place to walk into on a hot one of his favourite buildings in
summer’s day. Melbourne. H
Abbott and Costello in Africa
Screams was a big UA success. I can
still see those cans filed under ‘A’.
I should have kept a poster for that
film. At the time I never thought to take When the Vault is Full
At every exchange the capacity
home posters or lobby cards, perhaps
New Screen News 2 March 1951.
because I was surrounded by them at to store films was finite. Every so
Author’s collection.
work. Also, I was boarding and sharing often older prints were junked to
make way for new ones.
a room at the time. A wardrobe and One of the perks of the job was that
chest of drawers didn’t leave much I was allowed to ask the Manager for a One day when CATHS member
space for extras. free pass to see any UA film in a city or Wally Perkins was working at the
UA head-office in Sydney would suburban theatre. The one condition Universal exchange in Melbourne,
send down the accessories for a new was that the ticket was only available he was handed a tomahawk and told
release, which I would sort and store. for the last night of the film. The to cut reels of film into strips.
Day-bills were put away in bundles of Manager would produce a card, write Severed lengths of Destry Rides
25, one sheets into bundles of 20. There the date and the name of the theatre, Again and other titles were sealed
were only ever a few examples of and hand it to me. into drums to be rendered down for
anything larger. The 24-sheeter had their silver content.
The first film I saw under this
been phased out.
arrangement was Champagne for
Caesar at Hoyts Plaza, Collins Street. I
handed the pass to the girl in the ticket
box and in exchange she gave me a
ticket labelled Complimentary.

28 2005 CINEMARECORD