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Squizzy had links with Australian
film production too! Notoriously, around
1920 he was involved in the production
of a feature drama of horse racing under
the title Riding to Win (later released
under the title Bound to Win).
Production was based in Victoria,
although the film had to be completed
elsewhere when shooting was banned.
The film included scenes of the
gangster hurdle jumping at Caulfield
Racecourse and also featured his
second wife, Ida ‘Babe’ Pender. Bound
to Win was banned outright in Victoria.
Taylor died in a shoot-out with
gangland member John 'Snowy'
Cutmore, two years after the film
finally obtained a release in Brisbane in
1925.
Taylor’s other moment of fame on
the screen was over forty years later
when he was the subject of Melbourne
producer Nigel Buesst’s dramatised
documentary The Rise and Fall of
Squizzy Taylor, which had its premiere
at the Carlton Theatre in April 1969.
The Richmond of Taylor and Snowy
Gamble was a tough and unforgiving
place, deserving of the nickname
‘struggle town’.
The Gambles lived in an extended
family group close to West Richmond
Station, just around the corner from the
National theatre in Bridge Road.
For the Gambles and so many other
families in the suburb, movies were
important in their lives, not only for Notoriety Sells. The text for this exhibitor promotion is coy: The whole story is chockful
regular entertainment, but in Snowy’s of incident and is in every respect a “Pepful” production. The press kit included
case, because the cinema also gave him ‘Reproductions of interviews with the most talked of man in Australia.’
with a job. He was a ‘switcher’, the Note the number of title changes this film went through from production to final release.
person responsible for inter-changing - Everyones 11 October 1922.
film reels between cinemas.
With his motor bike and sidecar he
was a familiar sight on the streets at One night a local gang set upon Les Gamble died in July 1985 and
night, flying up and down Swan Street Snowy while he was switching with him went one of the last tangible
or along Bridge Road, picking up and programs. His onlv concern, he said at links with the fast vanishing cinema
dropping off cans of film at the Cinema, the time, was for the precious film cans network of Richmond. His job as a film
the Burnley, Globe and National (his job depended on them arriving safe switcher, however, had obviously made
theatres. Regular as clockwork! and sound!) Fortunately one of the an impression. As the local historical
A switcher’s job was like that; gang recognised him and told the others society remembered:
hundreds of patrons in each cinema to “Leave him alone, it’s only Snowy!” “To the delight of the local boys,
depending on his reliability for their The Gamble family regularly when the first film finished Snowy
anticipated entertainment. supported both the National and the would mount his sturdy steel steed and
If the films didn’t arrive on time the Cinema, though I imagine the roar off into the night with the first reel
frustrated manager might have to National was favoured, not onlv in his bandolier, returning minutes later
mount the stage and explain a missing because it was closer to West with the second reel, just as the light
film trunk to an impatient audience! Richmond, but because it was the more dimmed”.
Film switchers were a legion and comfortable and attractive of the two. Stories about switching fiascos are
were employed in the cities, all around They endured the deficiencies of the legion, and are often embroidered with
the suburbs and even in country areas Cinema (“that barn of a place”!) if the each retelling. I recall one from many
where adjacent cinemas weren’t too far program was enticing. years ago.
apart.

28 2006 CINEMARECORD