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Sessions were either double features
or a feature and supporting short
subjects including newsreel and
cartoon.
The first manager was Jim Carol.
Projectionist Graff Kassall and snack
bar manager Jim Greenwell were to
By David Kilderry Bordering Hallam Valley Road and have a long association with the drive-
the Dandenong Creek on its southern in, the latter a future manager.
One night in 1954 builder Jim
boundary, the 11hectare site was ideal.
Houlahan received a call from friend
The road and gentle slope to the creek
and well-known bookie Jack Corry. He
assisted drainage of the ramps and
asked to meet him that evening. When
helped with site-lines.
he arrived Jack told him, “We’re going
The plans were drawn up by Baily
to the pictures”. Jim replied that he did
and Tilley.
not feel like watching pictures and Jack
said, “Don’t worry, you won’t be!” A four-lane drive-way was built
from Cranbourne Road to the ticket
After meeting up with Jack they
box, with a large, illuminated highway
drove to the new Skyline Burwood.
sign erected next to the entrance.
Jack explained that he wanted Jim to
give him a price to build a drive-in at The drive-in was registered to J.J.
Maribyrnong. Houlahan of 7 Stradbroke St, Oakleigh
for Panoramic Drive-in Theatres. It
Jim wandered around and took
could hold 634 cars.
notes. Soon he had covered all areas of The original screen with its wooden poles.
the theatre with the exception of the The buildings were all fibro-cement Photo: Peter Ricketts.
women’s toilets. Jim’s attempts to peek sheet construction. A separate walk-in The syndicate was new to the
in were thwarted by women coming and steak bar/fish grill was built away cinema game and whilst business was
and going. Finally he told a lady on her from the main snack bar. steady in the early days, within six
way in that he was from the Health The original screen was constructed months they were out-grossed by the
Department and needed to know details of wooden poles and the surface new Village Dandenong North Drive-
about the layout - the number of stalls, covered with galvanized iron sheets. Its in on Stud Road. A little further away
basins, etc. The woman gave an dimensions were 24 x 9 metres.
was Skyline Oakleigh, and from 1957,
excellent description, and Jim was able The projection installation was a
the giant Metro Twin at Clayton, both
to give a quote. typical RCA affair with Super Standard
formidable opposition.
Jack was surprised when he saw the projectors in a room alongside the café On winter nights 44-gallon drums
bottom line. Could Jim really build a kitchen.
of coal were burnt on the ramps in an
drive-in for this amount? Jim checked Panoramic Dandenong opened on
effort to keep away the fog and add
his figures and assured his friend that Friday May 4, 1956 with Columbia’s
some warmth.
he could. Assignment Paris starring Dana
A walk-in at the right front of the
Jim’s quote was substantially less Andrews and Marta Toren. This four- field could hold about 40 on standard
than the one Jack had started with. Jim year old b&w thriller from Columbia cinema seats. These patrons came by
and his brother Kevin had the job. was typical of the fare screened in the bike, foot or caught a train or bus.
J. and K. Houlahan constructed all independent drive-ins, which often A steak and fish grill kitchen with
buildings at the theatre including the struggled to obtain recent quality food-serving window was on the side
screen and ramps, and made a profit product. of the walk-in, as an alternative to the
doing so. The Panoramic also ran product main café building. In the warmer
Jim was approached shortly after the from Paramount and Universal. Film months tables and chairs were on a
opening of the Sunset Maribyrnong by was delivered by train to the patio in front of the walk-in.
a syndicate of Dandenong businessmen Dandenong railway station and Capacity was expanded to 725 cars
which included Frank James and Kevin collected by the projectionist or the around this time.
Donnelly. Kevin was a grazier with land assistant.
on Cranbourne Road; the drive-in was
to go on his property.
Dandenong was in the grip of an
industrial boom; consequently housing
for new workers and their families was
booming as well.
The International Harvester truck
plant had opened in 1952, General
Motors - Holden were constructing a
giant car assembly plant, and Standard
Motor Cars, Chrysler and Heinz all A full program - even a serial - for 19 November 1956, the day the Olympics came to
planned factories in the area. Melbourne. A set of coloured Olympic rings hung in the walk-in for years.

28 2007 CINEMARECORD