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This mob is threatening to tear the
theatre down. We’ve already had a long
interval.” His last words were lost as I
reversed and headed back to the Lyric.
I can’t remember how many trips
were made that night. What I do
remember is my determination that in
future, a more leisurely transfer system
would have to be the order of the day. ★

This is an edited transcript of an
interview with Harry Leech (then aged
90) on 7April 2004.

Notes:
(1) Mazda produced a 1,000watt
incandescent lamp for silent 35mm
projectors, with a (Fresnal) condenser
lens. The lamps were usually
convection cooled and only suitable for
a small theatre.
(2) Warner’s successful follow-up to
The Jazz Singer.
(3) Delivery of bass and treble in the
1930s was achieved using the principles
of capacitance and inductance. Two By Bert Harris
coils of copper wire (each an inductor),
wound around each other on a soft iron
core form a simple transformer.
Manually altering the ratio of iron to
copper could boost treble or bass.
(4) Locals maintained that the tower
was originally a convict treadmill, but a
windmill is more likely.
(5) In 1933 and 1934, Dr. Val.
MacDowall and Mr. Tom Elliott made
low-powered, 30-line television
transmissions from the Observatory
tower. They transmitted under the
amateur call sign VK4CM, held by Dr.
MacDowall. In May 1934 the system
was demonstrated to State and Federal
parliamentarians. Tests continued until
the late 1930s, by which time images
were much clearer.
The Brisbane tests are sometimes
reported as the first in Australia. In fact,
similar experiments were conducted in
Melbourne in 1929.

Comments on the incandescent
globe as a light source and modifying a
transformer were by Ross King. The
detail about the television experiments
was by Peter Wolfenden.

Hoyts pledge; two frames from a 1929 promotion.
Ross King Collection.

12 2008 CINEMARECORD