Page 13 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

The Regent South Yarra (above and opposite page, top left), the prototype for a family of theatres.
The exterior is c.1925, pre neon sign. All South Yarra pics are from the Brian Pearson Collection.

It was a very grand theatre. Presentation was very important
Oh yes, any Regent built for Hoyts “… it’s a feeling I wasn’t it?
was a grand theatre. And talking about Well, it was instilled in you. Put
grand theatres, a vacancy came up at the think a lot of good yourself in the place of someone sitting
Grand in Coburg and I was sent there as in the theatre. You would always time
an assistant projectionist. I walked into projectionists have, your records to finish as the lights
this tiny little pokey room that could dimmed - the old 78s they were in
hardly fit a projector, let alone a those days - and go from there. Not like
projectionist and an assistant, and there that they’ve at the Cinema Richmond when I was a
were these two drive gears sitting on top boy. Well, the Cinema was front stalls
of RCA sound heads. I’d never seen entertained a lot of for sixpence of a Friday night and
Powers projectors, but you could always Saturday afternoon to see the serials,
recognize a projectionist who had people with their and when the show started everything
worked with them for quite a while, would just go black and there was a
because they always had one finger picture there in front of you - there
missing. Those projectors were notorious skills.” were no dimmers.
for catching fingers in the gears. But the National up the hill was a
more... (sophisticated?) Yeah, more
Who was projectionist at the Grand
sophisticated, a more comfortable
when you were there?
theatre. It wasn’t a big barn like the
Charlie Bird, a very cluey person, a
Cinema, holding 2,000 people.
very, very quiet man, never talked, you
My family had permanent seats
could never really get him to talk about
booked at the National on Saturday
anything.
night - L6, L7 and L8 - downstairs in
But it was at South Yarra that I had
the stalls. I sat on the aisle and took it
the grandmaster of all projectionists in
all in.
my mind in Frank Krautel. He wouldn’t
let you do things by halves - everything After the Grand, what were some of
was to be done properly. His motto was the other cinemas you worked in?
“When you do something check it, then Well, while at the Grand I was
check it again, and then for the third called out to other theatres a few times
time make sure it’s right, check it - to the Windsor and the Regent in
again,” and that was the way I went The rare photo (above right) Fitzroy - when someone was away.
through my whole life in the projection shows the murals by Portia I stayed at the Grand about nine
room - check, check, check. And OK, Geach, who later held an months I think. The assistant
we all make mistakes and have little exhibition in Paris. projectionist from the Padua
blackouts here and there, but I would Illuminated aisle markers Brunswick had a daytime job as well
say for the majority of my career I went were typical of the as his cinema work, and he wanted
through without any great and dismal craftsmanship in this more time off during the day.
failures. flagship theatre.

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