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One Projectionist’s Life:

From A Regent To The Regent

Brian Quigley interviewed by Jim White
Part 2: Metro’s Man

JW - Do you remember the meetings
that became an institution -when
projectionist assistants would meet
after work at Flinders Street Station?
There was a fruit stall at the top of
ramps 6 and 7, which was closed in the
evening of course, but the ledge along
the edge of it was where we’d all sit
and chat, and there would be another
group facing us, as if we were
interviewing each other.
And that’s where all the scuttlebutt
was aired and probably got back to
head office the next day - who had
blackouts and who didn’t that night.
And at a minute to twelve, because the
last trains left at midnight, there was a
scatter of projectionists to their
respective trains. If you missed it, you
were up for an all night tram fare.
When last we talked you were
working at the Plaza and had gone for
an interview at the Metro Collins
Street. Your boss said that if you stayed
with Hoyts you would be next into the
Regent, but you were determined to
move to the Metro.
My first meeting with the chief
projectionist led to an interview with
the manager at the Metro. Managers at
MGM seemed to have more power than
they did in Hoyts. Metro was
centralized from head office in Sydney,
everything came down from there.
Finally I was informed that I would
start on a Saturday in December 1951.
I’d been up for a look around the
projection room a couple of times
during the week prior and was amazed
at the set-up, inasmuch as they had
enough equipment for almost two Top: Full glass doors to brighten the frontage were installed at about the time Brian
theatres. The idea was that with three Quigley moved to the Metro.
projectors and two sets of amplifiers Above: The panelling of the main foyer, described by Building magazine as ‘warm in
and a spare of everything, including tone and consistent in texture.’ The poster for Men of Boy’s Town dates this image as
prints, the show would never be off the c.1942.
air. So they covered it magnificently
with first class equipment. No cost
spared. They were always importing it
from the USA, unbeknown to the

12 2008 CINEMARECORD