Page 19 - CR

One day, however, the coolant water Within nine months he had been
in the tank atop the engine fell to promoted to Assistant Projectionist, sat
dangerous levels and Alan had to re- for examinations in AC and DC power;
thread the projector and start again on Travelling Show Regulations plus a
his own by the feeble light of the one practical in the large and luxurious Star
gas lamp left burning throughout the Theatre at suburban Unley, and so,
show while the others in the hall were qualified for his projectionist’s licence
extinguished. at 19 years of age.
When sound came to Victor Harbor,
it did so in the Victor Theatre, which
had been built by the Griffen Brothers
who owned a local garage, but had
been acquired by the Waterman
Brothers, founders of the chain of
Ozone Theatres.

By this time Victor Harbor had Though he was not legally allowed
acquired a town supply of electricity to act as a projectionist in his own right
(probably AC) from a power station on until he was 21, he in fact became the
the beachfront with a very large Manager-Projectionist of the Victor
Blackstone engine to drive the alternator. Harbor Victor/Ozone within eighteen
Mr. Laurie Waterman came from months, during which time the sound-
Adelaide to manage the theatre and on-disk Vitaphone system was in use
Alan and he took a liking to each other, with all of its difficulties in maintaining
with Alan becoming the ‘third boy’ in synchronization of sound and picture.
the projection room or biograph (life A fire, started by sparks from an
pictures) box rewinding films, running incinerator on a neighbouring property
messages and learning the craft of destroyed the theatre at this time, but
Projectionist by observation. the projection suite was untouched, and
Alan transferred the plant to the defunct
rival theatre, the Wonderview which
had flourished for a very short time in
the silent era.
The primitive Wonderview had a
screen painted on the rear wall with no
stage space, so Alan knocked a hole in
the wall to suspend the large speaker
horn over the railway property behind
Wonderview. the theatre. News report from October 1934.

CINEMARECORD 2011 19