Page 20 - CR

In the meantime he showed films by The foyer was conceived as an
night and worked in his trade as a entertainment space in its own right
carpenter in rebuilding his theatre. where the Waterman’s occasionally
Soon Adelaide architect Kenneth Milne held receptions, even twice supporting
and the Waterman’s were content to let candidates for the Miss Australia Quest
him supervise the project, and it was there.
this that was to change his fortunes.
Alan was happy. He had a job he
loved, was married with a baby son and
had also built a new house. He
expected to live in Victor Harbor for
the rest of his life.
Then Ewen Waterman sent him a
letter transferring him to Adelaide.
Alan was deeply upset and ready to
resign from his job if necessary, but
was asked to see Mr. Waterman (later
Sir Ewen) in head office.
His wrath soon dissipated when he
was told that the company was about to
modernize all of its theatres, and that
he was to supervise the transformation
of the newly acquired Princess
Theatre (1925) in Kensington Road,
Marryatville, albiet with a substantially
increased salary and a position on the
Board!
The décor was to be that of an
elegant lounge room, complete with a
grandfather clock, paintings
comfortable lounge chairs and couches,
and a fireplace with a crackling wood
fire in winter.
Another innovation was the
provision of two curving staircases in
place of one much wider which was
required by the Act. This was the result
of Alan’s observation of human
For a few months he was to manage
behaviour – that we tend to cling to the
the Ozone at Murray Bridge, and then
walls and avoid the centre of staircases
take over at Marryatville, living in a
even if they have a central balustrade –
new house in nearby Erindale, and
thus allowing for quicker egress in the
again working with architect Kenneth
case of an emergency.
Milne.
Still others were the two crying
The foyer space was to be greatly
rooms at the back of the stalls under the
enlarged, and Alan suggested what was
front of the balcony which overlay the
to be unique in Adelaide: a double set
ticket lobby and foyer. These were the
of glass entrance doors framed in
first in Adelaide and among the first
beautifully sculpted polished timber
anywhere.
which enclosed a ticket lobby to
combat the strong gully winds which
swept down from the hills after a hot
day.
Despite the opposition of the
administrators of the Places of Public
Entertainment Act who thought that
they might be a hindrance in case of the
audience having to leave quickly, this
was implemented and is to this day one
of the most admired features of the
Modernised in 1941.
(now named) Chelsea Cinema.

20 2011 CINEMARECORD