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“Deadly Earnest” & Ghouls at the Dendy.

One day Robert had made a coup. Harry Famous Melbourne singers and instrumentalists
Davidson, a Melbourne film enthusiast and and talented local organists at the Wurlitzer
preservationist, had a copy of Fritz Lang’s console in between visits by their celebrity
famous silent classic Metropolis. It had intact, overseas confreres were featured nightly. Tickets
a famous sequence which is mentioned in all cost no more than those of rival theatres, and
histories of serious film making, but which patrons came from as far away as Williamstown
had been thought to have been lost forever. and Doncaster!

Lyn and Tony presented an original score Not content with that, imported acts like that
on organ and Moog synthesizer to a of the famous television and stage comedian
packed house. Tony Hancock, who had a specially built
dressing suite and lounge available to them,
For once I was a paying customer, but Harry were presented to delighted audiences as part of
came down from the bio-box and asked me if normal film shows – a return to the great days
I would man the second projector as he was of the movie palaces.
worried about running an original nitrate As the Dendy policy appealed to so many,
print on his own. This was one of the greatest the original theatre spawned off-spring in
film experiences of my life! Tony Hancock on stage at the Dendy. Melbourne and Sydney city and suburban
locations. One was Malvern’s Metro Theatre
Operating the left hand Cinemeccanica, using the in Glenferrie Road, which was taken over to
CinemaScope aperture and backing lens as good become the Dendy Malvern and managed
matches for the silent film aspect ratio, and with by our late cinema enthusiast friend John
the port glasses removed so that we could hear McKenzie who was later the owner of the
the music, I can honestly say that I was actively Belgrave’s Cameo Theatre.
frightened at times, despite having the projector
clicking away alongside me. A chain of country theatres managed by
Andrew was also established, as was the Dendy
Distribution company which still issues DVDs
Notable runs of films that had been disdained
by the mainstream theatres like The Pawn of quality independent films. Janet pulled her
Broker and Zorba the Greek were common weight too, in all sorts of capacities as front of
as the Dendy became the undisputed quality house staff at the theatre.
showcase of Melbourne.
I will always be grateful for the friendship
and opportunities offered so freely to me
and many others by this remarkable family,
and I will never forget them. I was deeply
Tony Hancock was amazing. This sad man, saddened when I heard that Bert had died,
like many of his kind a serious-minded but was glad to be able to hear the whole
intellectual, begged to stay with the Wards of his funeral service a few days later in far
rather than in a hotel and Marge instantly away Adelaide.
agreed to give him some of the home life
which he craved. There are other old friends like the Dendy’s
first resident organist (while he was still a
To my eternal shame I was in their family schoolboy) David Johnston who have much
room one night as he sat hunched in an to tell to add to this story. I hope that they
armchair a little way off, and deliberately will retell some of their many wonderful
ignored him because my callow pride stories and humour about Bert and his
wouldn’t allow me to seem as though I was a beloved theatres for their fellow film and
‘fan’. In truth, he and I would have enjoyed theatre enthusiasts in CATHS.
talking about many of the topics shared by all
who have questions about the circumstances Please do, as time is running out for us all! H
surrounding our lives.

A few months later, he ended his life in a Photographs and artwork from collections of
Sydney hotel room. Brian Pearson, John Thiele & Kevin Adams.

24 2012 CINEM AREC ORD