Page 20 - CinemaRecord #76C

On arrival, Harry found he was not needed
and again took a job with Crossley in their
gas plant, then commissioned for the war
effort.By mid-1916 with a reference and a
wartime clearance, Harry returned alone to
Australia aboard the SS “Osterley”, leaving
his wife and children, including a new-born
son, Fred, safely with his mother at West
Gorton, Manchester.

His brother, Tom Gratton died at the
war having won the British War and
Victory Medals. Upon arrival in Melbourne,
and back in Brunswick, Harry became the
manager of the Empire Theatre.

The business prospered and during this time
Harry made the theatre available free of charge The Alhambra Theatre, Brunswick.
for patriotic concerts. The Vaudeville part of the
nightly program featured such household names
as Carrie Moore, Jim Gerald, Leonard Nelson, About this time Harry’s eldest son, Harry Jnr,
Roy Rene, Vaude and Verne and many others contracted polio - leaving him with a lifelong
who appeared under the Tivoli, Williamson, physical disability. Harry Jnr. became a long
Fuller and Musgrove banner. term Hoyts projectionist until the closure of
the Padua Brunswick in 1968.
Back in England Harry’s wife and children
were having a hard time of it, as much of By 1923 Associated Theatres had absorbed
the money sent by Harry never arrived when the Brunswick theatres, Empire, Lyric
ships did not always make it through. A and Alhambra into their ever expanding
trained dental nurse prior to her marriage to chain. By 1925 Associated Theatres, Frank Alhambra Brunswick.
Harry in 1905, Florrie supported her family Thring’s Electric Theatres and Hoyts
working in munitions manufacturing at Pictures were partners in all but name. On Thursday evening of the 24 November,
th
Armstrong and Whitworth. From war’s end 1927, the Empire made the news headlines
th
until the time she and the children returned to On the 10 of November 1926 Hoyts Theatres with the showing of the film The Callahan’s
Australia in 1920, Florrie was employed as a Ltd was incorporated and so the Empire and Murphy’s when the theatre was picketed
Singer Sewing Machine representative. came under the Hoyts banner - although and stoned and mounted troopers under the
still technically an Associated Theatre. direction of General Blamey who was at the
At the end of 1922 the employees of the Associated was not fully merged until 1937, time Commissioner of Victorian Police, were
Empire presented Harry with an illuminated by which time Hoyts had constructed their called to break up the ensuing riot.
address in appreciation of the goodwill shown wonderful Padua Theatre further north
to them and the high standard at which the atop of the Sydney Road hill and there-after
theatre operated under his stewardship. relinquished their lease with the Empire.

The Padua Brunswick under construction.

20 2012 CINEM AREC ORD