Page 38 - CinemaRecord #76C

RECOLLECTIONS:
Many stories could be told about events in
the Ozone’s life...

The regular Saturday night couple with the
Old Gold chocolate box which had assorted
cheap toffees inside, or the regular couple
who refused to sit anywhere but in the same
two seats on every occasion.
Cinema of today - the Village Twin at Gawler.
The time when six oil fired heaters were
installed around the walls of the auditorium
which on the first cold night were lit at
3p.m. as instructed by the manufacturer. The
temperature in the dress-circle at 8p.m. rose
to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The candy bar sold
a record number of cool drinks that night!...

The afternoon when a truck coming down
Calton Hill crashed through the side wall of
the theatre ending up in the front stalls. But
the show still went on that night!

For some reason, while the ladies toilet
was situated in the foyer, the men's toilet
appeared to be very much of an afterthought
and was positioned behind the James Martin
statue, then at the corner of Calton Hill.
Many a visitor to the theatre was not at all
amused when he enquired from the staff the
whereabouts of the men's toilet, only to be
told to ‘go behind the James Martin statue'!

Nancy Clift was a cashier about 1965 for
the sessions on Saturday afternoons and
evenings. A special movie would be shown
on Friday nights as well. At the matinee the
children who got in early were offered tickets
for the two front rows for one shilling and
three pence per seat. The theatre was under
the management of Bob Plume at that time,
and Jim Baldock was still the fireman.

EPILOGUE
Cinema left Gawler with a 27-year dry spell
which was eventually quenched with the
opening of the Village Cinema at 11 Murray
Street. The first stage of the $1.5m complex
was a 246-seat auditorium which opened in
late 1991. Stage two saw the construction of
a second smaller auditorium which followed
soon after. The complex continues to trade as
the Gawler Village Twin Cinema complete
with Wine-Bar and Coffee Lounge.

The magic of “The Movies” lives on…

Written by John Clift and Brenton Rusby.
Text and photographs courtesy of the Gawler History
Team Inc. and “Now & Then Gawler”
www.gawler.nowandthen.net.au
Additional research, information and photos from
Brian Pearson, Bruce Richmond and Kevin Adams.

38 2012 CINEM AREC ORD