Page 24 - CinemaRecord #77C

The same switchboard had another go one night
when I decided to repaint the silver swivel light
which directed light on to the panel.

Standing on top of a stool to reach the light
I moved it around when `Blam!’ a fuse blew
out right in my ear and 1 fell off the stool,
putting my right foot in a tin of silver paint
and spreading paint in a lake over the rubber
flooring. If only the tin hadn’t been just there,
or worse still, if it had been in my hand and
sent paint flying everywhere!

The silver paint and rubber flooring had a strong
affinity for each other and after trying the usual
turps and other solvents to get them apart it was a
product called Floor Kleen applied undiluted and
left for a few hours which finally did the trick.

Brunswick Padua. The third episode involved replacing an external
light globe situated above the top fire escape
The projection room (not a bio-box this one) Most days I was keen enough to travel from landing, using a long ladder. The glass was
was colossal. Being built in 1937 it wasn’t Elsternwick by train and tram, arriving at 10 am missing leaving only the bayonet section. This
the usual case of skimping on the projection and leaving at about 11.15 pm. My pay started required a large headed screwdriver to push in,
room in order to squeeze the maximum at 27/6 ($2.75) a week but fortunately was soon twist, and remove it.
number of seats into the auditorium. It was raised to 4 pounds ($8). With travel costs, and a
part of a totally functional design featuring three course meal for 7/6 (75c) I was paying for I was told the power was off. It wasn’t! Again
a revolving stage of three sections, a the privilege. ‘Blam’ and a blue flash as the head of the
rectangular film screen, a round screen for screwdriver was blown off, and I was nearly
advertising slides and a third section for live One night we were screening a double bill of dispatched off the ladder.
presentations such as a Hammond organ, a horror movies when I thought I could enhance
band or the weekly P&A parade. it with a little, you know - showmanship. A check revealed that not only was the correct
switch not turned off, but the fuse was loaded
Luckily we just happened to have some
The projection room was thirty-six feet by strident Wurlitzer organ records. Well, I got with six extra strands of wire. Lesson: Don’t
eighteen feet plus a rewind room as big as a blank slide, some green spotlight medium trust anyone else, pocket the fuse.
some projection rooms! and a black slide-pen and created a leering
skull surrounded by a green explosive dash. Ron Alexander was the projectionist at the Padua
during my stay there and was the kind of person
Behind it was a workshop and another Just at the end of the `Hoyts Theatres have
room housing a big ventilation fan for the pleasure in presenting’ introduction, on went I always admired when I was young. The sort,
auditorium. The photo above show the the slide and the organ music. I can still hear who if they sensed you had the right attitude, and
windows high up on the front of the building, the audience’s shocked reaction. were competent in the small things, would allow
which were in the latter two rooms. you to quickly progress to bigger things.
Three episodes made it appear that the
The Padua dominated the skyline at electrical system was going to shorten my This was both challenging and satisfying.
the top of the Sydney Road hill where career. Firstly I should mention that the He also had a taste for McWilliams Cream
a supermarket and police station stand Padua was equipped with the latest one-touch Sherry (bottom drawer, right hand side of
today. Its name came from that of the `Truetrim’ arcs with automatic flame control. office desk), a taste which I inherited.
original property that stood there. There `Simplex’ projectors, and spotlights, etc. all
were over twenty (all male) front-of-house in horizon grey with green, white and black
staff including an Assistant Manager, a rubber flooring. All light and bright. None of
Commissionaire and Lolly-Boys etc. this black hole of Calcutta stuff’!

The bank of auditorium, proscenium, and stage
lighting dimmers was two and half metres long,
above which were the three-colour switching
and fuse panels.
Although the house lights could be ganged,
the proscenium footlights and borders were
separate. This meant stretching both arms out to
reach them. Somehow this night I managed to
stick both thumbs into the works. The 415 volts
threw me backwards across the room into the
record player. Just as well I had a young heart!

Light Dimmers.

24 2013 CINEM AREC ORD