Page 4 - CinemaRecord #79

CONTINUED... Rockdale Rex

‘m sure William Gray wasn’t meaning to
Ibe disingenuous with his caption for his
marvellous picture of the cavernous Amusu
Theatre, Balmain (its actual address was
541 Darling Street, Rozelle)* but in 1951 it
became the legendary Cinesound Studio and
the home of the Cinesound Review - The Voice
of Australia.
When cost over-runs on Charles Chauvel’s film Looking at the front of the building, Leo
Sons of Matthew became too much for Norman Wickens camera workshops were on the left
B. Rydge to accept he shut down feature hand corner and the British Empire Films
production at the Ebley Street, Bondi studio of exchange was just to the right of the Amusu run
Cinesound - moving it to Rozelle to produce the by Cec Kelly, who also ran the Rex Theatre at
weekly newsreel and shorts or ‘featurettes’ as Rockdale at night.
they were known. Halcyon days. There should be a plaque put on
the building. (Now apartments).
I started work there in 1955 and in 1956 we Anthony Buckley AM
began the 10 year contract to produce the film West Gosford. NSW
footage for the nightly Channel 9 News.
TCN9 was at Willoughby on the north aide of (*Thanks Anthony, the Balmain listing and caption
Sydney and of course we were at Rozelle in noting its huge size were actually mine - Editor)
Sydney’s inner west. There was many a hairy
ride in the Morris Minor across the Gladesville
and Fig-Tree bridges to get the film there in ear Kevin, Issue#77 of CinemaRecord was
time to thread onto the Telecine machine before Djust outstanding. The publication just gets
the 6pm news commenced. There were several better and better, so congratulations on a superb
nights when I was helping to thread the telecine job.
when Chuck Faulkner had already started A thought occurred to me when I read the
reading the news. “Newsreel” item on your Melbourne Imax
Theatre closing for installation of the new
Looking at William’s photo, the Sound Stage digital system. (The new Laser Projection
was on the right of the dress circle balcony and system also had me intrigued.)
the roof of the stage at the bottom of the roof I think an article on how the change to digital
trusses, behind which was a small theatre. The was made and an explanation of how the
camera department was located under the dress picture is delivered to the screen would be of
circle. The main theatre was on the left (as seen great interest to readers. I feel the workings of
in the movie Newsfront), behind which were an Imax facility remain a mystery, particularly
editing rooms and the foyer. The film vaults to us oldies, so anything “Imax”, especially
abutted the proscenium. Upstairs the circle had coming from you would be a bonus.
been levelled and was the location of the sound I remember an old ABC-TV documentary on
department, editing and script writing rooms, as the beginnings of Imax that was most interesting
well as the negative matching and the tea room. – with as I recall, a fellow in Queensland being
instrumental in inventing the “Flying Gate”
The first filmed TV show, Richard Allport’s The mechanism (or whatever it is called). Anyway,
Home Show was shot on the stage with a 16mm just a suggestion for the future.
Auricon single system sound camera. Best wishes
Pete Smith
I left in 1958 and returned in 1962 to produce the CATHS Patron
Cinesound Review. My first policy decree was
to scrap news unless it was really big like the *(Thank you Pete. I have worked at Melbourne Imax
Voyager disaster, and concentrate on Cinesound since it opened back in 1998, and as suggested,
Specials like our Beatles at the Stadium, which haveincluded a brief update in this edition.- Editor)
was probably one of our best efforts.
Thankyou for CinemaRecord#77. It was terrific
We knew newsreels were in their last days and I to see my article “My Parents Projection” in
made a vain attempt to persuade Greater Union print and I got a huge surprise at the number
to make the Cinesound Review a colour monthly of photos and title work etc. relevant to
similar to Pathe Pictorial or Rank’s Look at the subject! All good too… including the
Life, instead of closing down both Cinesound Brunswick Western with the name and the
and Movietone. A decision was made to merge bio-box still in place, and the rare Melbourne
them and produce Australian Movie Magazine, Regent photo to just name two - and I hadn’t
a pale shadow by a long way of the once two seen the Padua photo before!
great newsreels. With so much interesting information
throughout, I cant wait to read it all!
My compliments to the Editor.
John Williamson

4 2013 CINEM AREC ORD