Page 37 - CinemaRecord #79

Star. Star. Star.
On September 20 1979, the Star closed to allow
the Kalee 19s, BTH lamphouses and Lincoln
motor generator sets to be replaced with the
Kalee 19s, Strong carbon arc lamphouses and
the rectifiers from the Village Ballarat Road
drive-in, which had recently installed Century
projectors.
The theatre was closed until November 1 1979,
then continued until it was finally closed in 1984
after 29 years of operation. All that remains are
Geelong’s first drive-in theatre opened its gates the entry and exit gates. On March 14 1997,
on January 28, 1955. The first film at the new Harold Newton passed away at the age of 83.
Star Drive-In was Where No Vultures Fly.
Projectors were Kalee 19s with BTH arcs
powered by two Lincoln motor generator sets.
The drive-in’s first head projectionist was
Harold Newton, from the Corio Theatre, with
an 18 year old assistant, Ken Hose.

At the time, the Star was reputed to have the
largest field capacity in Australia, also the
largest screen (98 feet wide x 265 ft. throw), Around 1956, Charles Begg was operating
and was one of only two drive-ins which had a cinemas in Leopold, Drysdale, Lara, Barwon
separate, black painted frame around the screen Heads and East Geelong. Begg owned a radio
to give a clean edge to the picture. and electrical store in Belmont, and was also an
In September of 1957, CinemaScope was avid collector of projectors and parts.
installed, with the first screening being Sitting An East Geelong venue, known as the Thompson
Bull on the 5 of that month. Theatre, screened regularly between 1956 until
th
its closure in 1969, and is now the home of the
There is reference in the projection room diaries East Geelong Pre-School Centre.
of the time about the projectionist having to The stage still exists, complete with a cupboard
collect the GK Service Engineer from the at the rear which extends out past the building’s
Geelong Railway Station, take him to the drive- back wall, supported on posts. It is assumed that Star.
in, followed by a return to the station in time for this may have been used to store the cinema’s
the 5.12pm train back to Melbourne. It would be speaker when not in use.
hard to imagine cinema service engineers using The projection room is still accessible, and
that method of transportation nowadays! appears to have been equipped with two
machines, one of which was possibly fitted
On July 5 1979, Harold Newton retired after 43 with a slide screening attachment on the non-
years in the industry, his position being taken threading side of the projector head, as there are
over by his then assistant, David Lovell. two ports side by side and in line at one of the
projector locations.
Star today – only gates remain.

Thompson today Thompson today
Thompson today as Kindergarten. – bio remains. – stage area.

CINEM AREC ORD 2013 37