Page 40 - CinemaRecord #81

The theatre was heated in winter by an oil
furnace which heated water for the cast iron foot
warmers. It was my job to go down and light the
furnace about 4.30 in the afternoon so that the
auditorium would be warm by 6.30pm. It was
advisable to stand well clear when doing this
dŚĞ ĨŽƌŵĞƌ KnjŽŶĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ sŝĐƚĂ dŚĞĂƚƌĞ͘ or else one might end up the likes of Al Jolson
should a backdraft rear its ugly head.
Every year around March a group of Christian Outside of the Christmas holiday season the The theatre was not air-conditioned. In summer
women would hire the theatre for a convention. theatre would screen Friday and Saturday it could become very warm inside. Victor Harbor
On Friday night they would have their opening nights. During May and September school was no stranger to 40 degree temperatures in
ceremony. This required the screen to be pulled holidays we would screen children’s matinees. summer. Of an evening the sun went down
down and the speakers moved behind a second around interval time so we would go around
set of curtains (these were beautiful red velvet We screened On Golden Pond plus The Man and open the steel louvres. This was done with
and were likely used for the old standard aspect from Snowy River one night, and the theatre a long spiked pole with a hook. The hook was
ratio screen) at the back of the screen. was packed out. I can remember at interval Roy used to pull the louvers open and the spike to
and myself adjourned to the Hotel Grosvenor push the catch up and closed.
The piano and organ would then be moved onto across the road from the theatre for a couple of One night out on the balcony I was attempting
the stage. The group would have the use of the celebratory beers. From here we had a view of to locate the hook inside the catch and I dropped
theatre on Friday night, Saturday morning and the candy-bar and the ensuing chaos. the pole. It fell all the way into the stalls below.
6DWXUGD\ DIWHUQRRQ 7KH\ ZRXOG ¿QLVK DURXQG Luckily there was no one below at the time as
5pm on Saturday afternoon. The candy-bar could be six deep with customers it was interval, otherwise it could have been a
some nights. We didn’t have post-mix drinks completely different story.
It was then necessary to shift the organ and at the theatre, drinks back then were orange
piano behind the second set of curtains and or lemon cordial. Later we did try canned soft The regular Friday and Saturday night crowd in
move the speakers back out onto the stage. Then drinks in small counter top fridges but the the stalls were a wild bunch. We would have to
it was up the ladder to erect the screen for that cordial remained. go down and tell them to be quiet all the time.
night’s session. At the end of the session it was Now, we are talking 50 to 60 kids here.
pull down the screen, shift the piano and organ One night at the end of the show the ticket seller At the end of a good night it was common to go
back onto the stage and move the speakers found a young girl hiding behind the candy- GRZQ WR WKH VWDOOV DQG ¿QG D URZ RI VHDWV SXOOHG
behind the second set of curtains ready for the bar. Police were duly summoned and she was RXW RI WKH ÀRRU , ZRXOG VSHQG D GD\ GXULQJ WKH
Sunday morning service. The screen would be transported back to the station. I never found week securing them again only to have them
put back during the following week ready for out what happened to her - most likely she was pulled out again next week. It was a constant
the next Friday night’s screening. released without charge. Good luck to anyone job!
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11.30pm. The drive-in had a magic of its own too. I did a
few projection shifts there. I would call in after
sŝĐƚĂ ĂƵĚŝƚŽƌŝƵŵ͘ WKH FLQHPD KDG ¿QLVKHG DV GXULQJ GD\OLJKW
savings time they still had another two hours or
so to go.

The projection box at the drive–in had a
fantastic view of Granite Island, a small island
linked by a causeway from the mainland at
Victor Harbour.
The fading light on a summer’s night afforded
great views of the island and surrounds from the
drive-in. This marvellous view all accompanied
by the non-sync (tape) playing Simon and
Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence DV FDUV ÀRZHG LQ
and selected their spots for the night.

40 2014 CINEMAREC ORD