Page 41 - CinemaRecord #81

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Inside the projection box the projectors were
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would be projected onto the screen. The smell of
freshly cooked doughnuts and hot chips enticed
the movie goers to the cafeteria.

Roy’s wife Maria managed the café at the drive- ďŽǀĞ͕ ƌŝŐŚƚ ĂŶĚ ďĞůŽǁ͗ DƵƌƌĂLJ ƌŝĚŐĞ ƌŝǀĞͲ/Ŷ͘
in and the doughnuts in particular were a treat to
behold. Not only were they extremely popular
at the drive-in, but some locals would head over 7KH ¿UVW WKUHH VSRROV ZRXOG EH GULYHQ WR WKH
to the theatre just to buy fresh hot doughnuts at drive-in immediately after the third spool
interval. ¿QLVKHG DW WKH FLQHPD 5R\ ZRXOG WKHQ UHWXUQ
to the cinema for the remaining spools and take
As an interesting comparison, I tried selling them to the drive-in after interval.
doughnuts at a particular drive-in theatre I
managed in Queensland back in the 1990s. One night we were particularly ambitious and
They just didn’t sell and at the end of the night VZDSSHG WKH ¿UVW KDOI RI WKH GRXEOH IHDWXUH DW
I would be stuck with bags and bags of them. the Victa Theatre with the Murray Bridge
7KHUH ZDV GH¿QLWHO\ VRPHWKLQJ VSHFLDO DERXW Drive In.
Maria’s doughnuts! 7KH ¿UVW PRYLH ¿QLVKHG VFUHHQLQJ DW WKH
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Roy also had the Riverview Drive-In Theatre hurriedly into the boot of Roy’s Statesman De
at Murray Bridge. Often I would be working Ville and left at speed for the one hour, 90 km
at the Victa, Maria at the Port Elliot and Roy journey to Murray Bridge. This feature was to
would be at Murray Bridge. screen second on the program at Murray Bridge
On some nights Roy would work until interval at that night.
the Victa and then head over to the drive-in for
their interval. Remember the drive-in couldn’t At Strathalbyn about half way into the journey,
start until 9 o’clock during daylight saving time. the fuel must have been running low and Roy
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The same prints were frequently exchanged haste he forgot to pay for his fuel. As he entered
between the Victa and the drive-in on the same the South Eastern Freeway it was all lights and
night. Programs were double-features and Roy sirens.
ZRXOG WDNH WKH ¿UVW KDOI RI WKH SURJUDP IURP WKH Roy pulled over and the Police must have found
Victa to the drive-in at intermission. Depending his explanation for the drive off plausible. A few
RQ WKH UXQQLQJ WLPH RI WKH ¿UVW IHDWXUH DW WKH complimentary tickets and a promise to return
cinema, it may have been necessary to make and pay for the fuel of course, no doubt helped
two trips. his case.

41 2014 CINEMAREC ORD