Page 42 - CinemaRecord #81

Another incident involving the Statesman
occurred one night at the Port Elliot Drive In.
Quite often Roy would travel from Adelaide
to Murray Bridge via Victor Harbour and Port
Elliot, a distance of approximately 250km with
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He would drop off new programs and pick up
old ones for return to the vault in Adelaide or
for screening at Murray Bridge. After interval
at Port Elliot one night he was in such a rush to
get away that he put the car in reverse and gave
it the gun. BANG, the trailer jack knifed and
slammed into the boot of the car. No doubt this
provided patrons with some extra amusement
that particular night!

nd
I am now in my 32 year in the exhibition side Murray Bridge.
of the cinema industry. If it hadn’t been for Roy
all those years ago I most likely wouldn’t have
entered the industry at all. One would not be
so lucky these days. Do I have regrets? No, not
one!
It was great working for Roy, a true showman.
These have been just a few incidents that I can
remember.
I hope by sharing them with you I can give
some indication as to what it was like working
for him. There was never a dull moment, that’s Murray Bridge.
for sure!
Sadly, Roy has since passed on, but Maria was
recently awarded the South Australian “Cinema
Pioneer of the Year”.

EPILOGUE

Roy sold the South Coast Drive-In at Port
st
Elliot on January 31 2001 at the end of the
Dec 2000 – Jan 2001 summer holiday season to
the Alexandrina Council. Local identity Geoff
Stock who purchased the Victa Theatre from
Roy in September 1995 then leased the drive-
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screening on Saturday April 28 2001. It was
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demolished later that year. The drive-in was on
North Terrace, the main road into Port Elliot
from Victor Harbor, just before you get to the
football oval.
Roy and Maria. ZŽLJ͛Ɛ Z ͲϮ ŵŽĚĞů͘
The Murray Bridge Drive-In was sold by
R.W.Denison Pty Ltd in 1998 to the Kennett
family, owners of the Cameo Cinema in
Murray Bridge. This drive-in was closed and
was sold for redevelopment in 2004.

The Victa Theatre or Victa Cinemas as they
are now known still operate to this day. The 800
seat single cinema is now a twin. Geoff Stock
did a wonderful job in twinning and restoring
the theatre. This art deco cinema is a stand out
in Ocean Street, Victor Harbor – its own history
to perhaps be told another day.

tŝƚŚ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ĨŽƌ ƉŚŽƚŽƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĨƌŽŵ͗
Maria Denison, Colin Flint; Kevin Adams and Bruce
Richmond.

42 2014 CINEMAREC ORD