Page 42 - CinemaRecord #81
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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
                              th
       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.




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