Page 35 - CinemaRecord #82

FAMILY AFFAIR

Port Augusta Drive‐In
John and Peter
Richmond at a
Bruce remained at Port Augusta until he gained Lou Short passed away about this time, and projec�onists dinner.
a full time position with Clifford Theatres in John took over doing the maintenance trips
th
Adelaide in December 4 , 1972, where he first on Eyre Peninsular. John was still working Cinema Whyalla
worked at their Starline Drive-In at Gilles for Greater Union and was able to fit the trips
Plains as an assistant to senior projectionist, into school holidays with June and the five
Jim Curtis. youngest children in a caravan. John brought
along a super-8mm projector and 38 Tom and
Bruce worked at Gilles Plains for about 15- Jerry cartoons and some movies!
18 months. He then became a holiday relief
assistant at a number of different theatres. John would work during the day doing
These included: the Kingswood Vogue, the servicing work and after that was done he
Goodwood Capri, the Theatre Marion, the would relax with a little fishing. When the Bruce at Cinema
Glenelg Village Cinema, the North Adelaide sun went down, he would set up the projector Whyalla
Forum (which is now the Wallis Picadilly), and a screen and show cartoons and movies to
the Starline Drive-Ins at Hectorville and everyone at the caravan park.
O’Halloran Hill, the Metro Twin Drive-In
at Marion, the Clifford Theatres Theatrette June remembers on one occasion when John
and the Elizabeth Twin Cinemas. He also had just serviced the projectors at Elliston.
worked as a relief film truck driver! Bruce They had just arrived home, when they received
then obtained his A-class Cinematograph a phone call from the theatre to say the sound
Projectionist Licence and was a projectionist was very muffled. Noone knew what the
at some of these same cinemas and drive-ins problem was, although they had completed a
- along with the Starline Drive-In at Seaton screening with the sound that way.
Park. He also worked as a film checker for
Roadshow for about 6 months in the mid 70’s. Feeling like he had done something wrong, Whyalla Drive‐In
In September 1977, he left Clifford Theatres both June and John got in the car and went
to move back to Port Augusta Cinema as back to Elliston to check it out – an eight hour
manager/projectionist for 12 months and then return trip. On arriving and asking if anyone
on to Whyalla in 1978 as projectionist at both had played with the equipment, they received
the cinema and the drive-in. a resounding NO – but when John went behind
the screen he found that someone had turned
John’s other son Peter had started working the speaker around and pushed it up against the
at the Port Augusta Drive-In as an assistant wall. He was not impressed but could see the
projectionist. John retained his position funny side of it.
at the theatre until Northern Cinemas was
taken over by Clifford Theatres around 1978,
followed by Greater Union who took over the
company a few years later. Peter obtained his
Cinematograph Projectionist Licence by this
time.

Starline Drive‐In
at Gilles Plains Whyalla Drive‐In

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