Page 12 - CinemaRecord #84

THE PIX THEATRES IN GEELONG

ver the years, Geelong patrons have been
Ofortunate to have a wide choice of
cinemas, from large to small. From 1953 until
1996, one of the smaller cinemas was the Pix
West, located at 23 Elizabeth Street in Geelong
West. I will always have a soft spot for this
theatre, because it was there that I commenced
my formal projection training in 1966 under its
then owner, Mr. Rupert Barras Brownbill, better
known to all in the trade as “Bass”. (In fact, my
involvement with cinema began some 8 years
earlier, when I worked as a highly illegal,
11 year old, unpaid “spool boy” at the Pix
Belmont in the suburb of Belmont, south of the
Barwon River. This was the other half of Bass
Brownbill’s Pix “group”. More about that later.)
Bass was born in 1908, and had an early interest Former Pix Theatre in West Geelong, currently used as Potter’s House Church
in movies. In 1928, he ran silent movies in
Penshurst, but went broke with the coming of storeroom for the Pix West’s confectionery, and years to save the cost of employing a
sound. With no experience, he took over a the projection ports can still be seen in the back projectionist. The name of the first
bakery in Coleraine, but in 1936 moved to wall of the storage cupboards.) projectionist is unknown.
Geelong with his wife, Lorna. The Geelong
telephone directory of that year lists In March of 1953, Bass was granted another The opening was well attended by an
“L. Brownbill” as living at 21 Elizabeth Street, building permit to convert the biscuit factory audience including representatives from the
this entry presumably referring to his wife. The into a cinema where, according to a Geelong Melbourne film exchanges and leading
1941 telephone directory shows the occupant Advertiser article, “documentary films would Geelong citizens. Even the manager of the
of that address as “R.B. Brownbill - Baker”, be shown through the Geelong Film Society, opposition Geelong Theatre, Mr. Geoff
although whether he worked in this capacity at along with better class commercial films. The Heriot, was invited and he “spoke in
that address is unknown because, in 1950, he building would also be used for meetings.”
successfully applied for a building permit to
construct a biscuit factory at 23 Elizabeth Street, Work on the conversion commenced
Geelong West. The factory was known as immediately, culminating in the grand opening
“Teatime Biscuits” and operated for about three of the new 490 seat (according to Film Weekly)
years. cinema on 28 September 1953. (The Health
department approval lists the seating capacity
Adjacent to the factory was Bass’ residence, as 463). The projectors were Standard Simplex
complete with a large shed at the rear, in which on universal stands with Calder 10 inch arcs and
he operated a small, private cinema, inviting Western Electric sound. The first program was
friends over for an evening’s entertainment. My Bend of the River and Belles on Their Toes. At
paternal grandparents remember attending on a the time of the Pix West opening, Bass was
number of occasions. (The shed became a un-licensed, but he became licensed in later

Pix West auditorium in 1995 Opening night advertisement

12 CINEMARECORD # 84