Page 28 - CinemaRecord #84

After that reaction, it appeared that However, stereo for
Kookaburra could survive given the right film outdoors can be
choice of film so we decided to continue difficult to handle as
operating and took up the lease extension the stereo focus tends
option, 15 years later Kookaburra is still to be blurred by many
operating. factors such as the
movement of wind in
Interestingly, David Helfgott had his first the surrounding trees,
commercial gig at Mundaring Weir Hotel
the wind direction, and
nearby, and he returns almost every year to the various seating
perform there and Shine gave Kookaburra the positions. So surround
necessary encouragement to continue.
sound and stereo was
Thus, on the anniversary of the Kookaburra just a thought at that
opening 15 years ago, Shine was again screened point.
to celebrate the cinema’s birthday and the Erecting the screen c. 1996
With the early
connection between Helfgott and the Simplex machines the
Kookaburra. In the audience that night was Primarily, the intention was to simply screen
David Helfgott's younger sister, Susie, who light source for 35 mm was from Calder the “housekeeping” type of slides but a few
(Australian made) carbon arc lamps fitted with
introduced herself after the screening. It was 10" mirrors burning 6&7 mm carbons at just on of the locals enquired about doing some
interesting to hear her views of the way the screen adverts and it went on from there.
family was portrayed on screen in the film. 50 amps. Changes made at the Kookaburra
Sixteen millimetre was handled by a Bell &
Technical Information
Howell model 666 projector fitted with 6000' Some years ago, a more modern projector
spools for continuous play was acquired (only 35 years old rather than
(unlike the 35 mm plant some 60 years old) and with it came a long
which had reel play system. The entire film program of up
changeovers every 20 to 16,000 feet (enough for 3 hours screening)
minutes or so). B&H 666 could now be loaded onto a huge reel and
machines are fitted with fed through the projector and back again
GE Marc 300 lamps which, onto another same sized reel all controlled
for their size at 300 watts, by a device called a double MUT.
produce a remarkable The projector itself had seen a fair bit of
image on the screen.
work and neglect, so it was given a complete
All equipment was stripped overhaul and thoroughly tested and the
and rebuilt prior to sound head modified for cyan tracks.
installation in the bio box In 2004, a Century CC machine with a
and has proven very Westrex R3 sound head and a Lumex xenon
reliable, running seven lamphouse was ready to be installed at the
seasons without a problem.
Kookaburra along with the Eprad MUT.
Cinema screen advertising Century Projector & Lumex Lamp
is also a feature and came
Kookaburra owner / operator Lindsay Morris in the projection room
about quite by accident The “newer” Century was installed and lined
For the technically inclined, the cinema was using what is now considered "outdated" 83 mm up to the screen and a test screening revealed
equipped with 35 mm and 16 mm equipment. (3¼”) square glass slides utilising self made, that water cooling was required as the focus
The screen is 10 metres wide for CinemaScope computer generated transparencies. The slide varied considerably due to the more intense
features. Widescreen format produces an 8.5 projector was "rescued" from a drive-in closure light source now in use. With a recirculating
metre wide image on 35 mm and 16 mm comes in Perth some years ago, given a good overhaul cooling system installed, focus was now very
up to 7.5 metres wide. along with some modifications to suit the venue. good and the machine ran very cool. The
The light source is also carbon arc lamp. Westrex R3 sound head came equipped for
Until 2004, the 35 mm projectors in use were
Simplex Standards of 1927 vintage with The projection room and part of the seating area.
Westrex 206A soundheads in mono sound with
a Westrex 35 watt valve amplifier feeding a
purpose built bass reflex enclosure with twin
300 mm bass drivers. High frequencies were
initially handled by a Vitavox multicellular horn
mounted on top of the screen. However a
lightning strike a few seasons after it was
installed left the driver unit a charred mess, so
it was replaced with the current Raycophone
driver which, although it predates the Vitavox
unit by many years, has a much warmer and
more natural sound. (Raycophone was an
Australian cinema sound equipment maker
which ceased operation in the late 1940s).
The early mono sound was good, customer
feedback indicated that speech clarity was
excellent, and the bass unit reproduced the
"bangs and thumps" of modern day sound tracks
with ease. However I always felt that some
measure of surround sound would enhance the
presentation.

28 CINEMARECORD # 84