Page 32 - CinemaRecord #84

the cinema. I felt like royalty watching the
peasants lining up and waiting till the theatre
opened.
I found the sound of you winding the film very
calming and was fascinated by you splicing
film together and sticking it with tape.
I prized my Xanadu poster and had a fantastic
time watching “The Goonies” in the very front
row.
I cringed when the audience sang along with
the Coke ad, but changed the lyrics to Coca
Cola is 's**t' rather than 'it'. I was so worried
about whether you could hear it, Dad, and
think that I was joining in.
I loved sitting on the kiosk counter, eating free
Interior of former Torquay Cinema in 2013
musk sticks. How cool it was to have our own
b i t Dad died in 1963 after 7 years at the Torquay grandparents running the kiosk! And Nan on
like “Masterchef” without the stove. Dad quite Cinema, and so mum and I soldiered on for the door - a very capable woman!
often started the show with the lights on, as another 17 years until we sold to Ken Todd in
our customers were only brave in the dark. On 1980. I loved my cousin Shaun because he bought
one occasion, Dad made up a slide that read me a packet of Juicy Fruit chewing gum and
“When you have finished we will continue”, Mum was more of an entrepreneur than Dad, an Eskimo Pie whilst we watched the movie
so after all was quiet, off we would go again often providing film bookers with a “Coolangatta Gold”.
with the lights off, only to turn them back on sumptuous afternoon tea at our home whilst
again if the uproar continued. Jaffas always she haggled for the best films at the lowest I was always scared of the toilets.
made a great noise on the wooden floor, and hire cost.
as the hall committee and later my wife’s I loved the way the ticket seller’s seat was so
relatives operated the kiosk, these high priced Mum was a terror. When the film exchanges uncomfortable and on such a strange lean.
introduced ticket checkers and percentage film The cuts, chips and bruises the wood caused,
hire, mum decided she would make their jobs plus the torn felt on the seat could tell a story
a little easier by reselling the same ticket a few or two!
times! She was not into refunds. One night,
we were missing the last two spools of Mutiny When you were working at the Surf Coast
on the Bounty. Mum decided the patrons had Plaza Cinema (which replaced the Torquay
seen enough so, when the third last spool Cinema in the 1980s), I remember asking you
finished, on went the lights and the doors were to teach me how to show film because I was
flung open. The management was already in scared that the skill would die with you. You
the car park, with the takings, hoping no one explained that I wouldn't be able to lift the film
would spot us! The ensuing riot eventually high enough to get it on the machine,
subsided. something I denied then and still do to this
day.
I could go on and on, but for a young boy to
have parents who ran movie theatres, life was I loved climbing up the ladder. It always felt
pretty good and although we lost Dad at the like such an adventure.
young age of 59, he was a defining influence
in my life as I moved forward into both I also remember the film tins at home; they
engineering and projection work. « seemed to be everywhere.

************************************ I loved looking back at the tiny little backlit
On reading the draft version of Philip’s article window high on the wall in the back of the
about Jim, Phil’s daughter, Nicola, and son, cinema, knowing you were behind it.
Matthew, sent him emails, listing their
missiles were always on hand at 2/6 (25 cents) memories of Phil working at the Torquay I remember being really sad when the old
a packet, and they were happy to operate as Cinema. These are reproduced below with Torquay hall was condemned. I really miss
some sort of arms dealers! their kind permission:- that place.
I love it (the article)! It made me laugh, cry
Our ushers were a mixed bunch, but none as and brought back many memories:- Thanks for writing this Dad. It’s such a special
popular as Mr. Sharman who was a real part of our family history, and one that
gentleman, and who our patrons nicknamed I loved sleeping on the cleanest of the oily shouldn't be forgotten.
“Spider”. When the lights went out, the feared Hessian sacks in the projection room at
Spider would roam around the auditorium Torquay.
throwing out those who were noisy or had Acknowledgements:
their feet on the seats. No refunds in those I was fascinated by the left over carbon rods
days. Mum was dangerous as an usher. She that were used to create the arc in the Images: Richard Twentyman
packed a long chrome torch, filled with heavy projector until they were replaced with bulbs; (Except where noted)
batteries, which was useful as a torch, but also no wonder there were so many fires!
served as a baton to whack the legs of our
patrons who hadn’t learned to sit on a chair I loved climbing out of the window in the
properly. projection room and sitting out on the roof of

32 CINEMARECORD # 84