Page 25 - CinemaRecord #87

I could not believe my luck when I walked
into the bio at the school, a pair of simplex
projectors the same as the ones in Paddy’s hall
at home sitting in front of me. You beaut! I
threaded up under the watchful eye of the
examiner in record time, attaching the film to
the bottom spool then turning the machine
over by hand before starting the motor. The
arcs were the same type also and I checked
carefully as I had been warned that sometimes
a wooden carbon was placed in the holder as
a trick for new players, but not this day, I
struck the arc and got a picture on the screen
in pretty good time. The wait for my result
was agonising. It was some two weeks before
an official letter from the Health Department
appeared in my mail with a short note saying
I had passed the test and on receipt of six
pounds a licence would be issued. Paddy was
delighted and I took over the show.

In that period a television picture could only
be received in Myrtleford from Shepparton
with the Albury channels still to start
transmission. Reception was poor in all local
areas because of the hills and those that could
afford a very high antenna got a reasonable
black and white picture but snow and weather
affected it.

Film bookings made by Bill had started to
expire and Paddy suggested we go to
Melbourne to seek out some more product.
Neither of us had any experience in buying
and booking film as we headed off one cold
morning in Paddy’s old station wagon. All I
had was the addresses of the various
exchanges and a little knowledge Bill had
passed on to me. Most of the films in those
days were bought at a flat rate with a few
blockbusters on percentage. Bill had
negotiated a reasonable flat price over the
years so at least that was in place.

Tiff preparing for the show 1958 We pulled up at 256 King Street outside the
Melbourne office of Fox and Paramount.
up, he yelled at the crowd from the elevated sold exclusively in Paddy’s shop to be These two film companies shared the same
position on the ladder and in the middle of the presented at the Sunday screening with no building with their despatch and ad sales on
projected image ‘If you no shut up, I senda money changing hands at the show. the ground floor and the two booking offices
you all home!” The mess from that incident I upstairs. We headed in to the building and up
remember caused quite a lot of concern as it Bill was not well. He had suffered from the marble staircase. A large photo of Bing
was weeks before all the stain and marks had stomach ulcers for years and was a heavy Crosby adorned the wall at the top of the stairs
gone from the screen. smoker. He said to me, ‘You can run this and Paddy looked at me and announced that
show, can’t you?’ I said, yes, and he handed this must be the boss, ‘this the man we gotta
Time moved on. By about 1962 there were me the keys to the bio and the hall. The only see’. I was too scared to laugh but believe to
now two picture venues in town as Paddy had problem was that I had no projectionist’s this day that is what he thought. I was uneasy,
built a hall of his own and equipped it with a licence. We found a licensed operator dead frightened I would make a goose of
35 mm plant bought from the Ringwood prepared to operate the show for a while until myself, or worse Paddy would make fools of
Town Hall. This brick building had cost a lot I got my ticket. Some six months later I sat for both of us and what I hoped would be the
of money and was planned to be used as a flat the exam and was successful. It was a big deal beginning of a good relationship could all turn
floor entertainment venue as well as cinema. for me as I was no scholar and had struggled sour.
I would wheel the film across the road in a at school. I had left school early to go into the
wheelbarrow and put on the show one night family general store but my life was not going Paddy fronted the counter and announced our
and then back across the road to the other hall to be selling groceries. I hated it, but moving arrival and where we had come from while the
for the next nights presentation. The ceiling pictures fascinated me. I remember the day booker looked at him and me with a funny
was low in the new hall and the bio beam way well when I ‘sat’ for the exam at RMIT in smirk. He asked what had happened to Bill
below suitable level presenting a problem Melbourne. The theory paper was my worry, and Paddy replied that ‘we come to get some
with shadows on the screen if patrons moved but I had ‘acquired’ a copy of an old paper good one’. The booker answered with a grin
in and out of the seating. The new hall was although I knew that I could not expect the that Fox only had good ones. I stood there
used each Sunday for ‘cinema club’ same questions on the one that might be given with a brand new diary in my hand ready to
screenings. to me on the day. Our temporary operator was pen in some dates, which I did.
most helpful and schooled me up on the traps
It was illegal to open cinemas on Sundays in to watch for. I finished the written exam in Paddy used to call me Joe and kept asking me
those days so a club was set up and tickets record time then went on to the practical. what I thought each time the booker suggested

CINEMARECORD # 87 25