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MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE GOLDEN

DAYS OF MELBOURNE MOVIES

By Gordon Onans

can't remember using the word 'movies' in
Ithe early days, as we used to say 'Are you
going to the pictures tonight?' Nevertheless, I
will use the word 'movies' in this article.

Movies have been part of my life since
childhood in the early thirties. My memory of
the movies is fairly accurate. Born and living
in Camberwell, Melbourne, within walking
distance of the Rivoli, Holland's and the
Broadway Theatres in Burke Road, my
childhood seemed to revolve around Saturday
matinees and evenings at these picture
theatres. At this point of time, my greatest
ambition (but never fulfilled) was to become
a ‘lolly-boy’, selling ice cream and sweets in
a theatre.

I recall the central heating in the old Rivoli,
orange radiator cones glowing in the dark
along the walls of the stalls, and the family
bringing a travelling rug for extra comfort. I The Balwyn Theatre under the Village banner c. 1970
remember films such as John Boles in Curly
Top and of course, Shirley Temple; and In those days we never missed a weekly visit Louisiana at the Embassy Malvern, Blues in
Shirley with Gary Cooper in Now and to the pictures, sometimes twice weekly. How the Night at the Hoyts Deluxe, Ship Ahoy at
Forever, Going Hollywood, Dinner at Eight did we ever sit through the B grade supports the St. James, and White Cargo at the local.
and Manhattan Melodrama and, from a child's in the second half, when switching films was
viewpoint, boring films such as The Barretts common practice. I remember in 1941 that Of course, when on leave, visits to the city
of Wimpole Street and Cavalcade. But how I Hoyts was advertising for trainee assistant movie palaces was a must. Just walking into
loved the musicals, dancing Eleanor Powell projectionists, but I couldn't get parental the foyer of the Regent was worth the price of
Born to Dance, lovely little Shirley Temple approval to apply. I thought being the admission. The auditorium atmosphere was
and nasty Jane Withers, the jungle and projectionist and putting on the programme, overwhelming with the orchestra and the
western serials, the two reel comedies, Baby dimming the lights, opening and closing WurliTzer organ playing. All the really big
Snookums and Laurel and Hardy, the latter curtains, showing slides, trailers etc, I would movies played at the Regent.
endearingly known to us kids as ‘Fatty and be in heaven.
Skinny’. In later years (the 1950s), I joined the great
In 1939-40, I did a business course at a city Hoyts Theatres organisation as a trainee
Later we moved to Balwyn, and the Balwyn business college. The temptation of those city Theatre Manager. My dreams at last had come
Theatre became our second home where, on theatres so near caused me to “wag” classes, true.
Saturday nights before the movie, we were sometimes for a week on end. Movies every
entertained by Paul Jeacle and his Orchestra, day, we would sit through the morning After training at the Victory St Kilda, and
where Ken Weate and his brother were just session, and the support again at the matinee, experience at Hoyts Bentleigh, Hampton and
boys in the orchestra. The Balwyn only then leave at the second interval, retaining our the Broadway Camberwell, I got my own
screened MGM and Paramount, but later in pass-out (handy for using again and saving theatre - the Shore at Williamstown - a long
the early 1940's, Hoyts built and opened the money) then head for home. way from the Regent, but they were great
new Time Theatre. years by the seaside.
I saw East Side of
Heaven with Bing The Broadway, Camberwell c. 1938
Crosby and Baby Sandy
at the Majestic, On
Borrowed Time, Earl of
Chicago and Green Hell
at the State, Raffles at
the Regent and Disney's
Pinnochio six times at
the Liberty. I didn't
learn much about
shorthand and typing,
but I did learn a lot about
the movies.
The week before I
received my call-up into
the services in 1942, I
had a feast of movies -
Auditorium, Time Theatre, Balwyn

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