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good, I thought. Well, there was no bass and
no top end, it was a pudding response and you
couldn’t understand the dialogue either. It
was like that from then on. I was dying to get
one of the old bass units being stored in the
generator room, but they were earmarked for
Perth.

When Perspecta Sound was installed, it
wasn’t very good. Because the system used
low frequency control tones of 30, 35 and 40
Hz to direct the sound, it required the low
frequency response of the sound system to be
rolled off below 60 Hz, so the bass was
comparatively poor.
When MGM took over the Embassy, they
changed the projection equipment to the
standard Metro set-up of Westrex arc lamps,
Century projector heads and Westrex deluxe
sound heads. These were wonderful for
snapping the film leader if you didn’t help the
take-up spool when starting. Upstairs foyer. Image: Wayne Barnett collection

It was a standard projection room the same as had read in the “International Projectionist” lenses were fitted. These were a prismatic
every Metro theatre in the world. You could magazine that the best way to clean lenses was lens, similar to a Kalee Varamorph.
go from one box to another, everything was with warm water and velvet soap, so we tried
in the same place and it all worked the same. it. When we started the program with these However, before CinemaScope started at the
newly cleaned lenses, there was no picture on Embassy, Metro wanted to introduce 3D. Kiss
the screen - the whole of the inside of the Me Kate was booked in to run in 3D after its
Metro was always spending money on new
screens; I got tired of lacing them to the frame theatre was lit up. I looked at the lens and it season at the Metro Collins Street,
was like a boiling cauldron inside because of Melbourne.
on the weekends. The best screen was the one
they one put in before the days of wide water which had accumulated in the lens
screen. It was a spun glass screen and the barrel. The heat of the arc lamp had vaporised The projectors had to be fitted with 5000 ft
picture was brilliant. the water. I decided to persevere for a minute spool boxes and we worked all Sunday from
to see what would happen, otherwise we 6 am to install all the modifications for 3D.
would have to close down and pull the lenses The screen did not need to be changed because
The sound came through the screen nicely
because of the loose weave, the picture was to bits and dry them. Eventually, the haze and it was a high gain, reflective screen.
sharp as a tack, and the contrast was beautiful light in the theatre reduced and the picture
with the new lenses. The spun glass screen became clear after the water vapour had gone. A fitter and turner friend of mine made some
guards to go over the projector motor switches
was only there for about twelve months, when
The Wild North had to be shown in wide The Manager, Roger Kirby, was on the phone to prevent you individually switching the
wanting to know what was happening. We motors, as each projector had a Selsyn motor
screen. A slightly curved, reflective screen said we didn’t know, but it was alright now. fitted to synchronise the two machines.
was installed, plus shorter focal length lenses.
These were filthy and only had the diameter We all had our fingers crossed, wondering The planned 3D screening on Monday did not
what would happen when we changed over to
of a 16 mm lens.
spool two - same thing! We persevered and it eventuate. The polarising filters for the
cleared. Things were OK after that, but what projectors and the glasses for the audience had
Following MGM’s take over, the Metro Malvern an embarrassment. been made by Metro, because they didn’t want
was often paired with the Metro Bourke Street for to pay royalties to the Polaroid Corporation
advertising and releases. (Herald Feb 27 1954).
When I worked at the Embassy, it was not air who had a world-wide patent on them.
conditioned (Metro may have installed A/C
after I left) but, like most public buildings, it About half an hour before the show was to
was ventilated by fans blowing fresh air into start, the theatre manager phoned to say “I’ve
the stage end of the theatre, with another set of just had a cable from America - run Kiss Me
fans sucking foul air out the back. There was Kate flat; we’ve lost the court case”. Polaroid
no such thing as recycling the air. Also at the had sued Metro and won, so Metro wasn’t
back of the theatre was an oil-fired heating allowed to use their equipment and Kiss Me
plant that heated the water which was pumped Kate was immediately run ‘flat’ throughout
through radiators mounted within the the world; we didn’t get a chance to use all our
ventilation shafts after the fans. This produced lovely 3D stuff.
warm air which was blown into the theatre in
winter. Eventually, I left the Embassy/Metro
Malvern because of the pressure of my full
At the Embassy, the original generator room time job as a dentist, and my Sunday job as a
was located under the stairs in the front foyer church organist. However, I then became
near the ticket box, and housed the rotary involved in the running of some country
converter for the arcs as well as the main theatres and had my own at Hastings (75 km
switchboard. In later years, the arc generators south east of Melbourne) for a time. «
were relocated to a double brick enclosure at Images:
the rear of the theatre. CATHS Archive.
Les Tod.
When CinemaScope was introduced, John Budge collection.
American made Super Panitar anamorphic Wayne Barnett collection.

CINEMARECORD # 91 13