Page 26 - CR-93

discarded food after we buy the Wodonga and Wagga drive-ins?"
feeding the multitude, my friend Mike, a TV personality, suggested,
although admittedly Wagga Wagga being a city an hour and a bit
we supplied more food away from Albury. Hoyts Theatres were
than five loaves of divesting all their country interests, so
bread and two fish to purchasing their drive-in theatres seemed like
create our mess. The an ideal way to avoid laying people off, while
horses benefited too, gaining a better selection of movies.
by being fed early
breakfasts; Old Blue Finance was tight and my nine year old
maintaining his habit business was struggling, so obtaining a loan
of eating with a raised for my share of the proposed venture proved
hoof, an equine difficult. Relying on an incompetent financial
sledgehammer to nail advisor moved it into the impossible zone and
the tail-feathers of the deal fell through, the drive-ins being
grain-pilfering snapped up by Village Theatres who also
pigeons. bought an interest in the local cinema, putting
them in control of all the district's exhibition
ago along with Chiko rolls," she enlightened, History repeated itself when, like Dad's outlets except mine. Hell-bent on gaining a
moments before cursing as chips from a problem thirty years earlier, my competition complete monopoly, they tightened their grip
bucket she grabbed spilt onto the floor. unfairly demanded first, and sometimes on first release movies, strangling my venture.
"David, there's only bread left." "How much?" second choice of films. Despite this, I Adding to my financial burden were poor sale
A solution to the food crisis was formulating managed well with clever promotions and the results for the yearlings, while a bottomless
in my mind. "Stacks. But David, there's cheapest admission and food prices. money pit was needed for the mares' upkeep.
nothing to make!" Dot shouted to be heard It was like walking in quicksand, each step
above the noisy exhaust fan. Brushing past her Then came "the recession we had to have", as sinking me deeper into the bog.
to retrieve loaves from the cool room, I dreamed up by an ignorant leader of the time.
indicated the hungry throng. "Tell them to It affected film producers like everyone else I was preparing dinner on one of my nights off
come back in twenty minutes and then shut who, to counteract a profit slump when when Maurie rang, sounding agitated. "David,
the doors." She stared at me as if I'd lost the distributing films to theatres, brought forward come quick! The horses are loose in the drive-
plot but, when I returned, she was ushering release dates onto video, resulting in titles in!" "We'll be right there." I slammed the
people out. often being available for rent before I had a phone down and bolted from the house with
chance to screen them. Bryane hot on my heels. It was only 6.30pm,
"Stock up the lolly shelves," I instructed the so there was time to round them up before
cafe staff, and then turned to the guys in the Dropping attendances, while employing a customers arrived. The theatre was only five
kitchen. "Fill up the urns and start making large staff of personal mates who needed their minutes away but, as I drove, two yearling
toast, one and a half slices per bag. We're jobs, created a quandary for me. "How about fillies bought for future racing bolted onto the
selling toast and coffee or tea for $1.50."
Customers started pounding on the locked
doors so, with less than forty serves made, I
told Dot to open up the cafe and headed to the
projection room to make an announcement
over the speakers. "The cafe is offering an
early morning special of toast and coffee or
tea for only a dollar fifty. Come and get it!"
The projector's clattering and the film sound
track failed to drown out the noise of car doors
slamming and shoes crunching on bitumen as
people charged towards the cafe, one group
almost knocking me over when I left the bio
box. Having grossly underestimated the
special's popularity, the hot water urns were
constantly topped up and the griller hastily
cleaned so bread could be cooked on it as well
as in the commercial toaster. It was so
successful that it featured at future "Dusk to
Dawns", always being a big hit with patrons.
When cars left at the end of the screening, it
looked like a bomb had hit the ramps. Rubbish
was strewn on the ground from one end of the
theatre to the other and speaker stands stood at
odd angles after some customers drove off
with speakers still attached to windows.
Sleeping occupants in cars were left
undisturbed, the exit gates being open most of
the day while the area was cleaned.
To help Stan, our retiree cleaner, everyone
pitched in by filling chaff bags with rubbish,
some of us collecting recyclable cans and
bottles while others gathered garbage, leaving
food scraps for birds to eat. Over thirty bags
were filled, beating Jesus' twelve baskets of

26 CINEMARECORD # 93