Page 27 - CR-93

road outside when the drive-in lights were emergency ward. I felt no pain
snapped on. What happened next was a blur of but, without the ability to move
slow motion snippets. A vague recollection of my mouth, I had to project my
seeing horses darting into the headlights from voice from the back of my throat.
a side of the road and then Bryane yelling, From my side of the fence it was
"Watch out for the trees!" After that no big deal but, to others, I must
everything went black. have looked more horrific than
Hannibal Lector, with a mouthful
The next thing I remembered was Bryane of metal, a face swollen beyond
tugging me out the car window and how recognition and two beaut shiners
slobbery and incoherent I was when trying to that Ginger Meggs would’ve been Projection Room at the time of the 1986 re-opening
speak. "Be quiet!" he ordered, sitting me on proud of.
the roadside and encasing me with his arms, a
closeness seeming so odd until Maurie was among my first visitors, and the Footnote:
unconsciousness returned. briefest, turning pale and scurrying off to
avoid passing out. Julie, his wife, watched for The Stargazer was later taken over by Village when
"David." The intonation was so compelling my reaction and, when I chuckled, she joined they closed Wodonga and transferred operations.
that I opened my eyes, seeing a man peering in, human nature's quirkiness allowing us to They later closed Stargazer and, to stop it re-
down at me, a cap on his head and a pulled laugh in the face of adversity. My only legacy opening, had the screen pulled down and cut into
down face mask sitting on his chin. "You've of the accident was a ringing in a deafened ear three pieces. Speaker caps were knocked off with a
been in an accident but you're going to be while, fortunately, Bryane was unscathed, the sledgehammer, sound cables cut short and those
fine," he assured me. "I'm going to brace your fillies having crashed into my side of the car. running back to bio box amplifier were cut off at
jaw. Do you know what that is?" A vision of He let a couple of days pass before telling me floor level, and all equipment removed and the
a frame screwed into my brother's face and his that one horse was killed outright and the theatre sat empty.
other was so
The previously demolished screen being re-erected in three sections badly maimed Under great protest from the Albury Cinema
that a policeman Centre Twin, Godfrey “Hoot” Gibson was able to
lease the Stargazer and it re-opened in October
at the scene shot 1986. The year before, Hoot and CATHS member
her. Kevin Adams (who was managing the Wangaratta
Drive-in for Hoot at that time), re-opened the
Driving me Lakeside Drive-In at Yarrwonga. However it proved
home from to be only seasonally profitable.
hospital, Bryane
suggested, "How On taking on the big Albury project, Hoot again had
about we go past the help of Kevin for a lot of the work, including
the wreckers? initial marketing. Kevin had to retrace and repair all
When you see the speaker wiring, as well as that for all the lights
the mangled car down the entrance drive. He also created the
you'll realize deigns for all the illuminated signage, painted and
how lucky you repaired the toilets, cafe and bio box.
Cinemecannica Vic 8 projectors from the closed
mouth wired shut after he crashed his are to have survived." If I'd had full use of my Sandringham Drive-in were purchased and
motorbike flashed into my mind and I started mouth, I'd have told him more forcibly where installed, along with all new amplifiers, electric
to gabble about it. "That's right, David," he to shove his idea. The collision should have
rewinder and AM Radio Sound transmitter. The
interrupted. "Now close your eyes and count been seen as a sign from above to gallop out screen had to be raised again, this time in three
backwards from ten." Struggling to say of the thoroughbred industry, but I was too sections, then joined and re-painted once up.
"eight" I woke up, surprised the doctor no singularly focused to heed the warning. Later
longer stared down at me and that I was in an that year, Village Theatres offered to buy me The Albury Cinema Centre retaliated by ensuring
out, haggling over the purchase price that few quality programs were available to the
until only $10,000 was in contention. Stargazer, and often kept programs running at the
Cinemeccanica Vic8 projectors from the Sandringham
Drive-in, installed for 1986 re-opening by Kevin Adams "Why not toss for it?" their cinema as long as possible to avoid them going to
representative proposed. "I'm game," the drive-in. Ultimately, this killed any chance of
I readily agreed, my overflowing the drive-in succeeding and, whilst it had bumper
confidence making winning a crowds with the occasional hit (Crocodile Dundee
certainty. The sale was set for January etc), it limped along until Hoot had no alternative
1981 so, with barely two bob to rub but to walk away. Well into his 80s, he returned to
together and a hefty bank overdraft, I Benalla, where he had run the Regal Cinema and
had just seven weeks to find someone Nightclub for many years, and retired. Kevin
prepared to accept a lick and a continued to manage the Wangaratta Drive-In at
for many years, trading with considerable success
promise for land to settle my livestock long after most drive-ins in the state had long
on until the theatre deal was finalized. closed a decade earlier.
Happily, I found such a person.
The Stargazer finally had the screen removed
I had no time to scratch myself again, and ended its days sadly, with the large
between running the drive-in theatre modern cafe/bio building used as a residence for
at night and each day fencing local bikies, until it was ultimately demolished,
paddocks, trenching water lines and removing all traces the site’s previous life.
erecting shelter sheds before shifting
mares, foals, yearlings and a gelding Images: David Scott collection.
to the property. A hill at the centre of Kevin Adams collection.
the acreage offered a perfect house Ron Hanel collection.
site, a spot overlooking paddocks
while providing a scenic view of the Additional information on the drive-in’s final years
Hume Weir nestled between rolling provided by Kevin Adams.
hills. ✶

CINEMARECORD # 93 27