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The proscenium outline suggests that creativity was wearing thin
orchestral and stage novelties and a special From an audience view-point, the theatre was
one-night film, the new style was workmanlike: all smooth-running. However, there was one
a speech or two, and films already on the behind-the-scenes design fault wasn’t fixed for
suburban circuit. The choice would also define four years. Heat rising from an unventilated
the place of the theatre in the suburban battery room directly below the projection room
hierarchy. The feature was Louis Hayward and made it a sweatbox for the projectionist.
Joan Bennett in The Son of Monte Cristo, Exhaust ducts and fans were finally installed in
supported by Gasbags, in which The Crazy the lower room.
Gang (Flanagan and Allen) invaded Nazi
Germany from a Balloon! This program The installation of CinemaScope was a
showed that the Maling was to be a fifth-week necessity, but its timing was an anti-climax for
theatre, just one week above Hoyts’ lowest those locals prepared to travel just a little
category – sixth week. further for their first taste of wide-screen. The
Below: The derelict foyer and ticket box (c. 1989). Image: Les Tod Collection.

30 CINEMARECORD # 96