Page 11 - CINEMARECORD-96

The Windsor at St Morris was a part of a small chain operated by Bruce
Cunnew and later his wife, Bertha, and their sons. The chain had a
presence at Brighton, Parkside, Seacliff and St. Morris at the time Harold
became second projectionist. He worked there until 1944 when he then
took up the role of projectionist at Walkerville Town Hall, which was
run by W.L. (Lester) Boyle. Boyle was a pioneer of cinema exhibition
in Adelaide having previously been associated with the Central Picture
Theatre in the city. Harold worked for Boyle for four years before
deciding to become an exhibitor himself.
As price control was in force in 1948, he then had to apply to the
Department of Trade and Customs for approval to have the following
admission charge structure shown below:
Saturday & Saturday Wednesday
Holiday Nights Matinees Nights
30 Back stalls lounge
seats (steamer chairs) 2/- 1/4 1/9
Children under 12
with parent in above 1/- 9d 11d

76 Back stalls seats
(upholstered chairs) 1/6 1/- 1/6
Children under 12
with parent in above 11d 6d 9d
86 Centre stalls
(institute chairs) 1/- 1/- 1/-
Children under 12
with parent in above 9d 6d 6d

38 Front stall seats
(institute chairs) 6d 6d 6d
Harold’s first projector (c. 1928) Children only under 14
around to Harrington’s, the photographic merchants, and stare longingly
in the window at the projectors for sale. It was from that shop that he These prices were higher than other independently-owned suburban
bought a Pathé 9.5mm handwind projector for three guineas ($325). He picture shows. Fortunately for Harold the Department considered:
was sixteen at the time and by the age of nineteen, he was upgrading to
a Specto motor-driven projector that he also bought from Harrington’s, “These shows had been established for many years and were thus able
although this model cost him nineteen guineas ($1,860). to purchase equipment etc. at particularly favourable prices. Applicant
(Harold Carlson) is in the unhappy position of having to establish his
Although Harold did not begin working in a cinema until the age of theatre at a time when considerable finance is necessary in order to
twenty, he had been thinking about working as a projectionist for some present a first class show, which appears to be his goal.”
time before he approached Herb Hooper, the projectionist at the
St. Morris Windsor Theatre to ask if there was any work available in It is rare to find documents that detail the cost of setting up a small cinema
the bio box. A conversation he had eighteen months earlier was the in the 1940s. The Prices Commission Report outlines Harold’s expenses:
catalyst for his decision to seek a career in the cinema. Harold recalls,
£1,378 New RCA plant (plus interest over 3 years)
“One Saturday night I put on a show up at Kensington Gardens for the £28 30 Steamer chairs
boy scouts. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Back at Kalamazoo […] just £22/10/- Upholstering 76 chairs
up the passageway there was a tailor’s shop; a couple of nice blokes £54 Electrical alterations to service bio box
were in there working […] one called (Les) McGregor and one called £37/10/- New stage curtain.
(Reg) Gould. I said to McGregor “I put on a show for the boy scouts
last night” and he said, “you should be up there in the bio box”. Then there was the advanced payment of £192 for hall hire. Add to this
film hire (approximately £3 per programme), wages and advertising, and
Herb offered him the job of third boy and Harold began working at the it is apparent that Harold outlaid a considerable sum for a maximum
cinema in September 1937. Harold had realized his dream. No longer takings at the ticket office, according to the Investigation Officer’s
was he screening to friends and clubs but was now working in a calculation, of £34/15/- ($2,070) per week. While price control ensured
projection room. He relished the job and never missed a day of work the Astra could not charge any more than that prescribed by the Prices
and when he was able to sit for the projectionist exam (you had to be at Commission, film exchanges charged the exhibitor more for Technicolor,
least 21 years of age with three year’s experience in a bio box) he did so a charge which could not be passed on to the audience. Besides, “people
three years to the day after he started at the Windsor. He certainly had wouldn’t pay it” according to Harold.
encouragement from the top to allay any concerns about passing his
exams. On his way to the Windsor, he would walk past the house of The Investigation Officer’s report indicates that Harold intended to open
Thomas Smith, the then Inspector of Places of Public Entertainment, the the Astra on 19 June 1948, however, he was not able to meet this
very man in charge of issuing projectionist licences. If Smith were in deadline. He was still in the process of setting up when the Investigation
his garden when young Harold was walking past, there would be a Officer did a site visit on 27 May. The officer wrote in his report:
conversation with the Inspector saying, “I’ll think you’ll do alright”. He
passed his written exam and then had to do a practical at the Central “A true perspective of just how this theatre will finally look could not be
Picture Theatre in Wakefield Street in the city. Having passed his gained at the time of my visit on 27/5/48, as a schoolchildren’s class was
exams, Harold began working as a second projectionist under Herb being held, bio box scaffolding was still in position, the stage was most
Hooper and later George Bellchambers, who Harold credits with teaching unpresentable, boxes of RCA equipment and chairs were scattered
him everything he knows. everywhere.”

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