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do it all over again. Film cans were loaded into a canvas bag. The rain Frog day every child was given 2 or 3 frogs, Donut day, once again 2 to
was coming down heavily as I got the bag to the top of the ladder, the 3 per child. Every week the Manager would try something extra. The
rope slipped and the bag dropped to the bottom of the ladder well! Oh matinees were always close to full downstairs, upstairs only open if a
#*&?. The bottom can was a new copy of a Disney cartoon and, as the child was with an adult. Saturdays in the winter were also special for me,
lid had come off, it cut the whole film in half. Thanks to Lou Somprou, as Plaza was close to the old Essendon football ground and both the
booking manager for Hoyts Victoria, he got out of a big mess with RKO, manager and projectionist were Essendon supporters. Come 2pm, both
distributors of Disney Films by explaining what had happened. would take off to the footy leaving me in charge of the bio and an usher
to look after the stage work for the kids, e.g. C.C.C. This went on every
week Essendon played at home, (providing everything was OK at the
theatre). Not one mistake was ever made by the usher, or on my part the
show went on, maybe even better than normal. I may have been
unlicensed but at that theatre I could do everything and have it turn out
without any one knowing.
Plaza had one major problem, “the stage curtains” they were operated
from the bio and had no auto shut off. It was an art to stop the curtains
at a given point to avoid a disaster. One night I was with a relieving
projectionist. He was a bit of the old school - the assistant doesn’t touch.
I told him about the curtain motor and I could help him. His answer was,
“No, son. I’m in charge. You get out of my way”. This was at the end of
showing slides. Well, he got his way. He let the motor over run and
snapped the safety bolt. (Told him so). At the start of the show, beginning
with the Movietone News, the curtains would not open. I was then asked
if I could fix the problem? (Me being only an assistant). Time was against
me as the news was half way through being shown over curtains. With
my trusty tools I bolted down through the auditorium to back stage,
opened the curtains by hand, then went about fixing the problem (one
3 inch nail to replace the bolt). The manager was not a happy person and
Alhambra, Brunswick told the projectionist to take note of what he was advised to do, as he
didn’t know the bio or the way things worked in that theatre. The
On 11 August 1951, I was transferred to the Alhambra in Brunswick as remainder of his time I was given the OK to carry on as normal. Plaza
assistant projectionist - another step in my career with Hoyts. Alhambra building had shops on both sides of the entrance - a milk bar on one side
was another of lower class suburban theatres, situated between Padua and a radio shop on the other. The proprietor, Mr. Roy Allen, asked me
to the south and Grand Coburg to the north along busy Sydney Road. one day if I would like to do some part time work for him? As it was so
By the time movies arrived at Alhambra, they had been seen by most close to the theatre I could not resist, as I could check when my films
of the movie goers in the area. It was best known for many re-runs and arrived and be on the job to make up the programs without any travelling.
western nights. As I had to use public transport, then a walk of about a It also was another step in life for me. Roy had three daughters, Judith
mile, I looked forward to the time I may get another transfer to a theatre being the eldest and the one I would in time marry.
closer to home.
Time passed and March 1954 I received a letter from Hoyts to ask me
My wish came true when I was transferred back to Plaza Essendon on why I had not registered for National Service. This was a bit embarrassing
29 December 1951. It was great to be back working at Plaza with Lindsay as I had put my age up a couple of years to get the job 1951. After much
Bell again, this time taking the place of my old friend,Charlie Griffin,who explaining to Hoyts no action was taken. I had been over paid for over a
moved on to another career. Plaza was not one of the best Hoyts theatres, year I was told I could keep the money but to register and do National
but it was very homely and great to work at. We had two changes of Service.
programs each week, often switching films with Waratah and Ascot
both at Ascot Vale. This sometimes caused problems if the film runner
was held up in traffic or the first theatre was late starting. On many
occasions I would be waiting out the front for the next reel to arrive, with
only a few minutes left before we ran out of program. Only once did it
happen that we had to shut down for the amount of time it took me to get
the film from the runner, run upstairs wind the reel and thread the
projector - about ten minutes - very embarrassing for our manager to
apologise on stage to the patrons for the break in the movie.
Lindsay also worked a day job with Hoyts. He and an electrician serviced
Hoyts neon signs and, as they were very busy, they got me a job on the
signs. It was great to be out in the open on a job like this with two people
that knew what they were doing. Initially the heights were a bit nerve
racking, but after a couple of weeks I felt no fear at all working on the
top curve of a sign. The day work on signs continued for a couple of years
and was an extra boost for the bank account. Along with my night time
work, day time work continued with Hoyts. I spent months going around
all the suburban theatres spraying carpets for carpet beetles. The beetles
would get under the carpet and eat the backing, causing the carpet to fall
apart. Another time it was spraying theatres for fleas, as there was a
plague of them in the mid-1950s. This was a big job, as every part of a
theatre would have to be done to make sure there were none left, (Hoyts
didn’t want any flea pits). One of the most interesting part time jobs I
had with Hoyts was the setting up for Cinemascope. (See “Changeover
to Cinemascope” in CinemaRecord Issue 85).
The Plaza had many exciting Saturday matinees for the kids along with
the C.C.C. (Children’s Cinema Club). They had special days - Freddo
Keith Gulliver in uniform at Puckapunyal Army Camp, Victoria, 1955

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