Page 4 - CINEMARECORD-100

AUSTRALIAN CINEMA
PIONEERS OF THE YEAR

CATHS is pleased to congratulate three of our
members who were named Cinema Pioneer of
the Year in their respective states.

Dear Sir,
The cover story in CinemaRecord 99 on Her
Majesty’s Theatre (Adelaide) ushers that
building’s rich tapestry into the limelight. The
Grand Old Lady of Grote Street has gone
through about as many name changes as this
country has gone through Prime Ministers in
the past decade. J.C. Williamsons took over the
management in 1954, not 1962. That illustrious Adelaide on 24 October 1959, and not in 1949
organisation had just vacated the Theatre as stated in Alan Bell’s letter. The
Royal in Hindley Street, four blocks north of photographer’s name was Norman Dewhurst.
the Tivoli. The final name change, reverting Also on Page 8 of CinemaRecord 99, the colour David Kilderry
from the Opera Theatre to Her Majesty’s, photograph showing Phyl Skinner waiting Lunar Drive-in, Dandenong, Victoria.
was officially announced by actor-producer- backstage was taken by Jane Rossetto of the
director Noel Ferrier on 31 August 1988, not Adelaide Festival Centre.
1998. On 1 July 1988, the Adelaide Festival
Centre Trust had taken over the theatre’s Yours sincerely,
management from the State Opera, who moved John Thiele, Dernancourt SA.
to the larger Adelaide Festival Theatre in
1989, not 1999. The photo of Phyl Skinner on �
the stairs was taken in 1949, not the 1960s. Her Dear Editors,
dancing partner is Lew Jacob.
Melbourne's Chinatown Cinema is the first
Best wishes for the impending 100 issue of Chinese language cinema in the western world
th
CinemaRecord. That should be quite a to attain 100,000 screenings. That is quite some
milestone. achievement. At first I found it hard to believe.
However, I considered that Chinatown
Kind regards, Cinema began back in 1971 and during the
Alan Bell, Paruna SA. golden days of the 1990s, with 3-screens at Mid
28 September 2018 City and also a cinema in Sydney, films seemed
to just roll through incessantly.
(Please note that the above letter has been
abbreviated to be accommodated in the space Currently screening is an exhilarating Hong Ben De Luca
available in this issue of CinemaRecord.) Kong film, Project Gutenberg. It is the story of Summerland Cinema, Bowen, Queensland
a police project to bust a huge counterfeiting
� crime gang. It has some unexpected twists and
Dear Sir, had me on the edge of my seat. As you would
expect, given the subject matter, it is rather
I thank Alan Bell for his letter of 28 September, violent, but the action and performances are
in which he states that a number of dates in my excellent.
article on Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide in
CinemaRecord 99 are incorrect. I agree with More importantly, the manager of Chinatown
the first three of the corrections in his letter. Cinema confirmed to me today that this is the
These inaccuracies occurred because some of first film for which Chinatown Cinema has
the references used in researching the article screened alternate sessions for the audience as
were, in themselves, unclear. Further follows:
investigation confirms that the dates cited by (1) the original Cantonese version with English
Alan Bell are correct. and Chinese subtitles.
(2) a dubbed version in Mandarin with English
On Page 8 of CinemaRecord 99, the caption on and Chinese subtitles.
the black and white photo of Phyl Skinner on
the steps of the theatre with her dance partner, You will remember the recent article in CR#98
Lew Jacob, inadvertently inferred that this was discussed the growing dominance of the
taken at Her Majesty’s Theatre. In fact, it was Mandarin language in Australia within the
taken on the steps of the Adelaide Regent. The Chinese community. A blockbuster Cantonese
caption on that photo should have read “Phyl movie such as Project Gutenberg has been
Skinner with her dancing partner, Lew Jacob, deemed worthy of screening in both
on the Adelaide Regent stairway in 1959.” In mainstream Chinese languages by the cinema.
my personal conversation with Phyl Skinner, Brian Pearson
Formerly Capri Theatre, Adelaide, South Australia
she told me that the photo was taken as part of Kind regards,
the publicity for her involvement in the launch Cameron Hall, Alphington Vic.
of Channel 7’s new television station in � Images: Cinema Pioneers Annual Bulletin

4 CINEMARECORD # 100