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C INEMA RECORD

'By John J{o[foway

Where have all the "characters" gone from our places of entertainment? No doubt all the major cinema chains pride
themselves on large Human Resources departments, devoted to recruiting staff and training to modem-<lay customer service
techniques. How things have changed since I fltSt started in the cinema industry. These were the days of single auditoriums,
where a feeling of "family" was evident in each theatre. One felt a feeling of pride for one's work place, and even as part of a
chain of cinemas there was a friendly rivalry. If, for example, our theatre was doing marvelous business with a certain film,
we would feel smugly superio_r to to the theatre next door, or round the block, playing to near empty houses due to a B-grade
Slinker!

The "family", of course, was always headed by the Manager, and the one I remember with the most affection was called Uncle
Wally (except, naturally, in front of patrons). No-one dared upset any of Uncle Wally's staff without the risk of being
physically ejected from the premises. This is not to say that he would tolerate rudeness or bad service to patrons. but in the
event of any complaint, the customer would always be placated by his winning charm, and the staff-member in question
summoned to his office for a thorough dressing-<lown, before being sent back on duty with a joke, or encouraging word, to
clear the air.

Uncle Wally (along with all the other city managers) used to like to gather at a city pub each Saturday afternoon to partake of
a drink, or two, or even three! I sometimes blanche when I recall some of the bare-faced lies we would concoct to explain the
manager's indisposition, should a patron, or someone from Head Office, require the manager during these times. While
realising that the "Higher Ups'' from Head Office probably didn't believe us for a minute, they seemed 10 tum a blind eye to
the goings on, perhaps recalling their own days, prior to being promoted up the corporate ladder.

Only once (and well deserved too) did I fall foul of Uncle Wally, for being rude to a customer. I was given my marching
orders, along with the threat that "I would never work in this industry again!" I walked around the block to another cinema
and told the manager I was looking for a job. After establishing the fact that one of the uniform jackets fined me, I was told I
could start work the next day. News traveled fast, for the next day Uncle Wally contacted me in the hope that "I'd learned my
Jesson", and had best report back to work quick-smart.

Wally was one of the true characters of the cinema industry. Starting his working life as a tray-boy, selling ice-creams and
Columbines, he was just one of many who had such a feel for the industry, and who remained working year after year, in the
business that they loved and cared for so much.

These days the industry virtually runs on a minimum of casual staff members (usually studentS), who see the job as nothing
more than a way of earning extra cash until studies are finished, and other professions can be pursued. Along with the
ambience of the lovely old theatres. the showmanship, and the "full supporting program", I miss the old fashioned, sometimes
outrageous, even eccentric, staff members of old. Here are just a few more examples, the likes of which. we will probably
never see again.

Foyer and biobox ofTimes. - Stan Gum1 Collection.

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