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CINEMARECORD

having an "off' day and put the wrong lens on the projector! If you were a dress circle patron you proceeded upstairs to a
miniscule foyer which had room only for one couch with a door to the ladies toilets to the left and another door to the
manager's office on the right. A short carpeted stair of four or five steps took you to the lounge with some four or five rows
with a cross aisle and then a dress circle of about ten rows. Access to the biobox was behind the last row in the circle. The
downstairs seats were all tip-up type while the first three or four rows of the front stalls were the o riginal wrought iron
lacework-frarned seats with oil cloth-<:overed padded seat and back rests. These seats, Robert believes, probably dated from
the first cinema, the GRAND CENTRAL of 1920. The PRINCE GEORGE had been equipped with an organ while still a
silent cinema: a Crernona, made by the Marquerte Piano Company in Chicago. It was basically an upright piano console with
two player piano rolls in it, two wooden swell boxes with pipes and percussion instruments either side of the console, designed
for accompanying silent films. These Cremona organs were being built around the end of World War I. It's been estimated
that not more than one hundred units were ever sold! Julian Arnold of the Theatre Organ Society believes it was probably last
regularly played in the early 1930's when the theatre had a female organist.

A YOUNG CINEMA MANAGER

Robert Ward's introduction to the cinema was at around five or six years of age: "My father used to take me with him to the
film distributors. He'd lift me up to sit on the counter while he booked films for all his theatres" Later, at the age of eleven or
twelve, he had his first taste of actually working in the PRINCE GEORGE. He became the unofficial manager! "Probably
around 1950, l used to come home from school, put on an old dust coat and paint the ceiling, or fix the toilets, or whatever
had to be done. My father had put my grandfather in to manage the PRINCE GEORGE (he was now .himself managing the
DENDY up the road) But my grandfather was a retired grocer from the country and he didn't have a clue about cinemas. He
could do the books, but that was just about all he could do! He was deaf and he didn't answer the phones. So if I was up a
forty foot ladder painting the ceiling and the phones rang I'd have to slide down the ladder, run down the stairs, answer the
phones, take the bookings and then go up the ladder again ... My mother used to say: 'Why are you so late home from school?'
And I'd say: 'I've been playing football!' She didn't want me involved with the old theatre. I should have been studying for a
career. At the weekends it was ok to work in the theatre. I used to help with ushering."ln the earlier years they had lolly boys
at the PRINCE GEORGE.

The service was provided by local milk bars. One was right alongside the theatre entrance on the left. A set of doors opened
into the walkway (they're still in place today although the milk bar has long gone) Patrons could enter to buy refreshments.
There was no lolly bar in the theatre so the milk bar also provided lolly boys for the interval Throughout his time at University
and a subsequent projectionist course at the RMIT Robert continued to manage the theatre. He was also assistant projectionist
and usher.
The senior projectionist at the PRINCE GEORGE was Andrew Rooney who was the chief engineer for the Victorian Railways
Brighten electric tram service, based at the Elwood Depot. The other chief projectionist was Major Fred Baines, an ex-Army
man. In later years they would work a couple of nights a week while Robert would fill in for the rest of the week. They were
the official projectionists for as long as Robert can remember: "When I was nine or ten years old Andrew Rooney taught me
how to operate a projector! The projectors were Powers that had front shutters. Around about 1956 Andrew Rooney convened
these to fit both front and rear shutters. The front shutter used to be made out of a Chas. E. Blanks talking slide disc! The
front and rear shutters were contra-rotating. They did this to obtain as much light as possible on the screen. In those days we
··~ were pushing for light, especially with
CinemaScope. The contra-rotating shutter is
now going back into use because of the light
needs of big screens. We are using them in our
newest cinemas for Read;ngs. The shutters cut
off quicker and leave the film on the screen
longer. The puU-down time on the Powers at
the Prince George was very fast. The Powers
had carbon arcs right up to the end. Xenon
Jamphouses were later installed at the
DENDY. I think we were the first theatre in
Australia to put in xenons. The METRO in
Collins Street and in Bourke Street followed
us.

Entrance looking out to Clrurclr Street with
remains of billboards. Photo: R Seccombe.

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