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suitable for Gen Exhibition) with a matinee the following The Loyalty was built along similar liJJes to the Electra-
Wednesday May 3, 1939 at 2 p.m. fibro cement and brick. with a reverse-rake floor and
seated 402 persons.
In Yarraville, The Sun Theatre (tel. Footscray 1605) was
screening Ronald Colman and Francis Dee in "IF I WERE World War I I had been declared (3 September, 1939)
KING" also Ann Gillis and Robert Hent in "LITTLE during the building of this theatre and building materials
ORPHAN ANNIE". were becoming scarce. Nonetheless, the theatre opened
in late 1939 with comfortable seating, footwarrning pipes
on the t1oor and became the focus of popular entertain-
ment in Upper Ferntree Gully.

Mervyn Jacobs and Wally Tew were the first projection-
ists, whilst the whole Spalding family (Charlie, his wife
and five daughters), sold the tickets, refreshments at in-
terval and cleaned the theatre, not to mention looking
after crying children in the office!

The film distributors were: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Para-
mount, Universal, Warner and R.K.O.

The Saturday night feature also got another run the fol-
lowing Monday night. It was common practice to swap
films with the Electra Boronia during screenings, when
both theatJ·es screened the same films except in reverse
order.

Nov. 1939: Mervyn Jacobs and Charles Spalding Mr Morrie Young was the first projectionist at d1e Electra
"On The Steps of the Loyalty" in Boronia, he is the father of Gary Young, well known
Hawthorn AFL player.

Further out east in Upper Ferntree Gully (referred to by The Spalding family sold the Loyalty Theatre in the early
city slickers back then as "the bush" or "aboriginal coun- 50's to Laurie Peters who owned and operated it together
try") in those days, tilms were alive and well and being with the Upwey Pictures. These are the years 1 remember
screened in all the various local Progress halls by a true vividly.
pioneer of filrn in the hills, a Mr Jaensch. Mr Jaensch
was a familiar and welcome sight in the 'Hills' during From the age of eight I would take my younger brother
the Be's as he pasted his film posters on to the telegraph each Saturday arvo to that other world, "the flicks" and
poles and shop windows in all the small towns. His son get lost in those fascinating and thrilling serials includ-
Alex continued the family business and built the Cameo ing "Superman", "Batman and Robin" and "Brick Brad-
theau·e in Belgrave. ford" which were mostly produced by Sam Katzmann and
directed by Spencer Bennett.
Another pioneer with a vision was Mr Charles Spalding,
a counu·y baker who settled in Rose Street, Upper Fern tree For some reason I remember the Cowboy and Indian
Gully with his wife and tlve daughters and became the tilrns best (probably because they were pretty prolific at
local Baker, He also diversified into film by buying the the time!), which featured Gabby Hayes (my favorite),
rights from Mr Jaenscb to screen films in the local Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, etc., but among my favorites
U.F.T.G. Progress Hall in 1937-1938. were Ma and Pa Kettle and their weird and wacky ad-
ventures. Ma sure was a liberated female of d1e day try-
In I 939 Mr Spalding who owned the land between the ing to keep Pa out of trouble. My mother would give my
bakery and his horne in Rose Street decided to build a brother (Michael) and I two shillings (2/-) each which
picture theatre. Mr. A.R.G. Tonkin (my uncle 'Bert') who would buy a theatre ticket (1/6), a Dixie cup ice-cream
had built the Electra Theatre in Boronia several years (4d) and a packet of chewing gum for 2d. The gum was
before was the builder. chewed and usually stuck under the seat - with a bit of
luck it would still he there when you came back next
The Loyalty Theatre in Rose Street was named after the Saturday arvo.
'Peace & Loyalty' Freemasons Lodge in Fermree Gully
where Mr Tonkin, Mr Spalding and Mr Gilbert Chan- The local patrons were very particular about their seats
dler were members, Mr Chandler owned the land in Dor- and reserved the same seats each Saturday. Look out if
set Road, Boronia on which the Electra was built. you sat in their seat by mistake! Among the regulars was
a local 'swaggie', Old Henry, who as a child I fottnd a bit
scary because he smelled and dribbled a lot. He always

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