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CINEMA AND
                       THEATRE
                       C A  T  H S            Editorial

                 HISTORICAL                SOCIETY
                       VICTORIA  INC.         This issue of CinemaRecord is my first as the new Editor of the maga-
                  ABN 37 195 378 179          zine. With this edition a number of new features have been introduced in
                    Reg A0020747R             a new-look format which includes a members Picture Gallery; expanded
           The aims of CATHS are: to record the  histories; articles; news and of course lots more photos! A publishing
           history of cinemas and theatres, and to  committee has now been formed, as I believe a team effort will produce
           promote interest in theatre heritage and  the best possible results. I look forward to your suggestions and com-
           architecture, and other related areas.  ments and always welcome any assistance.
                       Patrons:                  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Peter O'Reilly and Stan
           Frank Van Straten OAM  Peter Smith  Gunn for their great efforts in developing the magazine in the past.
           Elaine Marriner      Philip Brady  Martin Powell

                     Committee:
           President: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870                                  dozen or so seats, and just as comfort-
           Vice President:                                                     ably load them onto the truck. We must
           Peter Wolfenden 9744 2570         Letters                           have looked like part of an Abbot and
           Secretary: Mike Trickett 5278 1986                                  Costello movie as, seated on the old
           Treasurer: Barrie Wraith 9435 9785                                  green seats and viewing the following
                          ★                                                    traffic with a certain amount of disdain,
           Archivist: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870  Well Done Peter                 we motored slowly up Swanston Street
           Assistant: Dean Brandum: 9471 4171  Congratulations must be extended to  in peak hour back to the Museum.
           Central Victoria Coordinator:     Peter O’Reilly for the great job he did  From memory, about six seats were
           Fred Page 5444 0428               as editor on CinemaRecord — a most  positioned to the left inside the Science
           Gippsland Co-ordinator:           professional job indeed!!         main door (next to the symphonium), six
           Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870              Being Editor is another one of those
           Events Co-ordinator:              jobs that are often in the thankless role.  seats near the just completed
           Brian Miller 9557 7446            If one does a good job, quite often no  Planetarium, and the rest throughout the
           Publications Sales:               comments are heard. If a poor job is  Science complex. In the following years
           Garry Saunders 9812 7227          done, the sky falls in.           these seats were warmed by many a bot-
           Membership Secretary: Peter O’Reilly  Congratulations and best wishes  tom, just as they had been at the Capitol.
           oreillypeter@primus.com.au        Peter, and welcome in Martin. We just  The coziness of the Science Museum
           CinemaRecord & Internet Editor:   know you too are going to do a great  and the quietness of the winter’s night
           Martin Powell 9786 9158           job.                              (we didn't close until 10pm in those
           martin@interdomain.net.au         Noel Kerr                         days) sometimes saw several vagrants at
           CATHS website:                                                      a time settle themselves in those com-
           www.vicnet.net.au/~caths          Of Seats & Mice & Vagrants        fortable old seats and soon nod off. A
           Postal address:                   Over the years I have heard, “Ladies  family of mice, permanent residents,
           PO Box 476, Bentleigh 3204.       and Gentlemen, take your seats.”  seemed to accept them quite well also.
                                             However, in this particular instance, it  Now and again, when the night was
           Membership                        was, "Ladies and Gentlemen, lower  dragging and my eyes heavy, someone
           Annual membership subscription is $35,  your seats.”                would feed the symphonium a penny
           and members receive four copies of   And that’s what we did — literally!  and the music box notes of The Merry
           CinemaRecord, notification of events,  We lowered the old Capitol dress circle  Widow or Rusticana would hang in the
           and copies of the agenda and minutes  seats by ropes down to the ground floor.  quietness, and reality would slip away.
           of all meetings. There is no joining fee.  As I recall, the theatre was in semi-  It was then I rather fancied Laurel and
           Meetings                                                            Hardy, or maybe Charlie Chaplin, could
           Meetings are held on the last Sunday of  darkness and in the course of extensive  have been sitting in those old Capitol
           February, April, June, August, October &  alterations. Dust was everywhere.
           November. Meetings start at 10am at  I was reminded of that part of my  seats, happily keeping the vagrants
           The Sun Theatre, 8 Ballarat St, Yarraville.  work history on reading ‘The Capitol  company, and just as happily, ignoring
           Archives                          Theatre – Melbourne’ by Rod Cook, in  the many inventions around them.
           The archive will be open between  CinemaRecord, Issue 30.              The old Science Museum has long
           9.30am and 1pm on the Saturday       Actually, I wasn’t an employee of  shifted, and so have the seats, the mice
           before each meeting (see above), and  the Capitol, I was an Attendant from  and the vagrants. The latter two I know
           at other times by appointment with the  the Science Museum at the top end of  not where; but the seats will have found
           archivists.                       Swanston Street. Items were continual-  a home someplace. They were afterall
           Publications                      ly being donated to the Museum — old  — stout, strong and supremely com-
           Back issues of CinemaRecord and various  plans, books and inventions, but theatre  fortable!
           other publications, CDs and videos are  seats, this had to be a first!  Kevin Brandum
           available at meetings. Items also avail-  On that particular afternoon, our  Postscript:
           able by mail, please contact Garry  supervisor had asked, “Anyone want to  After some years as an Attendant in the
           Saunders on 9812 7227 for details.  pick up some seats at the Capitol?” As  Science Museum, I went on to become
           Events                            we bunched forward he laughed,    an Inspector of Factories and Shops.
           Activities of the Society include theatre  “You'll need the Museum truck.” And  Part of my territory for checking shop
           inspections, country, interstate and  so down to the Theatre went half a  registrations was the Capitol Arcade,
           international tours, swapmeets and the  dozen Attendants, a dozen ropes and a  right next to the Capitol, indeed part of
           annual Film Buffs Weekend.
                                             couple of pulleys. The government  the old Capitol. (No prize for guessing
                                             stroke saw us comfortably lower the  where a movie buff went after work! ★


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