Page 18 - CR31R.pdf

My Life In The

Cinema

By Kevin Adams
Its often not until you step back and look at your life
experiences that you begin to realize how very full your life
has been. My love of “Showing Pictures” began early and
continues to this day. Astor, St.Kilda

From my early teens, I had a weekends were spent working at the
complete home cinema called The Progress Theatre in West Coburg! My
Paramount in the family home in newspaper and home cinema were still
Newport. At the same time I was there – but we had some very odd
producing my own widely distributed session times, due to this hectic
weekly newspaper called The schedule!
Courier, both of which (at the age of Leaving home for the first time was Lakeside Drive-In, Yarrawonga
16) were featured in a 3-page colour a major shift – not just across town
story in The Australasian Post –but interstate to the New South Wales 3 different owners) but was also
magazine. city of Wagga-Wagga where I was the involved in the re-opening and
Upon leaving school, I began a 22 Projectionist at the massive art-deco operation of both the Stargazer
year (so far) career in the cinema Plaza Theatre. Drive-In Theatre at Albury, and the
industry by becoming a full-time Lakeside Drive-In Theatre at
Assistant Projectionist at the Australia Yarrawonga with Hoot. I also did
Twin Cinema (Collins Street) whilst relief projection work at the Bright
also attending the 35mm Projectionist Cinema; Wangaratta Tafe Theatrette,
Course at the RMIT. For further and would often lend a hand at the
experience, I would ride my push-bike Mansfield Star Cinema which was
several kilometres each week to spend operated by my good friends, Eddie
time at Hoyts Altona Drive-In and Roma Revell.
Plaza, Wagga
Theatre – and holidays were often
spent in the nearest bio-box, including The return to Melbourne a year
the River-Vu Drive-In at Echuca, and later was brief, as I was then off to
the Regal Cinema at Benalla. For a another venture as Assistant
couple of years at each Christmas Manager/Projectionist, in partnership
holiday season l ran my own open-air with John Mann at the lovely Astor
“Bayside Theatre” in the seaside Theatre in Ararat. The next move to
caravan park at Barwon Heads. North-East Victoria came in 1983
Astor, Ararat
when I went to the Regal Cinema in
Benalla with “Hoot” Gibson and All this was going on whilst I still
family. This in turn led to becoming operated the Drive-In, making many
Manager/Operator (everything) at the improvements and slowly building the
Wangaratta “Skyline” Drive-In business up. My relief projectionist
Theatre for nearly 10 years. The was the editor of the local newspaper,
drive-In was very much “my baby”, I and so I also ended up doing additional
Regal, Benalla absolutely loved it, and miss it greatly. work there as a Compositor and
Wangaratta really became home to Typesetter as well as writing and
When the Australia Twin closed for me – during my many happy years producing my own “special features”
refurbishment and automation there, I not only ran the Drive-In (for for quite some time.
(goodbye to assistants), I became the
Film Booker and Despatch Clerk for
Greg Lynch Film Distributors, which
was located in the old “film centre” in
Hoddle Street, Richmond. Whilst this
job was 9 to 5 weekdays, most
weeknights were spent as an usher at
the Roma Cinema in Bourke Street -
except for the night I peddled over to
the Drive-In. And as if this wasn’t
Skyline Drive-In, Wangaratta
enough, for over two years, my
18 2002 CINEMARECORD