Page 5 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37
P. 5

with the work of others including Pauls,  When I worked for Hoyt's at the Plaza  the position of the information in the
          (Edison format) and a Lumiere film  Wagga Wagga all the Hoyt's country  article may lead a reader to the
          ‘Venice showing Gondolas’. All of the  circuit in NSW had Kalee 21 heads only  conclusion that the lights were of this
          films would of course need to be 35  installed for Cinemascope on the existing  type when they were installed. In fact the
          mm format for the Vitascope. The  Westrex sound heads and universal bases.  ring of six flame lamps was added to
          Lumiere copy was screened at least a  This apparently was some deal struck to  each fitting by Mel Elliott soon after his
          month before the Lumiere          appease national/international cinema  appointment to the theatre.
          Cinematograph  opened in the USA!   trading politics. Maybe a reader knows
            In this instance Mr. Edison has to be  the story. So that's a few more theatres to
          given the benefit of the doubt. He may  add to the Kalee list.
          have purchased his Edison format copy  Steve Walsh, Charlton
          from Fuerst Bros. and not made a
          ‘conversion dupe’ after all.         Maurie Isaac told me that Kalees
          Ungentlemanly actions did not occur in  were in the Boomerang/Mayfair
          this business – did they? I welcome  Dandenong.  Later the projectors were
          comments.                         moved to Forest Hill.                 The article on the Regent Gardiner
          Peter Wolfenden, Sunbury             For a time in the 1970’s I worked  (same issue) described the circumstances
                                            with Maurie when he was in charge at  that resulted in the Health Department
                                            the Gala Dandenong. This also had  issuing an Order to Close and a request
                                            Kalees; Maurie thinks they were Model  to the local police that they report
                                            21, but he is not certain. This pair carried  whenever the cinema showed films. Why
                                            6000 foot spools on half inch shafts, and  make such a request?
                                            were fitted with an automatic change-  Health had several ways to ascertain,
                                            over system which we think was called  even without using its own inspectors,
                                            ‘Cinemation’. This was not a success  whether the cinema was operating.
                                            because the inertia of a 6000 foot spool  Regulations at that time specified the
                                            (or even one of 4000 feet) in the take up,  presence of a member of the local Fire
          Image courtesy of Dress Circle Magazine
                                            was sufficient to cause the film to snap at  Brigade at each session in cinemas of a
                                            every start.                       certain size. A phone call to the local
          Arrow Theatre
                                               Later the Gala was equipped with a  brigade would have supplied the needed
            Reading Denzil Howson's history of
                                            film platter system known as ‘SAM’ -  information.
          the former Middle Park Theatre (Issue
                                            Simplex Air Motor. The platters were  Health would have known that the
          38) reminded me of my visits there in
                                            driven by motors which were essentially  theatre was screening films, but must
          its reincarnation as the Arrow Theatre
                                            turbines powered by an air stream  have wanted an independent source of
          in the fifties. Can't recall seeing Frank
                                            derived from a single compressor. As the  records and had thus ‘covered itself.’
          Thring, but never forgot the brilliant
                                            motors accelerated and decelerated on  Ken Newell, East Bentleigh
          production of the classic Waiting for
                                            the supply platters, there was a continual
          Godot with Peter O'Shaughnessy and,
                                            whine up and down the scale. This could
          wait for it - Barry Humphries! This was
                                            be heard right through the theatre, and
          before his move to Moonee Ponds and
                                            sounded as if there was always a police
          the fame and fortune that came with his
                                            car in the street outside.
          Edna Everage character!
                                            Ken Newell, East Bentleigh
          Ian Williams, Balwyn
                                            Kalee Corrections
          More About Kalee: Anecdotes,
          Models, Theatres.                    Your Editor’s faulty memory twice
                                            ran ahead of the facts in the transcription
            The first complete Kalee projector I
                                            of Don Kennedy’s letter in Issue 38.
          saw were the 21's the Australian Film
                                            Several readers pointed out that the
          Institute had in their theatrette in
                                            Victoria North Richmond and the
          Cardigan Street, Carlton. They had
                                            Valhalla were the same theatre. Whoops!
          come from the Mornington Theatre.
                                            The Kalees were moved from the
            Bardsley Theatres in NSW had Kalee
                                            National Richmond to the Valhalla.
          21's at their Astor Glebe (now Valhalla),
                                               My second mistake was that the
          Fiesta Moruya and Kings Bega. Those
                                            Apollo Hawthorn did not have Kalee
          at Bega went to Sydney in the 70's for a
                                            projectors. (See Alf Lawrence’s
          stint at the Orpheum Cremorne (before
                                            reminiscence this issue.) The Kalee table
          Mike Walsh) and we bought the 21's
                                            will be updated in a future edition.
          from GU'S Star Drive-in Geelong to
          continue with this model at Bega. They  Gardenvale and Gardiner
          subsequently moved with us to Narooma  The article on the Mayfair
          and were eventually replaced with  Gardenvale (Issue 37) described each
          Cinemeccanicas.                   ceiling light as ‘a ring of six globes
                                            above a pearl saucer.’ This is correct, but
                                                                                       CINEMARECORD 2002     5
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