Page 25 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

found out later that something had
been placed inside the wall between
the box and the auditorium to reduce
noise.
The arc-lamps were AC (alternating
current) hand fed and used 7mm
carbons. These hummed, as might be
expected. The Bramley shutters also
chattered and hummed. The picture
change-over between projectors was
done by gripping a metal bar attached
to two small galvanised iron sheets and
sliding the sheets sideways in tracks
attached to the wall. The steel sheets
had zig-zag edges for a snug fit. We
could if we wished, do a slow wipe
across the screen.
My guess was that at an earlier
time the change-over was done by the
dowsers. There was a pair of small
pulleys attached to the ceiling where it
seemed a cord, wire or chain would
have passed from the dowser of one
projector to that of the other.
The sound changeover was through
the exciter lamps. Each projector had
its own exciter lamp supply and
switch. Thus, a change over from one
projector to the other was really a two
man job – or one man moving very
quickly. There were two amplifiers,
each complete and separate except for
The article was headed ‘Progress of a Garden Suburb’. The Depression put paid to the
the output transformer that was
elaborate frontage, but the interior was built to the original dimensions.
plugged into one amplifier or the other.
The Herald 20 May 1931. Source: State Library of Victoria
The amplifier used most of the time
was on a single large chassis and sat
were left running all the time when faders, and this served to change the
loose on a shelf of five-ply timber
this amplifier was in use. sound from one record to the other,
mounted on shelf brackets attached to
The slide projector was a simple and to control the volume.
the front wall. The shelf was pretty
item using a 240V/1,000W Now, something about our
rickety - I think it was a product of
incandescent lamp. When I started operations. We screened on Friday and
handyman construction rather than any
work there the lamp-house and a Hans- Saturday nights at 7.45, and there was
design to reduce injected noise.
Goertz movement for an arc machine a childrens matinee on Saturday
This amplifier used push-pull 2
were lying on the floor under the slide afternoons. Friday night always stated
A3’s in the output stage following a
projector table. The mirror had been early at 7.25 with the current episode
single valve phase splitter. The second
cracked by the arc flame. We later of the children’s serial. For this, house
amplifier was mounted quite a bit
managed to get this working again by lights were taken down to about half
above the other in a nicely made steel
embedding the pieces of mirror in brilliance and the front pair switched
cabinet, and comprised two chassis
Plaster-of-Paris. They had to be off. After the serial the curtains were
one above the other. I thought that the
carefully aligned, but the result was closed again and the house lights
two chassis should have been mounted
worth while. Arc power from the brought up. Minutes later the main
in the opposite positions, so that the
nearer projector had to be used for program started. The matinee used the
one producing more heat was on the
this. Sometimes we had to pinch the same features as the night program if
top. This one had several type 56
supply from that arc. they were suitable for children. If one
valves as voltage amplifiers, leading
Unfortunately the non- or both films were not suitable then
into a push-pull transformer feeding
synchronised set-up was at the other substitutes were used. The serials came
into a stage comprising the two halves
end of the room. There were two mainly from Universal, with a few
of a 53 which then drove the output
Collaro turntables (78rpm only) with from Columbia.
push-pull pair of EL5s. For this
straight pick-up arms about 3/4 inch In my day the stirring music to
amplifier, the sound change-over was
square fitted with crystal cartridges open the show was the opening
by a pair of Western Electric type
which I think were Shure. On the wall statement from ‘La Reve Passe’
faders, mechanically coupled - so that
above the turn-tables was a small (which I understand translates as ‘The
one was the actual fader and the other
replica of the Western Electric sound Lost Dream’.)
merely a remote control Both exciters
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