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There were occasional incidents to though one spot was focused on the it was a struggle to keep the roof on
prove that audiences had not forgotten wings and another on the ceiling. The and rain out. In some districts rockets
their blitz manners. Flying bombs manager although concussed, followed caused twice as much damage as did
(‘doodle bugs’) affected audiences the act on to the stage and said, the whole of the previous blitz. When
more than any other form of attack. “Whatever it was we’ve had it,” and a rocket ripped all the tarpaulins from
There was something devilish about the audience laughed. An accordionist the roof ten minutes before opening
them and the fact that the noise of one team kept the show going. “It was a time, the cry was “All hands on the
approaching could be heard over a real test of audience resilience,” said roof.” The staff changed into boiler
wide area combined to keep people at the manager later, “to see the way they suits and worked to such effect that
home. It took nerve of a particular queued for pass-outs before going when the County Council inspector
order to sit in your seat and watch a home. We opened up again three days arrived to assess the damage and said,
film while the ‘chug-chug’ of the later without exit doors; anyone could “You can’t possibly open”, the
engine drew nearer and then stopped, have walked in free, but no one did.” manager was able to ask, “Why not?”
possibly right over the theatre. and opened as usual - without a roof.
According to one manager, “Audiences Automatic re-opening had become a
would sit with one ear on the screen habit at Walthamstow. Later when the
and the other cocked outside, an wind blew, two of the theatre staff
attitude hardly conducive to would fight with tarpaulins on the roof,
relaxation.” A flying bomb over a and place buckets to catch drips at
cinema produced strange audience strategic points in the auditorium. One
reactions; the audience would rise to worry at Walthamstow was that the air
their feet as one and hold their breath washing plant sucked the tarpaulins
while it passed over. They would then over ducts in the void and drew in cold
sit down again with a long drawn out air. Instead of warm air, an icy blast
“A-a-ah” of relief; or else there would came through the vents under the
be a mass movement towards the exits seats. On another occasion, an
and then, as the explosion was heard, a operator, hearing a dripping sound in
reverse movement back to their seats. the void, groped around and placed a
Audiences never got used to flying bucket beneath the drops. The bucket
bombs; yet they were cold towards had been placed on the glass of a
rockets. The fact that no warning was ceiling light. Eventually the weight of
given with a rocket and that when you a full bucket of water cracked the glass
heard the explosion the danger had and tipped bucket and contents on to
passed, enabled them to retain a the patrons in the stalls.
Nazi bombers are over London, but at
fatalistic attitude. In fact in Edmonston The operating boxes of every
the Granada Harrow, female
and East Ham, which received large London cinema were full of unsung
projectionists carry on.
numbers of rockets, cinema heroes and heroines. Sixty to one
attendances during the 18 week period Just before opening time Granada hundred feet above the ground,
of the rocket attack were on average 99 Wathamstow parted with most of its wedged between heavy machines,
percent of those in 1943. roof from a flying bomb which hit 100 surrounded by electrical equipment,
One of the first flying bombs on yards further down the street. The first operators occupied the least enviable
London fell within 35 yards of the person to arrive in the foyer was a position in any theatre during a raid.
Granada Clapham Junction on 17 nearby publican with two bottles of Women operators made their first
June 1944. Gunfire had tilted it whisky for the theatre staff. The appearance in the Granada Group in
downwards just above the roof. The theatre had to be closed as it was 1940. Their advent was not popular
second operator was ‘spotting’ on the impossible to employ labour or to amongst the men. Apprentices had the
roof at the time and made a dive for obtain materials. It looked as though uneasy feeling that the women were
the cat ladder. The blast took him this Granada had ‘had it’. Brooding being trained to deprive them of their
through the door into the roof void. It over the options the manager and his jobs, until the accelerated call-up
was a Saturday afternoon with a maintenance foreman decided to make proved to them the wisdom of this
thousand people inside the building. the repairs themselves. A team of four: measure.
The main feature had just finished and manager, maintenance foreman, theatre Two hundred and eight women
a variety act was on the stage. The foreman and chief operator combed were trained as ‘operettes’ by Granada
manager had not given the alert, and it other theatres for spare materials. They theatres during the war. The majority
was lucky he had not, because anyone borrowed forty tarpaulins, hauled them were either below call-up age or
leaving would have been blown to on to the roof and made battens to mothers of young children; some
pieces. The front doors and all exits anchor them by; they then started volunteered for the work in response to
were blown in, and the doorman blown patching up the foyer. They worked on slides shown on the screen or
across the foyer into the telephone their own for three months, and by advertisements in foyers; others were
kiosk. Glass flew across the auditorium December, were able to apply for a directed to cinemas from labour
and there were cries from the permit to re-open. exchanges. They came from a range of
audience. On the stage the singers and The blast effects of rockets were occupations - waitress, sales, cook,
tumblers continued with their act severe. At the Granada Walthamstow nursemaid, hotel receptionist,

10 2003 CINEMARECORD