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Clockwise from top (left). The
projection room 1971: Super Standard
projectors with RCA sound heads and BTH
‘Supa’ arc lamps. Tending the machines
was assistant Tony Little.
One of the pair of water-cooled ‘Strong’
rotating positive carbon lamps installed in
August 1974.
Michael Purden (left) and Assistant Steve
Ryan, September 1971.
Photos by the author.

1978 brought a big change to the
sound system: Cine-Fi AM radio sound
was installed by engineer Rod Haley
from Village Theatre Supplies. Patrons
then tuned their car radio to the am
frequency of 109.5, or used the existing
projection room. Shortly after, a you focus the bloody picture?” two rows of speakers that remained.
message interrupted the movie Projectionist Keith Tennant had the
The managers over the years at
soundtrack to the effect that a certain ready response, “ Which cloud do you
Twilight were Eddie O’Donnell, Keith
gentleman was looking for his wife and want it focussed on?”
Tennant, John Inglis, John Thomas and
friend at the main gate. After the Twilight fared better than the Mike Purden.
announcement, four cars took off in a hardtops in town when television Every Sunday morning since the
cloud of dust for the exit, one driver station GMV6 opened in Shepparton in late 1970s a Trash and Treasure market
forgetting to leave his speaker behind 1962. Business built up to another had been running, which has benefited
and pulling the post over in his haste. boom time from 1970 to 1980, when
the local scout groups of Shepparton.
A child went off to the toilet on her many a popular movie banked-up
In July of 1980 Twilight was sold
own, came back and got into what she traffic from the drive-in down the
for the princely sum of $1,000,000 to
thought was her car. After a while the highway to the television station. Stand
the Zurcas family, who were local
mum said to her kids, “Aren’t you out features that come to mind were
orchard and hotel owners of
going to introduce me to your friend?” Smokey and the Bandit, which enjoyed
Shepparton. The manager and
The kids blandly said that they didn’t a two-week run, and the Steve
projectionist was Noel Eva.
know who she was. The little girl was McQueen classic The Great Escape.
The name was now changed to
soon reunited with her rightful mum In the early 70s the tariff on
and dad who, along with two carhops, imported projection equipment was Shepparton Drive-in.
had been frantically looking for her. abandoned, so in 1974 the B.T.H. lamp The last two rows of speakers had
not been needed for some time, so a
One night a thick fog came down. houses were retired and a pair of water-
portion of land fronting the highway
An announcement was made suggesting cooled Strong rotating positive carbon
was sold, and a large shed was
everyone move closer to the screen to arcs were installed. A year later the
constructed for a business selling
see a clearer picture. After a while an Super Standard projectors were
aluminium. The other corner at the rear
irate patron banged on the projection replaced by paired Century projectors
was redeveloped into a BMX track.
room door and demanded, “ Why don’t and soundheads.
16 2005 CINEMARECORD