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Letters



                       Australia
                  ABN 37 195 378 179
                    Reg A0020747R
           The aims of CATHS are: to record the  Film Storage Compromised      the film buffs, to whom one viewing of
           history of cinemas and theatres, and to  The article The Producer’s  a film was never enough? A small
           promote interest in theatre heritage and  Representative In Film Distribution  market perhaps, but why not service all
           architecture, and other related areas.
                                            (CR59) interested me because I knew  of the market?
                       Patrons:             first-hand what could happen when a   During the 1950s, when most
           Frank Van Straten OAM Peter Smith OAM  distributor acted on behalf of another
                      Philip Brady                                             companies established a 16mm
                                            film company.                      Division to supply clubs, institutions
                     Committee:                20th Century-Fox produced some of  and private individuals with programs,
            President: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870
           Vice President: Peter Wolfenden 9744 2570  the most successful and profitable films  Fox found that they only had a small
            Secretary: Mike Trickett 5278 1986  shown in Australia. By choosing to  number of the negatives used to make
            Treasurer: Rodney Bendix 9563 2927  release films from other companies Fox  the original 35mm release prints.
                 Shane Moore 9859 5126      were prepared to sacrifice their own  Another chance for additional returns
                Janetta Green 5439 6405     product, often for films of inferior  on earlier films lost.
                         ★                  quality. True, many of the British films  One company which did value their
                    Qld. Convenor:          distributed by Fox proved to be winners  most popular titles was M.G.M. A good
               Steve Maggs 0413 805 320     and brought some prestige to a company  number of their films from the 1930s
                         ★                  seen to be supporting our British cousins,  were still playing in cinemas until the
            Archivist: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870  but in the case of Republic Pictures only  1980s.
                  Events Co-ordinator:      a few titles were of any value.       It was director John Ford who
                 Brian Miller 9557 7446        The major problem for local     managed to persuade Herbert J. Yates
                   Film Buffs Group:
                 Mike Trickett 5278 1986    distributors, even a big one like Fox,  into a production deal from which The
                  Publications Sales:       was that their film vaults were too  Quiet Man evolved. Its enormous
               James Barrand 03 5229 8339   small for long-term storage. In order to  success in Australia more than justified
           Membership Secretary: Peter O’Reilly  provide space for new releases the  Fox's decision to handle the Republic
              PO Box 476 Bentleigh Vic. 3204  companies ruthlessly junked films as  Pictures product, but it came at a cost.
                 CinemaRecord Editor:
                       Ian Smith            soon as all contracts were exhausted.  William Gray, North Parramatta
                 iansmith8@bigpond.com      Where did this policy leave the    Vocaltone Sound
                    CATHS website:          thousands of film lovers interested in
                   www.caths.org.au         retrospective viewings?               I was particularly interested in the
                    Postal address:                                            article on cinema technology (The
               PO Box 476, Bentleigh 3204.     Revival houses often received   Magic Box CR59). I was excited to see
                                            requests for a film, only to discover that
                         ★                                                     the advertisement and picture of the
                                            no prints were available. Even the
           Membership                                                          Vocaltone sound system. I had video-
           Annual membership subscription is $45,  biggest stars usually start small, but any  recorded this at the former Canowindra
           (overseas subscribers $50) and   hope of tracing their history on the  cinema in 1999. From the four -pin
           members receive four copies of   screen was soon dashed.            valves I thought it must be about
           CinemaRecord, notification of events,  Having a great enthusiasm for films  1929/30, before eight-pin valves came
           and copies of the agenda and minutes  myself, I was fortunate to get a position  into existence, which was later in the
           of all meetings. There is no joining fee.   with Fox head office in Sydney, in the  1930s.
           Meetings                         film despatch department. I quickly
           Meetings are held on the last Sunday of  learned that many of the films I  Ross Thorne, Palm Beach
           February, April, June, August, October &  expected to find in storage were already  A Crayfish At The Trocadero
           November.                        junked. I couldn't believe that the   The Brian Quigley interview in
           Archive
           The Archive is located in the Prahran  number of titles to be destroyed every  CR60 brought back memories. Brian
           Mechanics’ Institute, 140 High Street  few months was really necessary, and  was instrumental in getting me
           Prahran, 9510 3393. The Archive will  when it was announced that Fox were to  projection work at the Capitol, East
           be open between 9.30am and 12.30pm  distribute Republic Pictures, I knew that  End Cinemas and Rivoli. I worked
           on the Saturday before each meeting  the discard rate would only get worse.   opening night at the Dandenong 10
           (see above), and at other times by  To accommodate the minor titles,  multiplex, and the original Southland 8.
           appointment with the archivist.  good Fox films were just thrown away.  Of special interest for me was his
           Publications                     The doctrine was: Why have films   mention of Hoyts Trocadero in
           Back issues of CinemaRecord, other  sitting in the vaults earning only  Footscray and the projectionist there,
           publications, CDs and videos are  occasional money, when you can have  Alec Boyce. The ‘Troc’ was my first
           available at meetings. Items are also  new titles filling contracts? Sound  official projection job in 1955 when I
           available by mail. Please contact Garry
           Saunders on 9812 7227 for details.  business sense, but where did it leave  was 16 and I found Alec wonderful to


          4   2008 CINEMARECORD
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