Page 16 - CinemaRecord #87

HARRY WATSON -

BRUNSWICK PICTURE THEATRE PIONEER

Laurie Cunningham

he realisation that 2012 marks the gained would stand him in very good stead for films that he had signed up for the historic
TCentenary Year of the opening of the the future. occasion. There was the bizarre act "Gordon
Empire Picture Theatre in suburban the Great", a one legged gymnast who
Melbourne brings to mind that it was also the His entry into Brunswick was at the time when performed amazing things on the horizontal
time when one of its most colourful identities cable trams trundled along at a slow easy pace. bar. Then came a certain Miss Ella Airlie who
came onto the scene. Although this would have A vicious street gang known as the Hungry sang, with great gusto, a song she had
more likely happened in 1911, he was Seventy Twos wanted to pick fights with all composed herself, called “Bottle, oh”. This
animated, dapper, good looking, confident and, and sundry, and the sound of a new music was greeted with sustained applause, but as the
in the style of the American showman that he craze called Ragtime emerged from music Brunswick and Coburg Leader reported
claimed to be, colourful American Show Biz shops. enthusiastically, it was her version of "The
jargon rolled easily off his tongue. His name Baby and the Crocodile" that really brought
was Harry Watson. The fascinating truth about the house down. Harry would have loved to
him, however, was that his claim of being an have been a part of the action on the opening
American was a sham, possibly brought about night I suspect.
to lift his profile in the then competitive field
of theatre management. He was actually born 1914 was certainly a memorable year in his
right here in Melbourne. Yet so convincing life and for many reasons. George Smith had
was his act, only those closest to him would resigned from The Empire to take over The
have known about it. Williamstown Theatre in Williamstown and
the Trocadero in Footscray. This move paved
Certainly not the late Les Barnes, a legendary the way for Harry to become the Empire's part
figure in the Brunswick history group to whom time Manager as well as retaining that role at
I spoke back in 1993 when I was researching the Lyric.
the Empire for a book I intended to write on
Brunswick's picture theatres. In his boyhood, In the same year, he was appointed secretary
Les had actually seen Harry in action on the of Combined Pictures Ltd., and one of his first
Empire’s stage. tasks was to arrange a picnic at far away
Greensborough for the theatre employees and
"He was an American", Les told me. "A real their families. There were many sports on offer
showman, he wore a straw boater hat on the for both sexes, and Harry proved himself to be
back of his head and he liked to promote the a top runner by winning the two events in
Empire by telling the audience that it was the which he had competed. But, more
best picture theatre in the world”. Typical importantly, it was here that his heart was
Yank, they like to lay it on a bit thick. stolen by a beautiful 16 year old girl named
Veronica Devere Rice. This could have come
It was the memory of that interview that about as he watched the bubbly young thing
recently made me curious about Harry Watson Harry Watson Source: Trove win the first prize in the "Ladies’ cricket ball
and led me on the research trail. Luckily I did throwing competition”. Romance blossomed
so, for in truth it showed that his real life was More importantly however, in the context of and they were married at the Church of
a story that was every bit as exciting and Harry's future career, Brunswick's first purpose England in Glenlyon Road on 20 August 1914.
dramatically involved as many of the films that built picture theatre, the Lyric, stood on the
he would later spruik so colourfully on the corner of Michael Street. Across the road, next Even this event cast controversy on Harry's
theatre stage. to the Retreat Hotel, the Empire Theatre was complicated life. On the marriage certificate
due to open its doors to the public the year he gave his occupation for some reason as
With the able assistance of my good friend and after. labourer, yet on other documents he was
expert Genealogist Max Saunder, we found described as a theatrical manager. He also
that he was born out of wedlock in It was of no surprise then that the rich prize of stated on the certificate that he was 26 years of
Collingwood; the date mentioned was about being the first manager of the Lyric would age when, in fact, he was nearer to 29.
1885. His name was actually Harold Herbert soon go to Harry. Although future reports Veronica, too, upped her age to 17, when she
Watson. His death record and marriage would identify him mostly as the manager of was still only 16. Not that this mattered much.
certificate revealed that his mother's name was the Lyric, he also played a role as assistant, According to Les Barnes, the handsome Harry
Rose Caruthers and his father was Harry and then manager of the Empire. and his beautiful young wife soon became the
Watson. Evidently he was unwanted by both, talk of Brunswick, albeit with some
and was placed in an orphanage. Later, as a This occurred in 1913, when the Lyric and the controversy.
boy, he sold newspapers in the mean streets of Empire merged to form Brunswick Theatres
Collingwood to survive. Ltd. Harry became the assistant at the Empire It appeared that Veronica was her own woman,
to George Smith who, because of his efforts, a feminist before her time. "She dressed up to
In 1930 the direction of his life was changed ensured that the opening of the Empire on 27 the nines", said Les Barnes when he was telling
forever when he joined a group of men who June 1912, was such a spectacular success. me about this. "A real good sort she was, and
travelled around the country towns of Victoria she did not skimp on the makeup. She smoked
showing films to the locals, many who had In front of a packed to the rafters audience, in the street too”. In those conservative days,
never seen one before. The experience he George introduced the vaudeville acts and all of that was thought to be scandalous

16 CINEMARECORD # 87