Page 16 - CinemaRecord #11R.pdf

Jim Walshe- Photophone Theatres by Mike Purden

As a kid I followed pictures way back in the early days of the travelling fellows fro111 "1enalla, Ritchies they were.
The days of ringing the bell around the town announcing that the pictures were '- . The days of turning the
handle, movies like "When The Kelly's Rode". I remember the silents at Dookie where I lived, where Bill
Feldtmann played the piano. I recall George Holland was the first traveller with silent films at Dookie who also
had the sound on disc.

I commenced my projection training at Dookie with Rick Reckner before the war. After the war I commenced
full time with Rick Reckoner. My wages as a projectionist were one Pound ($2) a day, six Pounds ($12} per
week. I was a Sergeant in the Army and I got 1 0/6d ($1.05) a day, and so it was a better wage than the Army.

The working week was Monday Rushworth Shire Hall
Tuesday Stanhope Memorial Hall
Wednesday Murchison Mechanics Institute
Thursday Dookie Memorial Hall
Friday Mooroopna Mechanics Hall
Saturday Cobram Mechanics Hall

The equipment was transported around in an International van. At Dookie we used to project from outside the
end of the hall with a pair of RCA photophone portables placed on tables and planks, projecting through
openings in the wall. I then suggested we build a permanent bio box. This we did, so a brick sided bio box was
constructed at the other end of the hall, the stage end, and the stage became our upstairs circle. The old bio
box has only recently been demolished.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••r•
.
. I ·-----------------···----------~ '
I) ltotop.'Jtons ' I) ltoto p ho ns
r:Flteatrss r:Fltsatres

Theatre Programme Theatre Programme

COMING A'ITRACTIONS COMING .ATTRAC'fiONS
.FROM DECEMBER 20 TO FEBRUARY 17 FROM AUGUST 3 TO OcroimR 1
·It is true M 0 V I" E S a1·e better than PERMANENT PROJECTION AND
eyer. Again we ofr~r you Major P1·oduc- SOUND IS INSTALLED IN OUR
t10us f1·om Britain and U.S.A. with Widc- THEA TUES.
sc,·ccn and Color you must agree the
Theatre is the place for good Family En- Namely:
tertainment_. so if you are wise stay tuucd , RushworU1 C. ,!!nd W. Projection, Ray-
to this channel fo1· pel·fcctiou in photog- COJlhone Sound.
raJJhy and sound. . 'Murchison, R.C.A. Complete Sound and
and P1·ojection.
:All Pilms . marked (A) arc approved as
Suitable fo1· Adults only. Those moarked Stanhope, c. and W. P1·ojcction, Pyrol'
(X) as uot S uitable for General Exhi. Sound. ,
bition. Films not so mark~d; For Gener- A U Films mnkcd (A) at·e approved as
al Exhil>ition.
Suitable for Adults only, Those marked
Admission prices for "THE TEN COM- (X) as uot Suitable for Gcne1·al Exhi-
MANDMENTS' bition. ' Films not so mark~!l For Gener-
Back ·soous: 8/- Adults (inc. tax), 4/3 ::.1 Exhil>itiou. ' ·
Children (inc. tax). Front Stalls: Adults
·6/6 (inc. tax). Child1·cn 3/- (inc. tax).
J. & L. WALSHE (Props.)
J. & 'L. WALSHE (Props.)
:Phone 93. Rushworth. Phone 93. Ruahworth.
••a•••-• • • •••• • • • .. •• --~- •.,. •••••• •u•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••~
They were great days! We signed contracts for films, a certain amount of features were bought from the film
companies and had to be played out. Admission prices were Adults 2/2d (22 cents) and kids 9d (9 cents). Film
programs then cost approximately ten pounds ($20) for a feature and a Movietone Newsreel cost us five bob
(50 cents). After a period of about 12 months Rick Reckner sold the plant and business to me.

Jack Scott started up the Melba theatre at Cobram and it was no longer viable to go and screen in opposition
so Cobram became no longer part of the circuit. While with I was Reckner we had to put up a screen every time
we arrived at each location, so I introduced the idea of leaving a permanent screen set up at each hall that we
worked. It was a hard business from town to town. You had to be around wath the kids with a torch.