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Westrex four-track magnetic sound
had been installed and the film did
bumper business during its run. In fact
at the beginning we had four weeks of
consecutive full houses (the theatre held
just on 1000 patrons) and I remember
Bert Emerson and myself having to
fight our way up the stairs to the ‘gods’
which was where the projection room
was located. On one occasion we had to
push through, telling people if they
didn’t let us in there would be no
movie! I recall walking up the Collins
Street hill and seeing the queue
extending down and around the Town
Hall corner – aahh the good old days!
Another event which drew many
people from the movie business was the
Melbourne season of The Smallest Show
on Earth with Peter Sellers playing the
eccentric old projectionist Percy Quill
and Margaret Rutherford as a lolly girl
like you’ve never seen before. There
were hints of the real world in this film
with Quill leaning on the arc lamp with
his bottle of Scotch and butting out his
cigarette in the sand bucket as he ran
over to do a change-over. Familiar
territory here!
Above and Below: Harold Aspinall in the Athenaeum projection room around 1957.
In the 1950s it was still de riguer to
screen ‘God Save the Queen’ either at
the head or the end of the program. Like I enjoyed my two years at the
most theatres we had our ‘queen’ trailer Athenaeum. I did a lot of poking
which would be run and run and be around backstage and in the old
quite tatty after a few weeks. One day, dressing rooms. There was a back
out of the blue, a film can was delivered alleyway and on occasions I used to
to the projection room containing a sneak into the back entrance to the
brand spanking new “God Save the Town Hall (next door) and listen to the
Queen” with instructions for it to be Melbourne Symphony rehearsing.
placed into the programme immediately. Although the theatre did sterling
We soon found out why. The Victorian service as a cinema for all those years,
Governor, Sir Dallas Brooks was it is good to see it back as a live venue
coming to the evening show! for which it was designed.

Peter Sellers as projectionist in the British film “The Smallest Show On Earth”. Right: : 1955 letter of employment from Hoyts.

CINEMARECORD 2010 29