Page 13 - CR

In 1934, Western Suburbs Cinemas
purchased a two-manual, thirteen-
rank organ for their new Civic
Theatre at Auburn.

This instrument had previously
been installed for demonstration
purposes in the home of Wurlitzer’s
Australian agent, where it had
comprised ten ranks. A further three
ranks were added for its new role in
the cinema. In 1958 the Wurlitzer
was purchased by TOSA pioneer
and keen organ enthusiast, John
Clancy for his new residence.

In January 1936 it was reported by a If the management were lucky, ucky,
h the
police inspection, that the seating had they could get away with the Collectable
been altered to 2303 and a letter of practice, but sometimes they Badges. 1930s.
they
explanation was requested by the Chief may have forgotten that smart
smart
movies!
Secretary's Department. policemen also attend the movies!
Many a theatre was reported to the d h
In February police again reported that Chief Secretary’s Department for having
the seating had been reduced to 2277, additional seats, and even some drive-
they also noted that extra seats were ins were found to have extra speaker
being placed in the passageway of the posts in later years.
dress-circle on Saturday nights. Mr.
Bezant received a letter from the police After a May 1937 matinee, a
warning him of no further breaches! fire broke out on the stage of the
Civic when a “Metaline” curtain
Such discrepancies in the number of made contact with an incandescent
seats in theatres were common practice electric lamp. An examination by
in the heyday of the single screen an inspector found that the original
theatres. Usually on Friday and Saturday electrical installation was faulty and 1960s.
nights it was a “House Full” for most of would have to be redone.
them, so management found it hard to
resist adding a few chairs somewhere 1947.
in the auditorium.

They may have been single kitchen type
seats or a better way was to have a row
of theatre chairs mounted on battens
which could be pushed into the wider
passageways of the auditorium, much
the same way as theatre chairs could be
pushed out of the way in country halls
for dances etc.

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