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thread up these wonderful
machines then carbon up the
electric arc. I learned to
accurately hand splice the 35
mm film and make up and break
down the entire program twice
a week. I screened the
advertising slides before the
show and at interval, then
operated the big dimmer banks
to take out the house lights and
the stage lighting right on cue as
the operator opened the curtains
and hit the screen with the
picture. Most operators took
great pride in their presentation
in those days and I got a swift
kick in the pants if my timing The Grand Theatre, Coburg. Image: CATHS Achive
was not spot on. Today it's all
done with computers. regulations required an operator and an
assistant operator to run the show.)
The Padua also boasted a large rotating stage
used for both live shows and films. In those Stumbling up the stairs to the dress circle at the
days (1948) Wilbur Kentwell would play the Grand, I asked the theatre manager how the
overture and interval recital on the Wurlitzer assistant had lost his fingers. "The xxxxx idiot
organ, starting on the stage behind the screen. was cleaning the projector while it was
As Wilbur and the organ were rotating around running, and the rag caught in the gears and
to face the audience, the spotlight had to pick pulled his fingers right through the machine!"
him up, iris out and follow him smoothly to
centre stage; then reverse the procedure at the "What kind of projectors do you have?" I
end of his performance, with another kick in asked, trying to imagine how you could
the pants if it was not just "spot on". possibly do that with an enclosed mechanism.

With all my chores done, I could then watch "We have a pair of old Powers projectors", he
the film up to the next change over. If I was said as we reached the door of the bio box - the
lucky, I would see about half the show, but it smallest box I had ever seen (obviously an
was very exciting to know that the after-thought) stuck against the back wall of
entertainment of all those people in the the theatre replacing three rows of seats in the
audience depended on how well we did our job. middle of the dress circle. You could drive a
bus clear through the Padua box and it was
About three weeks into my traineeship and I almost the width of the theatre, but this one -
had slipped into a comfortable routine. It was hell!
getting towards show time again when the
Manager burst into the bio box. "Quickly Kev! Charlie Bird, the operator, was just about to
Grab your coat and come with me; there's a start the show - now ten minutes late. My brief
taxi waiting to take you to the Grand Theatre introduction to Charlie was followed by, "Can
(Coburg). The assistant operator has just cut you thread a Powers?"
the top off three fingers, and you'll have to
replace him so they can run the show. Quickly "No Sir - I've never even seen a Powers."
- come on!" (Strict Health Department

December 2020 REEL DEALS 7