The ARCADIA "Picture Show" at Lidcombe N.S.W.
The nearest "Picture Show"to our home in Berala was the Arcadia Theatre in Lidcombe - a slow thirty, or brisk twenty minutes walk away. There was a regular bus service stopping at the corner of our street, running between Lidcombe and Regents Park. The trains of course went from Berala(on the Main Southern Line) just one stop to Lidcombe - but we did not use them for going to "the pictures". After the show, the bus waited across the way outside the paper shop ( newsagent) next to the Post Office and always left packed full.
Mum and Dad always dressed up to go to "the pictures"and, since it would be past my bedtime, I was in my pyjamas and dressing gown - quite snug in the winter! At Interval after the Newsreel , a cartoon or two, and either a documentary (Lowell Thomas'Travelogues were regulars ( "And so we say FAREWELL to......") or a C Grade movie , Dad(sometimes with me ) would go out to one of the three "Milk Bars"one on either side of the "Picture Show" and another across the road - his favourite "The Black Cat". We would have a milk shake and /or an ice cream and take something nice back to Mum in the "Picture Show" . The Milk Bars were very heavily crush-packed at interval, and were no place for a lady!.On odd occasions my older brother Pat would accompany us. He was thirteen years older than me, and not much interested in this little kid. The age difference was so great that I looked up to him at all times, though I know I would have welcomed some greater recognition from him.
The show always commenced with the National Anthem(this was of course War time but I believe it had always been so.) That was of course, "God Save the King"( George VI - Father of the present Queen) the film backing it presented the rolling sea - everyone knew that Britannia ruled the waves - or as some wag later said, waived the rules- then the Naval Ensign was superimposed on the waves and the King's profile brought the whole to a resounding conclusion. EVERYONE stood! I felt proud and justified -we were going to beat those baddies!
We usually sat in the left hand front section toward the back ( come to think of it we still do that to-day).The second rear section sloped gently back to the entrance doors from the Foyer. Years later when I went to "the pictures"on Saturday Afternoons with my mate Brien Dryden ( who lived opposite us) we usually sat in this area on the right hand side facing the screen.Some kids took advantage of the slope to release an occasional bounty of "JAFFAS"(Chocolate Balls coated with lurid Orange coloured glaze) toward the occupants on the flat area below. Most of the films we saw when the War was on were what we would now so loftily and superiorly call wartime propaganda. Of course our blokes, or the Poms or even the yanks had a tough time , but they ALWAYS came out on top of those nasty Nazies and evil little guys from up North. What else were you going to show people at risk of invasion? The rush to the EXIT was bad enough to catch the Bus - Heaven knows what it might become if people were shown how real the threat was!
My memories of those evenings at "the pictures"with my dear Mum and Dad are all fond, safe and happy - the simple joy of the childhood of those days.
It was in this same "Picture Show"that young , diminutive and beautiful Elsie Georgina Beckmann had met smart, good-looking John (Jack) Joseph Dixon , and had been attracted to him because he had, as she said later, "kind eyes".
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