| Reference Type |
book
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| Title |
Twenties Child |
| Author(s) | Ivy Arney |
| Town |
Melbourne |
| State |
VIC |
| Country |
Australia |
| Publication Date |
00-00-1987 |
| Citation Date |
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| Comments |
This work describes the author's childhood in and around the Collingwood area in the 1920's. Pages 27-31 describes a visit to the local Lyric theatre. Pages 27-28 describe the formality of the occasion which involved formal dress. It also mentions that they would take fruit to eat at interval rather than purchase from the 'lolly boy' to save money. Tickets must have been relatively cheap for the extended family to afford what is described here as a weekly Saturday night visit to the pictures:
Excepts from pg 27-28: âThe Lyric Theatre was about a kilometre away, and great preparations were made for the outing of the week: tea was eaten earlier than usual on Saturday night to allow us plenty of time for my slower steps and a more leisurely pace for Dad to push the wheelchair. The outing called for our best clothes. Grandma, of course, in her usual black; Mum with her hat and gloves; Dad in his suit, hair brushed, shoes shined to perfection; and me complete with hat, gloves and handbag. In the winter I wore full-length woolen gaiters, and we all buttoned our warm coats high against the cold weather. Into my motherâs commodious handbag went a paper bag with a few pieces of fruit and a small knife. The lolly boy always came round the theatre during interval with his tray of sweets and ice creams, but it was an extravagance to buy anything when we had fruit at home."
Also mentions the type of films shown and live entertainment shown and the fact that they were unclassified at this time:
"There was no classification of films, so it was left to the parents to decide when they should take the children. I was taken to all the films. As the films were silent with titles at the bottom of the screen, it was easy enough to remove the film from the child, rather than the other way about, by very simple means. If it appeared that an unsuitable or unpleasant scene was imminent, my mother quietly said, âClose your eyes until I tell you itâs all rightâ.
Once or twice, however, I could not resist taking a peep at the forbidden scenes, and was punished by seeing sinister villains pursuing their victims through cobwebby corridors, or a hapless heroine making her perilous way across the quicksands, or disappearing over the cliff where the stormy waves dashed on the rocks. I quickly closed my eyes again, but the images stayed with me, to rise many times in the darkness of my bedroom."
"There were usually two films screened, and the first half was taken up with a newsreel or a comedy. When the lights went up at interval, Mum produced the bag of fruit. My chief delight was to have the top half of a pear with the stem attached which became a small juicy bell to munch as I watched the people around us and waited for the return of the pianist who provided the sound effects for the silent films."
"Sometimes there was the added attraction of live artists who provided entertainment before the second feature. Once a Scottish gentleman, kilt, tartan and all, sang, âIâll take the high road and youâll take the low road,â whilst a bonnie lassie walked down a ramp to the orchestra pit to suit the action of the song. Another night a contortionist â a lady in sparkling tights â did amazing feats such as sitting with her leg around her neck, or bending backwards to sip from a glass of water on the floor behind her. Other times there were jugglers, elocutionists, or just funny men singing funny songs, vainly trying to keep their places in the world of entertainment that was being taken over by the lifeless figures flickering on the screen behind them."
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| Synopsis |
Biographical work by Ivy Arney about her childhood in Collingwood in the 1920's. Contains several pages describing a visit to the Lyric Theatre.
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tags: classification Collingwood contortionist elocutionist lolly boy
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