West's Theatres "Win a Pony competition" c 1957. The prize was part of a promotion campaign for the Tim Hovey Film, The Private War of Major Benson. Tim was a juvenile star of the era and Wests Picture Theatre and the local radio station 5AD in a joint promotion wanted to find Adelaide's cutest boy between the ages of 6 to 9. The prize? Their very own Pony. I dread to think what happened to that poor pony.
Image courtesy of State Library of South Australia https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1662/9/35
If you were to speak with most movie/picture theatre enthusiasts you would
find that their love for film and picture theatres began in their childhood. They will recount the many Saturday mornings and afternoons that they would spend at their local picture theatre. From the earliest days of cinema, films would be made to attract different audiences/target markets. The target audience Saturday morning and into the early afternoon were children.
As early as 1921 going to the cinema was one of the most popular forms of entertainment in Australia (Screen Australia n.d). With a population of just six million in the 1920s there was a reported two-and-a-quarter million admissions to picture theatres each week (Collins 1987, p.17). With most people working five and a half days a week,Saturday night would be the biggest night in the Picture Theatre industry. Saturday Night at the Movies has become 'enshrined ...in popular consciousness' (Collins 1987, p. 19).
But Saturday afternoon was for the kids. Universal's Australian manager, Herc McIntyre was reported to have said 'Go after the kids. Catch 'em young and keep 'em coming' (Collins 1987, p.27). Saturday matinees were typically a child only zone. Reading the childhood memories of visiting the pictures on a Saturday 'arvo' you would think only the bravest or the most foolhardy of adults would have ventured to a picture house on a Saturday afternoon to see a film. Bob Byrne remembers such Saturday afternoon shows as being filled with
'constant noise from chattering excited kids, regular bursts of cat calls and the sound of Jaffas rolling down the aisle. It was mayhem with the ushers and usherettes continually shining torches on noisy groups in an attempt to restore some form of order.' (Saturday Arvo at the Pictures, 2014)
Unlike films today the audiences at cinemas right up until the late 1970s would get for the price of their admission ticket either a short film, newsreel, or cartoons and then the main attraction. There would be an interval that would allow the kids to stock up on lollies, ice cream, and drinks (Skrzynecki 1984, p. 273).
Children alighting from a Bowman's Bus outside Wests in Hindley Street c 1961. The bus is advertising the film PEPE.
Image courtesy of State Library of South Australia https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1662/9/313
What kinds of film were children being shown?
'B grade movies and sometimes worse and most often were in black and white. They covered various genres – westerns, adventure, science fiction and what passed as horror in those days. There were lots of comedies too. Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges, still funny today. Other series comedies like Ma and Pa Kettle and Francis the Talking Mule – not so much. Tarzan movies were popular but the actors who played Tarzan kept changing.' (Standing under the weir: Penrith Memories)
The Port Pirie Recorder dated Friday 17 August 1945 advertised the "children matinee" at the Waterman Amusements owned Port Pirie Ozone. To be able to bundle the children off to the cinema for the afternoon got them out from underneath their parent's feet. In the days of less leisure that we enjoy today, Saturday afternoon would have been a busy time for both parents. Dad may have worked in the morning, and then would have work to do about the house, mowing the lawn, doing household repairs. And mum's work never stopped, cooking cleaning etc. Sunday was the only day of rest in most households, that was of course, after a visit to church in the morning.
Photo courtesy of Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/9170123
But some films would cause consternation and there were accusations that the films the children were seeing were having a detrimental impact on the children ( The Register 19 October 1918, p.10), - a similar argument today would be the impact that certain video games have on children. Serials, such as the B Grade Westerns or Spy Thrillers were typically aimed at the childhood market. The storyline would be held over several episodes, so a child would have to go the movies each Saturday afternoon to view the next episode. Some serials were reported as having been so scary that when the lights went up children could be seen 'hiding behind their seats' (The News (Adelaide), 28 February 1942). At the 1932 annual NSW Mother's Union meeting the Bishop of Armidale called for mothers to demand for better films for their children (Queensland Times 1 August 1932). Citing eyesight strain and nervous excitement making the children unfit for school(ibid). And that some of the films being shown to children had storylines that included murder, suicide and sexual subjects(ibid).
Typical Child's matinee feature - Western with high adventure
Border Watch (Mt Gambier) 21 March, 1953 p. 6
Image courtesy Trove: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/7733305
References
Byrne, Bob 2014 'Saturday Arvo at the Pictures', Adelaide Remember When,November 30th, retrieved 2 october 2023 Saturday Arvo at the Pictures | Adelaide Remember When
'Children and Cinema', Queensland Times (Ipswich),1 August 1932, p. 10.
'Children and Moving Pictures', The Register, 19 October 1918, p. 10.
Collins Diane, 1987, Hollywood Down Under: Australians at the Movies, 1896 to the Present Day, Angus & Robertson, Sydney and United Kingdom.
'Movie Stars Who Hung on Cliffs', The News (Adelaide), 28 Feb 1942, p. 5.
Skrzynecki, Peter 1984. 'Going to the Pictures', Southerly Vol. 44, Iss. 3, September.
Screen Australia n.d. Admissions and Key Events 1901- Present. https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/fact-finders/cinema/industry-trends/historical-admissions
Tivey Beverley, 1970 'Just what is 'suitable' for Children?', The Bulletin, vol. 092, no. 4687,
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