Hierarchy in the cinema (Mike Williams)
Mike Williams interviewed by Richard Wallace
Projectionist Mike Williams describes the impact of promotion on his relationships with other cinema workers.
Drinking, as a, as a projectionist there was a pub across the road run by an ex-assistant manager of the Olympia. I used to do all my drinking in there with the usherettes. And then I became a trainee manager and one evening I thought I’ll go across for a pint, just after I started as trainee manager and I'm walking down the foyer and Mr Key, the manager, “Where you going, Michael?” Said, “I'm going across for a pint, Mr Key.” “Right,” he said, “You’re not going to the Taff Vale are you?” I said, “Well, yeah.” “Oh, no,” he said, “You can't go there anymore, you have to go to the club behind.” He said, “Mention my name,” he said, “I'm a member there, they’ll serve you in there.” I said, “Yeah, but … I always go in the Taff there.” He said, “Staff go in there, you can't drink with the staff. You can be friendly with them in the cinema but you can't drink with them outside.” Sort of status quo thing, you know. And I never drank in the Taff ever again after that, shameful really. Shameful. Ah funny, they had funny, funny morals cinema people did, awfully strange.
Title
Hierarchy in the cinema (Mike Williams)
Subject
team relations
career development
Description
Projectionist Mike Williams describes the impact of promotion on his relationships with other cinema workers.
Creator
The Projection Project
Source
Interview with Mike Williams
Publisher
The University of Warwick
Date
04/12/2015
Contributor
Richard Wallace
Mike Williams
Relation
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/7970
Format
.mp3
Language
English
Type
Sound recording
interview extract
Coverage
1956-1964
Interviewer
Richard Wallace
Interviewee
Mike Williams
Date of Interview
25/08/2015
Location
Cardiff
Transcription
Drinking, as a, as a projectionist there was a pub across the road run by an ex-assistant manager of the Olympia. I used to do all my drinking in there with the usherettes. And then I became a trainee manager and one evening I thought I’ll go across for a pint, just after I started as trainee manager and I'm walking down the foyer and Mr Key, the manager, “Where you going, Michael?” Said, “I'm going across for a pint, Mr Key.” “Right,” he said, “You’re not going to the Taff Vale are you?” I said, “Well, yeah.” “Oh, no,” he said, “You can't go there anymore, you have to go to the club behind.” He said, “Mention my name,” he said, “I'm a member there, they’ll serve you in there.” I said, “Yeah, but … I always go in the Taff there.” He said, “Staff go in there, you can't drink with the staff. You can be friendly with them in the cinema but you can't drink with them outside.” Sort of status quo thing, you know. And I never drank in the Taff ever again after that, shameful really. Shameful. Ah funny, they had funny, funny morals cinema people did, awfully strange.
Original Format
One-to-one interview
Duration
00:01:02
Bit Rate/Frequency
320kbps
Cinema
ABC (Olympia) Cinema, 67 Queen Street, Cardiff