Title
Training (Phil Fawke)
Description
Projectionist and cinema manager Phil Fawke describes the process of training 'on the job'.
Creator
The Projection Project
Source
Interview with Phil Fawke
Publisher
The University of Warwick
Contributor
Richard Wallace
Phil Fawke
Relation
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/24797
Type
Sound recording
interview extract
Interviewer
Richard Wallace
Date of Interview
04/12/2014
Transcription
I started at the Regal, Leamington Spa as a fifth projectionist, believe it or not. And we weren’t allowed to touch a machine. We weren’t allowed to do much really except clean up and make tea for the chief projectionist. And we used to have to stand at the back of the box which we called it then, not a projection room, it used to be a box, and watch the other people and then you were allowed to take a spool out of the bottom and take it into the rewind room. Then you were eventually told how to rewind it and you had to be very slow, hold your finger on the film which burnt you, I can tell you. Then you burnt it and you had to check every joint, every V cut, everything. And then eventually in about 1942 I was allowed to take my first change-over. Because in those days the film used to come in ten minute reels and it was joined on to make 20 minute reels, and each 20 minute reels went on to a projector and then you had a dot to start the motor and another dot to change over. And you had blank film which ran through the other projector while it was on. So you had to… and first film was called My Gal Sal that I made a change-over on. And I did it right, thank goodness for that. It had to be perfect.
Original Format
One-to-one interview
Bit Rate/Frequency
320kbps
Cinema
Regal/Vue, Portland Place, Leamington Spa
Regal, 511 Foleshill Road, Coventry
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