PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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PAGE 3 Despite problems like that, Mr Charters continued to draw people to his small cinema. In October 1963 he set up a special foyer display in order to create a jungle atmosphere while the film "Hatari" was showing. Foliage and paintings of animals and jungle scenes decorated the foyer while the box office notice displaying the prices of admission had been altered to read "Treetops Hotel" for the circle and "Jungle" for the stalls. However, he had to give up his hopes of having an animal from Plymouth Zoo in the display because of the cool weather. On another occasion, during a three-day showing of "Mein Kampf", he staged an exhibition of photographs of Belsen Concentration Camp guards and Germans in victory and defeat. These pictures he had taken when, as a member of an army mobile cinema unit, he went into Belsen immediately after liberation. The unit used to show comedy and other light entertainment films to boost the morale of the former prisoners and those working among them. He was also an excellent opportunist. One Sunday in July 1964 the local children were surprised to see a notice outside exclaiming: "See the 'Rolling Stones' at the new Riverside Theatre -- exclusive to the Ford Palladium". This clever announcement was not entirely accurate, however, and there is no record of the disappointment felt by the youngsters when they discovered that it referred to real stones. A nine-inch water main had burst up Ford Hill and the water gushed down into St Levan Road, taking some "rolling" stones with it. The children were soon playing in the water and there was, according to Mr Charters, 'quite a seaside atmosphere'. Unfortunately, Mr Charters was fighting a losing battle in his efforts to encourage the local population into his cinema. Return to page 2.....
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