Tower Cinema

Tower Cinema 1939 to 1977 of 30

Tower Cinema (1939 – 1977)

Talk in Clondalkin Library on Wednesday the 8th

September 2004

Contents

Physical History – Building, changes, people

Serving my time in the Cinema – Stories from the inside - Slides

My memories as a cinema goer in the early 60’s – Film types and their

effect on me - Posters


The Building

1919

In early 1919 T.F.Healy (Black Lion House) and D.R.Whyte (MD of Clondalkin Paper Mills) decided to promote a company for the purpose of operating an Omnibus service between Clondalkin and Inchicore to link with the Dublin United Tramways No. 21 terminus

Later that year (1919) the Clondalkin Motor Omnibus Company was launched and the first motor bus service to operate in Dublin was inaugerated. Over time services were extended to cover Rathcoole, Saggart, Baldonnel and Naas.

1924

In 1924 work commenced on a new garage (including a waiting room) in Clondalkin beside the Laurels House.

1904

1940’s

1926

In 1926 a F.T.Wood from Cheshire UK bought the company (1st Dec

for £5,000) and changed the name to Irish Omnibus Company. By

1929 the IOC had come to an agreement with the Dublin United

Tramway Company. Start of the No. 51 route.

1929 In 1929 the Great Southern Railways acquired control of the company and the garage in Clondalkin fell into disuse.


Kelly & Egan

In the 1930’s Egan & Kelly, of Portlaoise, owned a chain of cinemas around the country and wanted to increase numbers so as to get new films early after release.

Only three prints of a new film would come into the country.

These would spend about three to four weeks playing in the

city cinemas before moving out to the country cinemas.

They would spend the next three years doing the rounds of

the local cinemas that changed their programmes at least three times a week.

There was also at the time a barring order in which a film that was shown in one neighbourhood could not be shown in the same area, this gave the cinema goer a choice and the owner’s high blood pressure.

They wanted local involvement so a Mr. T.F. (Tommy) Healy (Black Lion Pub) was proposed to start and run a cinema in Clondalkin in the old bus garage and waiting room building which was formally owned by the Irish Omnibus Company.

MRS MARY O’TOOLE

A Mrs. Mary O’Toole who lived in the lovely old house (Oak Lodge) that still stands across from the church gate on New Road, owned a lot of land around Clondalkin including the land in which the Garage was built on.

She, and why we do not know, vetoed this proposal involving Tommy Healy and “suggested” a Mr. Peter Ging instead.


RITA and PETER GING

1933

Rita Murphy married a Mr. Guinan a wealthy owner of several pubs. He died in his forties and Rita remarried a Peter Ging who was a manager. They sold the pubs and bought Hartfield House (Drumcondra) and ran it as a Nursing Home. Around 1918 they sold this and proceeded to buy a large land holding in Kilteel, near Saggart and leased houses in Goatstown Hollywood House, Crumlin and the Laurels (Clondalkin). They ran the farm in Saggart from the Laurels. The land was acquired by the Land Commission in 1933

1936

In 1936 they succeeded in leasing the Diamond House (Ace of Diamond Pub…. then School … on the corner of Tower Road and Nangor Road …. Now two storey) and borrowed to improve the store there. This went well because of the Mill


The Laurels House he setup as a boarding house for workers who came from all over the country to work in

the Clondalkin Paper Mill when it restarted in 1936.

FARM

B UTCHERS SHOP – MERCHANTS QUAY

1938 In 1938 Peter purchased the estate of Oriel Temple, Co. Louth , which contained 1,000 acres of the old Mellifont abbey's land. and sold it immediately for a good profit to the Cistercians of New Melleray (Waterford). (http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/mellifont/mellifont.shtml#revival

)

Peter & Rita had 4 sons (Laurence, Thomas, Peter & Patrick) and 2 daughters (Margaret “Mertie” and Mary).


START of the CINEMA

And so Peter Ging linked up with Kelly & Egan with the blessing of Mary O’Toole.

Kelly & Egan used to come up for meetings in the sitting room of the Diamond House.

Peter Ging’s eldest sons Laurence (Larry) and Thomas (Tommy) were assigned to convert the old garage and run the Cinema.

The building that housed the Cinema still stands and it is located beside the Laurels Pub on the Monastery Road side. It now contains a number of shop units.

The Picture House was named the Tower Cinema ….. most other cinemas were specially built units (emporiums).

9th

April 1939

First opened it’s doors on Sunday the 9th

April 1939 with the

showing of “The Mystery of the Wax Museum” (1933 US Colour, starring Lional Atwill and Fay Wray of King Kong fame).

This was followed by a late night party in the Diamond House at which Larry and Tommy fell asleep.


OVER THE YEARS

Admission

Prices &

Seating

Capacity

The admission prices were 1 shilling and 4 pence (8.5cent), 1

shilling (6.4 cent), 8 pence (4.2 cent) and 4 pence (2.1 cent).

The cheapest seats eventually came to be called the “woodeners”. They were originally covered but as this continued to be damaged it was eventually removed revealing just plain wooden benches.

The seating capacity in the beginning was around 350 (I say around because who knows how many kids you could squeeze into the woodeners).


Programmes &

Audience

There was a change of programme every night in the early years

and people came from all the surrounding areas:- Jobstown,

Tallaght, Saggart, Rathcoole, Newcastle, Baldonnel,

Drimnagh and Bluebell.

The potential audience was kept informed on the upcoming films

through weekly posters that were given to local stores in each of the surrounding villages (a few complementary tickets were attached to these posters)

Attendances were very good in the 40’s, 50’ and early 60’s.

Some walked and some cycled (as the last bus left at

9:30pm). It was common to find the foyer (entrance hall) full of bicycles, the patrons would leave the bikes in and then go out and join the queue which could extend up the Monastery Road.

The 4p Sunday Matinee was a big attraction for the children with a cowboy film and their favourite serial “Batman” or “Flash Gordan”.

You could always tell the type of film shown at the matinee by watching the children afterwards as they enacted riding, shoot or fencing. The teem for the next weeks imaginary play was set by the latest film and arguments would take place over who would be the good guy, the bad guy, the Indian chief or the pirate.

(Cisco Kid, Rob Roy, Lone Ranger…. Hi Ho Silver, Tonto….)

There was a small stage also and shows were held.???


CINEMA CHANGES

1941 Peter Ging bought out Kelly and Egan interest around

1941.

1942

On the death of Peter Ging in January 1942 the Cinema passed to Larry and Tommy. And in later years on to Larry alone. The Picture House closed for a week.

The Cinema was extended in 1942 (raised roof section at back of building) and the seating capacity brought up to about 500.

1957

A new sound system was installed by a Mr. Cecil Napier (Tower Road)

and in 1957 the screen was enlarged and new

CinemaScope (invented in 1953) projector lenses were purchased.

Late 60’s major uplift was given to the Cinema in the late 60’s

with the refitting out of the foyer, addition of new

entrance doors and the fitting of poster display

cabinets on the outside walls.

WAR YEARS - TOM GING – COLLECTING FILMS


During the Second Word War (1939 to 1945) and even

for a number of years afterwards, materials and parts

were hard to come by.

You could not just send off for a replacement part. The

engineering skills of Tommy Ging (fitter in the Paper Mill and later on the Boiler House Manager) were called upon on many an occasion. He would be called upon to make up parts out of scrap materials (possibly acquired from the Clondalkin Paper Mills at the time …. Sally Park).

Because of the shortage of petrol pony and trap, barge and many neighbours/friends were employed in the collecting of films.

The distribution offices for Rank, Columbia, Warner etc. were usually located in out of the way places in Dublin like the Lotts an behind Wynns Hotel.

It was common at this time that only three copies of a

film would come into the country. They would be shown for a few weeks in the major cinemas in the cities and would then do the rounds in the country. Many an hour was spent waiting for a film to arrive from the country on the train….. suited Larry as he liked to wander the local auction houses.


SHOP - Kiosk

Originally there was no shop in the Cinema and patrons would use

a shop across the road called “Jacob’s” which was run by the Jacob sisters. The sweets were displayed in big glass jars and they would be given to you in a cone made out of rolled paper.

In the early 60’s a kiosk (shop) was built in the foyer…. and in later years it was the income from the shop that kept the cinema open.

The other main sweet shop was called Jack’s on the corner going around to Orchard Road.

PEOPLE

For many years the Cinema was the centre of social life in the

village. Many a couple started their courting days in the back seats.

The people who worked there over the years will all be remembered fondly by people.

Harry Wall, Booth Road & Weatherwell(Doorman)

John Denton, Long Mile, Kileen Paper Mill (Doorman)

Miley Smith, Commons Road & Mill (Doorman)

Frank Goldsberry, Booth Road & Postman (Doorman)

Eleanor Kelly (now Goodwin) ,

Mrs. Ennis, Booth Road (Shop)

Mrs Lindsey (Shop)

Mary Ging, Newlands(Cashier)

Tom Murphy, Station Road & ESB (Cashier)

Mrs Hoare, (Housekeeping)

Christy Hickey, (Operator)

Nick Molloy, Rank Distribution( Chief Operator from 1961 to close)

Martin Kilduff (Operator)

Cecil Cullinan (Operator)

Eddie McGee (Operator)


CHARITY SHOWS

The Cinema would close when retreats were being held in the local church.

Many times the Cinema was given over for charity nights or for

local fund raising events (Schools) … Special Tax exemption

certs needed to be applied for.

In these cases the organiser of the event would bring along a

film to be shown (not unusual for this film to arrive a few minutes before the official start ….usually causing a panic to have it put onto spools before being shown).

It is said that on one of these occasions no film was brought. So with a full house and the money taken the organiser got up on the

stage and addressed the assembled people …. “you’re a poor

audience if you can’t entertain yourself” and with that people from the audience got up in turn to do a piece and it was a great night.

LARRY and LILY GING

1964

In 1964 Larry Ging died leaving his wife Lily with four children aged from 6 to 16. Lily Ging took over as Manager and their children Peter, Breda, Patrick & Laurence served their apprenticeship in the Cinema.

Lily Ging took over the reins and with the assistance of the

extended family proceeded to manage the Cinema and bring up a young family.

Lily had to learn to drive at the age of 42…. Never liked it, had to ask some one to turn the car… would plan her trips with the minimum of right hand turns…. Friend asked her to go out of her way once and Lily said no.

Suffered through the ESB strikes (Always complained that we

were not on the same line as the Mill) and Bus strikes … having to collect and leave operators home to the northside of Dublin.

In order to attract audiences a major uplift was given to the

Cinema in the late 60’s with the refitting out of the foyer,

addition of new entrance doors and the fitting of poster display

cabinets on the outside walls. The idea of a monthly

programme was also introduced and would be hand delivered to each house. Ads were also placed in the newspapers.


BLUE MAX

Mid 60’s

In the mid sixties the film “The Blue Max” was filmed in Ireland with a lot of the footage shot around and over Baldonnel. I think we can all remember the bi and tri planes having dog fights over Clondalkin. The film crew used the Tower Cinema to show the “rushes” (elements of the film that were shot each day) to the director.

DEMISE

The 40’s, 50’s and 60’s were good years for the Cinema mainly because people did not have cars and as such would look locally for their entertainment.

On New Years Eve 1961 RTE opened.

However, towards the end of the 60’s and the beginning of the 70’s lifestyles started to change:-

More and more people were getting televisions and it was cheaper to stay at home.

City Cinemas were converting to Twins and Multscreens

Small Cinemas like the Tower could not get the latest films quickly enough

Transport was easier, people got cars and could travel to the big cinema chains in the city to see the latest films.

Small cinemas where forced to take the newer films for longer periods (7 days and high percentages) but did not have the population to support this.

In the early years it was common to have double features but this died out in the 60’s …. The attention span had shortened due to TV and a two hour programme with advertisements and trailers were as long as the public could take.

Also in the early 60’s nearly 160 sites closed in the space of 8 years and left about 120 for the small trickle of movie goers.


14th

May 1977

In 1977 the Cinema closed and was converted to shop units. On

Saturday the 14th

May the last film “Shout at the Devil” was shown.

It is estimated that over 14,000 shows took place over the 38 years.

One interesting point is that during the conversion to shop units,

the original garage doors (which had been used to form a partition wall) were put back in their original position. And so for a short period in 1977 the building looked as it did when it was originally built in 1924.

Appreciate role played by the eldest son, Peter, who took up the reins following my father’s death and who also provided the inspiration to convert the Cinema to shop units rather than sell the building.

This allowed my mother, in the last 20 years of her life, the opportunity to partake of the normal daily routines of strolling to the local shops, gossiping, watching snooker on TV and playing bridge in the evening.

At this time (February 2008) the building still stands and is made up of shop units. However, in the back section the operating box (where the film projectors were) still exists with the old switches and shutters still in place. The Ging family still retain log books identifying what films were shown on each date over the years and also a lot of the old cinema posters.


Apprenticeship – Slides

1. Building – Front

Schedule in advance

Collecting in Lotts

2. Building – Front

Note Sean O’Mahoney

3. Building - from Laurel Park


4. Building - Back Door

Reverse car – lift out films – Larry’s comments

5. Operating Box

Emergency Lighting –

Water batteries

Rewinding Room

6. Building Front

Arriving at the pictures

Poster – Old Paste Board – Display Cabinets – Long Poster


7. Front Doors – Looking In

Display Cases

Posters to be done by hand

Posters could be rented….

Small Display Case

Brass Door Handles – Saturday chore

8. Front Doors – Looking Out

Old Post Office

Right Jacob’s

Left Jacks


9. Cash Office

Separate tickets

Record number sold for each price and note in returns book.

Count money and put into bags (black bag to bank)

Films rented bases on percentage of takings ….35% up … 90% for 2001 Space Odyssey

Waiting for last person to arrive on a lovely summers evening … wanting to get out to my friends

Mary Heaney (knitting) , Tom Murphy (Rita Ging’s brother)

10. Foyer - Harry & Miley

Different Doors

WORK IN SHOP


11. Foyer - Corridor to top door

Lovers lane

12. Auditorium – Screen from Projection Room

Back Seats … as a small boy intimidating dealing with adults

GOING TO PUT ON HEATING – TOTAL DARKNESS

13. Auditorium – looking out to Foyer

Hide behind curtains

Sit on wooden boxes if house full

Note the buzzer


14. Operating Box – Switches

Bell – 1-Rack or Focus, 2-Volume Up, 3-Volume Down

15. Auditorium – from Back Door

Clean up after Matinee

Clean out toilets

… collect lolly pop sticks

Funny storey about false teeth.

16. Auditorium – Back Wall to Projection Box


17. Screen – Lily, Harry & Miley

18. Operating Box – Amplifier

Used in 60’s to play music loudly

19. Operating Box – Machines

Rectifier – AC to DC for Arc Lamps

20. Operating Box – Arc Lamp Left Adjustments

Mirror Adjustment


21. Operating Box – Arc Lamp inside

Mirror

Electrodes – Positive and Negative

Shields

Learned the trade from Nick Molloy

22. Operating Box – Film mechanism

Top Real

Sprockets

Pickup Reel

23. Operating Box – CinemaScope Lens


24. Operating Box – Film threading

Slack …

24 frames/sec,

18 inches/sec.

Stops for 3/39 secs

3000ft reel … 33 minutes … 0.57 miles …

2000ft reel …22 minutes … 0.37 miles

Frame for small or Cinema Scope

Sound

Pickup Reel

PROCEDURE

As a youngster I received instruction on how to operate the equipment. My main instructor at the time was Nick Molloy who had to show a lot of patience.

Film near end

Check that sufficient rods exist in the Arc Lamp

Power up Arc Lamp

Strike Arcs and move apart

Look through window for X on screen

Turn on film motor and lift screens from Arc Lamp

At logical end of scene press button to block other machine and open current machine

Check Current Arc


Go to other machine and turn off Arc & Projector Motors

Remove film reel and bring to Rewinding Room

Collect next reel and setup on stopped machine and check setup of Arc Lamp (sufficient rod available)

Check running machine

Rewind used reel in rewinding room.

25. Operating Box – Rewinding Room

Film arrive from Distributor in boxes (no reels)

Wound onto Reels (twice)

End of each reel marked with an X or O to indicate end of reel

Placed on floor in order (4 – 5 reels per main film)

Ads in middle – small reel

Technique of handling both reels and checking film for breaks

REJOINING FILM … CEMENT

FILMS IN WRONG ORDER

PICKUP REEL NOT WORKING


3000ft reel … 33 minutes … 0.57 miles 2000ft reel …22 minutes … 0.37 miles

GO TO CHECK ON FILM …. 2001 SPACE ODYESSEY

26. Behind Screen – Posters & old seats

27. Behind Screen – Loud Speakers

Mega Phone

Screen Repairs

Screen had holes to let sound through

28. Attic - Extractor System

Tom Ging jumping between joists following operation on eyes


29. Attic – Looking down

Note torches … where they were left for doormen

30. Boiler Room – Central Heating Boiler

Major beast to a small child …. Property of Tom Ging

31. Boiler Room – Work Bench

In old days this used to be rewinding room

Used to have a lathe … Tom Ging

32. Boiler Room – Under the floor

Old cart wheel rims


Old projector, generator

33. Graffiti from Ladies


Posters

Our Playstation …….

Plains …. Fields Roarkes Field (Floriville)

Animals .. Cows all over & Horses … The Hunt

Canyons …. Quarry where Towers Field is

WE KNEW FEAR … Darkness … animals … Fr. Trainers dog … Nanny Goat … Mrs O’Tooles House Keeper… Dark colours

Walk home in the darkness … through fields

Well on Monastery Road … Neilsons dogs at gate

Everyone saw the same picture at the same time…

WESTERN

This was really the must popular film in the early years and people went in their droves because they had an affinity with the wide outdoors and the easy pace of life. … The Screen Cinema (then called the Corinthian) was nicknamed the Ranch because the staple diet each week was the old Universal B Movies.

Remember Davy Crockett (King of the wild frontier [1954 Fess Parker & Buddy Ebsen as George Ebsen]… racoon hats … who didn’t have one), Flint Lock, Bowie … Peter remembers me (Patrick) when I had just reached the age of reason jumping up and down on my seat as if I was riding a horse during this film.

Re-enacted the western over and over… easy to do … cowboy suits … embedded in our minds

Children attended the Matinee every week and the owner dictated the schedule… Attended by everyone at the same time …. Used as discipline method … good and you could go …. Bold and you could not.

Flint Lock, Springfield, Winchester, Gattling Gun

Hopalong Cassidy

Cisco Kit and Pancho Gonzales, Loan Ranger & Tonto, Roy Rogers & Trigger

Durango Kid

Gene Autry, Gary Cooper, Alan Ladd

Jessie James, Billy the Kid … Hole in the Wall Gang


Wild Bill Hiccock, Annie Oakly,

Not a particular movie … just all of them

“Son of Pale Face” with Bob Hope and Jane Russell (1952) show the film back wards … Peter & I …” Buttons and Bows”

JOHN WAYNE

WAR MOVIES

We fought in every war 1st & 2

nd + Korea… Europe to the Pacific … with “To Hell &

Back” …1955 Audie Murphy and the rest of them … we dug trenches and loved the machinery

London … Victoria & Albert museum

Longest Day …1962 …. Went and visited the Normandy Beaches on a bike.

ADVENTURE MOVIES

Swords (easy to make) and riding horses

Rob Roy … Remember having a gang in primary where we would go out to a small hill and play Rob Roy games.

Zoro .. Tyrone Power …Don Diego Vega …, “The Jagged Mark of His Sword Struck Terror to Every Heart - But One” … special swords with chalk in the end

The 3 Musketeers … 1948…and not forgetting D’Artagnan … Lana Turner & Gene Kelly …. All for One and One for All

The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 … Errol Flynn … Sir Robin of Locksley … Basil Rathbone & Olivia De Havilland… Bow & Arrow popular

Dick Turpin and the musket

Tarzan …. “Me Tarzan You Jane” …. Not good for our grammar

HORROR

Frankenstein, Werewolf, Vampire, Mummy

Silver bullett, Garlic, Cross and the stake

Cross reference …. Use of Tommy Gun to solve all problems

HEN HOUSE – RUN TO CLOSE DOOR …. DEAD CHICKEN FOUND NEXT MORNING


COMEDY

Old Mother Riley

The 3 Stooges (Curly Howard Curly Joe De Rita, Larry Fine & Moe Howard),

Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo … Allan Jones),

Charlie Chaplin, Abbot & Costello, Bob Hope & Bing Crosby

Norman Wisdom … Carry On Films

Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin

CRIME MOVIES

Dillinger…

We new all about Al (Scarface) Capone … Earl 'Hymie the Pole' Weiss … Bugsy Malone … George 'Bugs' Moran … Baby Face Nelson … Pretty Boy Floyd

St. Valentines day massacre

We alla learna to speaka ina Italian

Tommy Gun … solved all problems

MUSICAL

7 Brides for 7 Brothers

Elvis

Beatles

Chubby Checker

Screaming when the star would appear….. dancing in the aisles

Tower Cinema

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