Battle
Festival June 2004
Sixty
years ago, as a projectionist at the Senlac Cinema, from 1940 to 1944,
I was showing the first Gaumont-British News film footage
from
the D-Day landings in Normandy.
(no live television in those
days)
You can imagine how excited
I was to be invited by Ken Clarke to attend this very special evening of
vintage films in familiar surroundings. Here are a few of the pictures
I took to record the occasion for all those unable to be there in person. |
1936
- The proposed cinema
From
an article published in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer in
May 1936
John
Clemence with Ken
Refreshments were available
at the bar in the foyer |
Vintage
Poster from 1928
|
2004
- Burstow & Hewett
Originally named "The
Senlac", the building was last used as a cinema in the late
1960's
Portable
Projection Suite
Bell & Howell projectors
provided a picture of surprising quality
|
|
Full
House
A large audience thoroughly enjoyed
every minute of the slapstick comedy
|
Ken
Clarke with John Myall
John operated the projectors
to the brilliant piano accompaniment of
Andrew
Youdall
|
Stars
of Steamboat Bill
Ernest Torrence,
Buster Keaton, and Tom McGuire
|
|
.One
of the original pair of 35mm BTH Projectors
with
Ivor White at the controls
|
A
modern 16mm Projector
as used for this evening's
performance
|
.A
clip from a 1944 newsreel showing a D-Day landing party
approaching
the
Normandy beaches
|
|
My thanks to Ken Clarke for
inviting me, and to Robert Ellin of Burstow & Hewett who allowed me to explore
the building where I spent so many happy hours entertaining the residents
of Battle, and the lads and lasses of Armed Forces who were stationed here
while preparing
for D-Day and the subsequent liberation of Europe.
|
| |