From Bioscope 91 – May 04

A personal recollection by Gerry Crane

I was working as a Laboratory Assistant at Ship Carbon, the firm who manufactured carbons for industrial arc lamps and, of course, for cinema projectors before these were replaced by xenon lamps, when in 1952 I saw an advert for Trainee Cinema Managers in the Ilford Recorder.

My interview took place at the offices of Circuits Management Association in Albion House, New Oxford Street (C.M.A. was the management company for the various groups of cinemas owned by the Rank Organisation, whose names were later all changed to Odeon). Mr. Simpson, the Personnel Manager, chaired the interview panel and remarked that working for Ship Carbon meant I was nearly in the business already.

This fact seemed to be in my favour and I was appointed Trainee Manager at the Odeon Whalebone Lane under the benevolent eye of Ted Carter. I remember on my first day I was wearing a pullover and Ted told me that if I must wear one then to wear it under my shirt as the District Manager, Charlie Attrill, would be visiting that day and he wouldn’t approve; in the event when I was introduced to him later that day he was wearing a scruffy old khaki-coloured cardigan!

After a few months I was transferred to the Odeon Romford where the manager was George Sewell and his house manager Geoff Davis, who had previously been at the Ritz Southend. (Gordon Nimse who had succeeded Geoff at the Ritz went on to become head of the Rank Publicity Department and upon retirement went on to write novels using his wartime army experiences in Burma.) George Sewell ran a tight ship at what was one of the area’s busiest cinemas. His nearest colleague, Les Martin, ran the Plaza (later the Gaumont) just across the road where he had an ex-organist as an assistant manager. On one occasion this ex-organist, whose name escapes me, was on relief at the Odeon when it was found that due to a time sheet error there was a thirty minute gap before the last house was to start, where upon he delighted the audience with an impromptu organ recital.

From Romford I moved to the Gaumont Leytonstone as assistant manager to Alf Stokes. I had a convenient arrangement whilst there whereby I had a late lunch on Saturdays after which I used to watch football: Leyton Orient one week, the local amateur side the alternate weeks. The not-so-pleasant side of being at Leyton was the day and a half relief I had to do at the Foresters or the Museum, Bethnal Green. To a young assistant manager the East End of London was something of an eye opener, especially the audience reaction when the projectionist put the wrong reel on! I recall George Baker and Alan Harris-Quelch at the Gaumont Heathway, Dagenham and their conversations Monday mornings on how much trouble they had had over the weekend from the local youths who were particularly rampant at the time, particularly on Sundays. No security firms in those days.

My next move was to the Odeon, Forest Gate with manager Les Pinder, with relief duties at the Cinema, Canning Town. From there I went to the Odeon Beacontree; Bill Smith was the manager and that included relief work at the Grange, Dagenham.

I then moved to what I thought was the big time at the Odeon, Gants Hill with Bill Brooker and no relief duty! However, the cinema was the base for the district office so I was sometimes sent out to cover for sick leave with virtually no notice. One of these SOS jobs was at the Trocette Bermondsey, a barn of a place that had seen better days, part of the auditorium being roped off due to the risk of falling plaster. Another hurried relief found me at the Picture House on the Old Kent Road and again a place of some notoriety.

When I unwittingly reprimanded the manager’s favourite member of staff on his day off, my days at Gants Hill were numbered. I was moved to the Odeon Barking under George Bernard, ostensibly to gain live show experience, although by that time Sunday concerts were nearing their end. I do remember however full houses for Ted Heath’s band and a show starring Ruby Murray with Frankie Vaughan and the Kirchen Band.

1954 was the year I got married and we shared accommodation with my sister-in-law who lived in Norwich. Fortuitously I was able to transfer to the Gaumont Norwich, where under the skills of the well-known showman Alf Crisp I learnt my publicity skills which were to serve me well in the coming years and gain me a few honours. At that time Alf went to London each week to mark the showmanship competition folders for the year. However the Norwich Gaumont was to be an early victim of closure, because the Burton’s shop next door wanted to expand. Alf transferred to the Odeon Southend, where he was to stay until retirement. I remained at the Gaumont in charge until they closed the doors for the last time.

It was then that I got my first full management appointment, conveniently at the Odeon Norwich. I recall it was about this time that the infamous ‘flavour of the month’ ice cream was introduced, exotic flavours many of which melted before the salesgirls even reached the floor!

The Odeon, St. Botolph Street, Norwich c.1962. Judging by the canopy edge revamp and the new entrance doors, the Theatre had undergone the notorious Rank ‘Zing!’ treatment. © Eastern Daily Press Norwich.

When Bryan Quilter, who had come to Rank from Beecham’s, was made Assistant Managing Director of Odeon Cinemas he spent some time as my assistant manager getting to know how everything was done, except that is, getting a queue in, as it was during a scorching hot summer! It was during this period that ‘BQ’ whilst standing at the front of house suggested, “I think you chaps could manage two theatres in towns where they are reasonably closely situated.” And so Town Management, later to be called Multiple Unit Management, was born.

In 1966 I applied for and was appointed to the Odeon Portsmouth in succession to Peter Baker. David Carey, an excellent house manager, was still in position, which was a great help in the early days. It was in Portsmouth that I began to put to good use the showmanship skills learnt from Alf Crisp, which resulted in me winning the area competition in 1974 and 1975.

Gerry, in trademark Library-frames and the last ‘Viva Zapata’ moustache in captivity, receives the Champion Showman man-with-a-gong plaque and cheque from John Bell, managing director

Following on from Bryan Quilter’s perception of Multiple Unit Management I was given control of the Gaumont just across the road on the retirement of the manager Douglas Beale.

The Odeon Portsmouth was to be one of the early conversions to three screens by the inclusion of two small auditoria under the circle. These soon proved to be too small and so were extended forward to allow for more seats. The conversion work entailed regular visits from the team in engineering, Les Butler, projection, Derek Hughes, heating and ventilation, Bert Jones, furnishings; all co-ordinated by Roy Summerhayes the zone engineer and a gentleman of the first order.

When Ken Russell was filming Tommy using many locations in the Portsmouth area I managed to get a part as an extra in the film. Needless to say I was highly chuffed to be appearing on the screen of the Odeon whilst I was standing in the foyer of the cinema!

Another highlight of my career was when Laurie Clarke, who had been my area controller and later went on to become managing director of Odeon Cinemas, arranged for me to be on duty to support John Thompson, manager of the Odeon Leicester Square for the Royal Command Performance of Anne of the Thousand Days. What a night to remember with the film industry top executives twitching like nervous children as they waited to greet Her Majesty the Queen.

I must have been doing something right at Portsmouth as I was short-listed for the Dominion / Astoria, Charing Cross Road, Multiple Unit, though losing out to Alan Harris-Quelch who later became manager of the Leicester Square Odeon. Eventually I was chosen for an executive development course, and worked in the Entertaining & Catering Department before going back to Portsmouth for a time.

I was then seconded to a unit lead by Chris Davis, son of Sir John Davis, who had been with Odeon from the late 1930s and had become head of Rank. I found myself in Dubai to operate with other Rank staff an entertainment complex including an ice rink, ten-pin bowling, restaurants, squash courts etc. The contract ended early and I returned home redundant after 28 years with the Rank Organisation.

I returned to Dubai for a year to help in the construction of a three court tennis stadium and putting on what was then the world’s richest tennis tournament. On returning home I worked for periods in local government ending up working for Fareham Borough Council installing a full-scale cinema in the Ferneham Hall whilst raising the live show presentation and operating standards: finally retiring in 1995 after managing a £2 million capital programme – a job which gave me great satisfaction.