Moonee Theatre

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Moonee Theatre 1921 - Alf Daff rose from assistant projectionist at the Moonee Theatre (Melbourne Australia) to President of Universal International Films & Director of Sales head quartered in Hollywood. He was the most successful Australian film executive of our time.

The Argus (Melbourne, Vic ) Fri 11 Jul 1952 wrote

A North Melbourne boy is fast becoming a legend, in a world where legends make millions of dollars a year DAFF AIMED AT THE MOON-AND HIT IT -

Just 30 years ago, a 20-year-old North Melbourne lad worked in the booking department of Universal Films, in an office in Bourke St: over Watkins, the butchers. In the evenings, Alf worked as assistant projectionist at the Moonee Ponds theatre. One night, the film caught fire, the audience panicked, and Alf, trying to smother the flames, was so badly burnt that his hands and arms bear scars to this day.Today, he is probably the highest paid Australian alive and, in his own way, is one of the most important. His name is Alf Daff.

His story, if it needed a title, could borrow one from that old Scottish song, “I Know Where I’m Going.” I first met Alf Daff in those 30-years-ago days. He was in his shirt sleeves, carrying cans of film behind a counter. Metaphorically, he’s been in his shirt sleeves ever since; he’s a worker; he never stops working. Literally, he is the same, too: good-looking in a rather fierce way, genial, well-groomed, persuasive. In a way, only his job has changed. He is still working for Universal. But today he is president . of Universal International Films, and Director of World Sales, and one of the board of directors of the great parent company, Universal Pictures Incorporated. He got his boost to the board on May 15 last.

Whatever way you look at it, that’s good going for a local boy. Daff is just that: a local boy who made gocd. His position is unique. No other Australian has ever taken a place on an American film company’s board of directors. No other Australian has ever achieved such a position of world importance with an overseas organisation. But, like I said.- the Daff story could be entitled “I Know Where I’m Going.”

Contributed by Greg Lynch -