West's Theatre

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Uploaded on: October 16, 2021

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When the Crown opened with talkies Wednesday 19th November 1930, it was around the 50th Raycophone sound fit-out in Australia. By the time of this trade advertisement a year later (30th December 1931) the number had increased to 114 (and to 375 by 1938). There were dozens of Australian made sound reproduction formats designed to rival the expensive overseas Western Electric technology, but Raycophone outlived them all. The system had been developed by radio pioneer/electrical engineer RAYmond COttam Allsop (1898-1972) incorporating gramoPHONE technology. To prepare for the Nowra sound wiring (by Raycophone installation engineer Colin Borthwick) some alterations and improvements were made to the Crown by Harry Visser contractor and Wally Budd foreman carpenter. Projectionist at that time was Jack Hoseman, his assistant Peter Hard.