The Martinborough Talkies

I read with interest in the July edition of the Martinborough Star of a Mr. Blackwell who in 1939 fell from the catwalk in the Martinborough Town Hall and broke his back, there was mention of him as proprietor of the Martinborough Picture theatre.
My grandfather Callile Bouzaid, showed Talkies in the Martinborough Town hall from 1930 through to 1933, so his diary shows, 3 days a week – I am so lucky to have his Diary and ledger recording the days he showed Talkies , his costs, including the rent of the hall, wages paid, hireage of films and his daily takings.

This is the Callile Bouzaid who owned the famous Lemon Tree in Greytown , the Lemons of which he gave to the sick soldiers in Featherston .See www.lemontreegreytown.

During this month of August in 1930 he showed the following films – “Hit The Deck”, takings 36pounds seventeen shillings and threepence – town hall rent – One pound Eleven Shillings and Ten Pence! – unbelievable! And later that month “The Virginian” staring Gary Cooper – woo! 

Films were shown three times a week and judging from the takings, they were well supported . Also, he started showing films at Pirinoa – from 1930  – one showing a week. The Smallest Theatre in the Smallest Town. And as well he showed talkies at Kahuatara, but the diary I have does not show a record of this.
Then in 1933 through to 1946 he showed films in Eketahuna – again three days a week until his son, my uncle Paul Bouzaid, took over and films were shown nearly every day of the week – he lived in Eketahuna.
He also showed talkies in Greytown, his home town, in the then Crown Theatre – I think it was the hall next door to where they lived, next to the Lemon Tree – in May 1930 one of the films he showed was “Innocence of Paris” – starring Maurice Chevalier – whoo!

I believe the Greytown Council took exception to his film showing, and that is why he started up in Martinborough, Pirinoa and Kahutara.

Before the Talkies, prior to 1930, he showed silent movies in Greytown and my mother played the Piano from scores written specifically for the film shown.

With all the interest and energy going into planning and fund raising to restoring the Town Hall I thought this little snippet of town hall history would help to encourage all those amazing people behind this massive project.

Graham Stephenson