Coronation Primary A Lae, Malcolm Zimmerman, Kay Brett, Sandra Seeto

More on those school films from 1956-57.

From Malcolm Zimmerman: "...I remember the films alright. Ms Jo Keating was our principal at the time. Otto Brabant was the camera man. Hugh Macdonald was Robin Hood. I was King Richard, and I'm finding it difficult to remember who Maid Marian was. King Richard the Lionheart was one movie made. Another was Pedro the Fisherman. When it was shown at the Starr Theatre we had to dub our parts…"

From Kay Brett: "...the movie had three parts to it - Nursery rhymes, Robin Hood and Pedro the Fisherman. I played "Little Miss Muppet", my brother (Stewart Brett) played "Friar Tuck" (in the Robin Hood part)… The movie was shown on Presentation Night at the end of the year. Whilst the movie was being shown, all the kids had to be there in the costumes and actually speak the lines that they had in the movie (not soundtrack) so it was a very exciting thing for that time. My brother thinks there were some Vinnings, (brothers and sisters), a Jimmy Seeto and a Susan Walker in the movie as well…"

From Sandra Seeto: "...I couldn't remember the subjects of the other films at first, but now I remember them quite clearly. The Chinese one consisted of all the Grade 5 and 6 kids. We sang a jingle called "Chinatown My Chinatown" and did a bit of dancing to it dressed in Chinese silk pyjamas, which we bought from Kam Hong's store. Part of it was filmed on stage at the Stewart Hall and partly in some garden. I think they were made in 1956 as Jo Keating came after Mr Breakspeare and Mr. Nelson was the last Head Teacher I had before going off the boarding school…"

From Joseph Crainean: "...I transferred from Wau Primary to Coronation in 1956, half-way through Grade 6, and recall the highlight of the year as the production and filming of "Pedro the Fisherman", with Tony Grey, son of family friend and Coronation Primary teacher Dorothy Grey (now deceased), in the lead role. I played one of the many singing and dancing extras, and like everyone else had a ball!