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Ronin Films

Death of Dr Darrel Killen

8 February 2015

Dr Darrel Killen, who passed away on 31 December 2014 at the age of 89, was an entrepreneur in the Australian film industry who built independent cinemas, operated them, and programmed many Australian films on his screens.

A detailed obituary appeared in the Canberra Times on 7 February 2015, and I recommend you read it to discover the extraordinary contribution that Dr Killen made to the community in Canberra, and to the broader Australian film community.

I owe to Dr Killen my career in the film industry. On several occasions, he provided opportunities for me to progress in the exhibition and distribution trade, and his trust and generosity were a major inspiration to me personally and to Ronin Films. And there many others like us whom he helped in substantial ways.

I was invited by Dr Killen's family to speak at his funeral in Canberra, on 14 January 2015, and here is part of what I had to say:

"In 1965 when Darrel Killen and his colleagues embarked on the design and construction of a new cinema in Canberra City, they were not content with building a cinema that could just make money: they embarked on building one of the finest cinemas in Australia, if not in the world.

"In these days of cinema classics on TV, DVD and the internet, it is hard to imagine what hopes we Canberra film enthusiasts had for the Center Cinema when it opened in October 1966. Before then, Canberra had no easy access to quality cinema: the two Greater Union cinemas then monopolising Canberra showed mainstream product from the major studios, and alternative programming was available only through occasional screenings by the Canberra Film Society.

"The Center Cinema arrived with the promise of a radically different programming policy. Quality films were suddenly going to be available on a regular weekly basis, and it was clear that here was a management that knew the finest names of European cinema. The murals on the walls of the cinema stairs and foyer were testimony to the film culture behind the venture. And the cinema was unbelievably luxurious – a temple to cinema, with state of the art image and sound, everything in the best of taste and the height of luxury, including those controversial sliding seats.

"But Dr Killen as we always called him (he was never nick-named by his staff), did not rest on his laurels. In the next few years he brought us the Sundown Drive-in with all manner of innovations including car hops on horse-back, and then the French-themed Boulevard Twin Cinema, and the Nova Cinema in Queanbeyan. And in Sydney he created the Academy Twin in Paddington, another major venue for quality cinema.

"Like many independent cinema operators, Dr Killen had trouble sourcing the product he needed for these new cinemas, and he began to import films himself to show on his own screens, and to distribute them around the nation to like-minded independents. Many French films in particular found there way here because of the Doctor's commitment.

"Dr Killen was a cultural entrepreneur with unrivalled vision. He was always extremely loyal to his staff and gave opportunities to many people. He built a team of dedicated enthusiasts around him, some of whom are here today – Richard Ruhfus, Wol Ambrose, Ted and Mac Kercher, Peter Irving. Personally, I owe my career in film to him and the opportunities he gave me. I am also indebted to him for the film education I received on his cinema screens – and like a generation or two of Canberrans, we all owe a rich a stimulating cultural life in the nation's capital to this man of vision, courage and determination.

"Thank you Dr Killen. You led the way and gave many of us the opportunity to follow".

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