THEY BUILT AN EMPIRE
THE STORY OF CINEMA IN THE OUTBACK
In 1935 two Picture Show Men arrived in the town with a new name called Alice Springs. Over the span of the next50 years the Kenna and Burton families pioneered cinema in the outback communities of Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. In a cinematic sense they built an empire, parks were named and memorialised after them, and an enduring legacy of affection remains for those who fondly recall watching movies under the stars on balmy Territory nights.
Al Daff - the son of a North Melbourne fruiterer who became the president of Universal International Films.
Al Daff was one of the founding fathers of the wide screen, three-dimensional and stereophonic sound revolution. He was directly involved with the Hollywood production and distribution of approximately 232 films, and was one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood. Quite simply Al Daff was the son of a North Melbourne fruiterer who rose through the ranks from the position of office boy to become President of Universal International Films and Director of Sales. He was a Hollywood mogul and the most successful Australian film executive of our time, or any time. The Al Daff story is not only an industry story, it is a story of great achievement that deserves to be told.