REG MCCALLAM, WORKINGTON

Last updated 16:51, Friday, 08 August 2008

REG McCallam’s address book read like a who’s who of Hollywood - and the stars had him in their address books, too.

Reg McCallam

In fact, when singer Matt Monro’s family were putting together his biography, it was to Mr McCallam that they turned for a photograph.

Mr McCallam, 78, died suddenly on Monday at his home at Woodside, Moorclose, Workington, leaving behind an impressive collection of entertainment memorabilia and taking with him a host of memories of the golden days of theatre and cinema.

Mr McCallam spent his early years in Brigham, near Cockermouth, the only child of a coal mining family.

His father sang and his mother was an accomplished pianist, giving him a love of music that would remain with him all his life.

His early career was as a cinema projectionist at the Ritz Theatre in Murray Road, Workington, and at the town’s old Hippodrome.

He got his first cinema job in 1945 as reel hand at The Ritz. He worked from 9.30am to noon and then from 5pm to 10pm, six days a week for a wage of 35s (£1.75).

The job included shovelling coke in the Ritz’s boiler room, maintaining seats and ashtrays, changing the catalogue board and changing the metal letters on the canopy, which meant getting a ladder up to the job in rain, hail or snow.

He was projectionist at the Hippodrome for many years, which also included holiday cover at Whitehaven’s Gaiety cinema where he continued to work for a year after the Hippodrome burnt down in February 1955.

When cinema gave way to television, and cinemas were turned into bingo halls, Mr McCallam re-trained as a crane driver, working for High Duty Alloys.

But he never gave up his love of the world of entertainment.

Lyricist Don Black, whose credits include the themes for many James Bond films, Born Free, and To Sir With Love, invited him to London.

American vocalist Michael Feinstein, his favourite singer, corresponded regularly, and Feinstein’s parents sent him several gifts.

One evening, sitting at home, Mr McCallam answered the phone to find Matt Monro’s daughter Michele on the other end of the line.

They chatted for about half an hour and she asked for a particular photograph that he had of her dad - one that he himself had taken.

Mr McCallam, who never married, is survived by eight cousins.

Pay your tributes to Reg online.