Forum

 
  Back to OzPolitic.com   Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register
  Forum Home Album HelpSearch Recent Rules LoginRegister  
 

Pages: 1 2 
Send Topic Print
Bygone Cinemas (Read 1565 times)
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Bygone Cinemas
Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:06pm
 
As a chronic nostalgic and heritage tragic, I am interested in hearing about cinemas that you remember, that may or may not still be there, anywhere in Australia including country towns.
They used to be art deco palaces back in the day.

I grew up in Sydney through the 1950s & 60s. There were 3 cinemas within walking distance, if you didn't mind a walk. The "Kinema" at Mosman, the "Kings" at Spit Junction and the Orpheum at Cremorne. Sorry, there was a 4th, I think it was called the Southern Cross at Neutral Bay, later became The Music Hall run by George Miller..

Saturday afternoons, if you weren't at the beach, were mostly spent at the Orpheum, trying to get under girls' skirts while occasionally watching some serial or western movie.
I have one vivid memory of the Kinema, but I'd have to set the scene first. During the 1950s there was a popular radio quiz show, the Ampol Show, where people had to pick up the phone and a girl would answer with "Ampol Treasure House" and ask them to select a number for a prize.
Anyway, one afternoon at the Kinema they were running a movie called Dial M for Murder (was it a Hitchcock? occasionally still shows on TV). At a critical suspense moment the female star picks up the phone and someone is waiting to strangle her. Out of the blue comes a voice from the audience: "Ampol Treasure House, number please".
There's always one, but it brought the house down.

In the late 50s and through the 60s there were, I think three cinemas in Sydney CBD that showed exclusively foreign movies, mostly French and Italian. Which is where I saw all those movies and more that some of us have discussed in other threads.
From memory most of these cinemas were formerly what were called Newsreel cinemas. They ran continuous news footage from various sources as well as short features in virtually a continuous loop. This was before TV the only source of film commentary on local and foreign news.
People would go in and sit there till it came round to the same footage they'd already seen or for as long as they wanted really.
TV killed them almost immediately as it killed most of the cinemas.

So what can anybody tell us about cinemas gone but not forgotten.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
Wolseley
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Politics

Posts: 1453
Sydney
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #1 - Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:28pm
 
A couple of early memories of cinemas I have relate both to the early 1960s - or maybe to the late 1950s.  The first was a cinema in or near Wynyard station that had a program that consisted of Charlie Chaplin movies repeated ad nauseum, possibly with the inclusion of newsreels.  I think that "The Rink" was one of them, but I can't remember for sure.

Another memory I have is going to watch a movie that was something to do with pirates and might have been a Walt Disney production at a long vanished cinema at or near Thornleigh.  There was a hailstorm during the movie which drowned out everything.  I can't remember anything specifically about the movie (was Robert Newton in it?) but one thing I definitely don't remember is anything being said about damage to my father's Hillman Minx due to the hail but then, cars were made out of stronger metal in those days.....
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #2 - Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:37pm
 
That might have been Treasure Island and he would have been Long John Silver.
Hilman Minx - they would have been built to withstand nuclear attack.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #3 - Jun 28th, 2016 at 4:27pm
 
I forgot to mention my local cinema now for many years, the Empire at Bowral, claims to be the oldest continuously operated cinema in regional Australia. Opened in 1915 and contrary to rumour I wasn't there at the time.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
Wolseley
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Politics

Posts: 1453
Sydney
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #4 - Jun 29th, 2016 at 1:09am
 
bogarde73 wrote on Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:37pm:
That might have been Treasure Island and he would have been Long John Silver.

That would have been the one.

bogarde73 wrote on Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:37pm:
Hilman Minx - they would have been built to withstand nuclear attack.

My father’s first car after we came to Australia was a 1955 Hillman Minx, followed by a 1958 Hillman Minx and then by a 1962 Austin Freeway.  He also had a 1949 Jowett Javelin along with the Freeway for a year or so.  Those cars were built to last.  I’m not sure about the others, but his Jowett is still around.  At a recent All British Display Day at Parramatta I was talking to a member of the Jowett Car Club and mentioned my father’s car - it was a rather rare early model and had a number of non-standard features.  It turned out that it is currently owned by a club member and is awaiting restoration.

Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #5 - Jun 29th, 2016 at 7:14am
 
I remember the Jowett Javelin but never heard of the Austin Freeway. That might have been around the time when the diversity of cars just became too much for me. I had an FJ Holden.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #6 - Jun 29th, 2016 at 7:18am
 
I'm waiting to hear from people with memories of cinemas in country towns.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #7 - Jun 29th, 2016 at 7:41am
 
I just had this flashback, the end must be getting close.
There was a cinema, I think up near the old Hotel Australia, called the Prince Edward. You'd go in there to see a movie and all of a sudden this huge Wurlitzer organ would rise from the bowels of the earth and someone would be playing thunderous music at you. What a dreadful experience.
The sound waves pinned you to your seat otherwise you would have escaped to the safety of the nearby Sportsmen's Bar.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
Wolseley
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Politics

Posts: 1453
Sydney
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #8 - Jul 4th, 2016 at 9:44pm
 
I'm afraid this one is a slightly vague memory, but I do recall a rather run down cinema that was around the corner from the Wynyard Station entrance in George Street.  It continuously showed old movies interspersed with newsreels and, if you stayed around for long enough, you would see the movie that was on when you entered the cinema start again.

And when I say old movies, I mean old movies.  The program when I was there (and we're talking early 1960s here) consisted of Charlie Chaplin silent comedies, with an added musical soundtrack, which would probably have been done in the early 1930s.  I definitely remember The Adventurer and The Vagabond being on the program but I think there was also a third one, either The Pawnshop or The Immigrant as well.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Black Orchid
Gold Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 5788
Gender: female
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #9 - Jul 4th, 2016 at 9:59pm
 
The Orpheum at Cremorne is still operational.

There is an old picture theatre at Richmond which I attended a couple of times many years ago.  It had huge red curtains that open and close during intermission etc.  I remember a little man in a suit coming out with a round glass bowl to announce the winners of the raffle/lucky seat draws.  It is also still operational.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Baronvonrort
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Politics

Posts: 17387
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #10 - Jul 4th, 2016 at 10:08pm
 
bogarde73 wrote on Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:06pm:
I grew up in Sydney through the 1950s & 60s. There were 3 cinemas within walking distance, if you didn't mind a walk. The "Kinema" at Mosman, the "Kings" at Spit Junction and the Orpheum at Cremorne. Sorry, there was a 4th, I think it was called the Southern Cross at Neutral Bay, later became The Music Hall run by George Miller..



There was a restaurant on Military rd just down from the Oaks hotel which had actors with live shows, was that the music hall you mentioned or was that another venue?

I think it closed in the early 80's, I had a few meals and saw some shows there.
Back to top
 

Leftists and the Ayatollahs have a lot in common when it comes to criticism of Islam, they don't tolerate it.
 
IP Logged
 
Wolseley
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Politics

Posts: 1453
Sydney
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #11 - Jul 5th, 2016 at 1:04am
 
Black Orchid wrote on Jul 4th, 2016 at 9:59pm:
There is an old picture theatre at Richmond which I attended a couple of times many years ago.


Been there.  Its the Richmond Regent.  A survivor from a bygone era - and unfortunately now showing its age a bit.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #12 - Jul 5th, 2016 at 2:53pm
 
Baronvonrort wrote on Jul 4th, 2016 at 10:08pm:
bogarde73 wrote on Jun 28th, 2016 at 2:06pm:
I grew up in Sydney through the 1950s & 60s. There were 3 cinemas within walking distance, if you didn't mind a walk. The "Kinema" at Mosman, the "Kings" at Spit Junction and the Orpheum at Cremorne. Sorry, there was a 4th, I think it was called the Southern Cross at Neutral Bay, later became The Music Hall run by George Miller..



There was a restaurant on Military rd just down from the Oaks hotel which had actors with live shows, was that the music hall you mentioned or was that another venue?

I think it closed in the early 80's, I had a few meals and saw some shows there.


That was the Music Hall indeed. I played in a band there one New Years Eve. They threw us some classical music parts, we were a jazz band for crissakes.  It was a disaster.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
UnSubRocky
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Australian Legend

Posts: 21671
Rockhampton, Q
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #13 - Jul 16th, 2016 at 5:12am
 
There were a few cinemas back in the day before I was born. The one we had in Rockhampton was over near the Denison Street train tracks. It was a two cinema Birch Carroll and Coyle complex. My first movie I saw there was "The Wizard", in 1989. I would only go see movies very occasionally. Saw Jurassic Park in 1993. Then they opened a third cinema room upstairs, just to help with the patron numbers.

By 1998, we had a new cinema complex open just near the Stockland shopping centre, on the northside. They were still playing "Titanic" at the theatres, when I decided to see the movie again at the new cinema. The blatant difference between the old cinemas and the new one was extreme. Better picture quality. Better sound. The echoing cries for help from the people in the Titanic movie was so much more realistic than the unconvincing sound system of the old complex. The old complex's sound system resembled my bedroom's home theatre system.

I am not the kind of person who really dwells on the old too much. But, I'll try to find pictures of the old theatre, and the one that predated it.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
bogarde73
Gold Member
*****
Offline


Anti-Global & Contra Mundum

Posts: 18443
Gender: male
Re: Bygone Cinemas
Reply #14 - Jul 16th, 2016 at 7:45am
 
That would be interesting. I never thought of photos. There must be a lot around on the web.
Back to top
 

Know the enemies of a civil society by their public behaviour, by their fraudulent claim to be liberal-progressive, by their propensity to lie and, above all, by their attachment to authoritarianism.
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 
Send Topic Print