Page 15 - CinemaRecord #11R.pdf

The safety of the public for any emergency has been carefully considered. Twelve-feet doors at the Bath Lane
end provide wide exits without the need of passing through the grand foyer to Mitchell Street, so that while part
of the audience have exits in Bath Lane, the people from the dress circle and the lounge~ have the wide exit by
the grand foyer. Exit doors can be opened on the Mitchell Street side and on the opposite side of the building
providing ample exits for the emptying of the theatre.

Total seating capacity for the Plaza was 1164, with 708 in the stalls and 456 in the upstairs area. Contractors
responsible for the Plaza's solid brick construction was McLennan Bros. of Nirvana Avenue, East Melbourne,
while the Plaster decorative treatment was supplied and erected by W.H. Brilliant and Co.Pty.Ltd. of 88 Albion
Street, Essendon.

The gala opening of the Plaza took place on Friday, 28th December, 1934 with promoters Bendigo Amusements
Pty.Ltd., and the Managing Director, James L. Thornley, donating the nights proceeds to the Lord Mayors Fund.
The opening ceremony being performed by the Lord Mayor himself, Cr. A. Staples. A big feature of the opening
program was the Paramount newsreel showing the Wedding of the Duke of Kent. The feature movie screened
was "Little Miss Marker" a Paramount production direct from the Capitol Theatre, Melbourne with the cast
including Adolphe Menjou, Charles Bickford, Dorothy Dell and the new screen star Shirley Temple. Associate
feature titled "We're Not Dressing" starred Bing Crosby.

The Plaza "THE SHOWPLACE OF THE NORTH" then screened daily, Mon to Saturdays at 2.15pm and 8pm
with special children's morning shows at 1 0.45am, children's prices to all parts of the house 6d (Sc).

Admission prices ranged from: Matinees -stalls 1/- (1 Oc), circle 1/6 (15c), lounges reserved 2/- (20c), to
Evenings- front stalls 1/-, stalls 1/6, stalls reserve 2/-, circle 2/-, lounges 2/6.
Film programs changed weekly on Fridays.

Projection equipment installed was a pair of Cummings and Wilson, Model E heads mounted on Western
Electric Widerange soundheads and bases. The sound installation was carried out by Chief Engineer of
Western Electric Australasia Ltd, Mr. E. Elliott, with assistance by engineer Mr. W. Carroll. Carbon Arc lamps
were "KELMAR", made by the Sperry Company, world renowned makers of searchlights for the British Navy.
These were replaced in 1948 by a pair of Hamilton Baker arc lamps which were replaced finally by a pair of
PEERLESS 14" arcs in 1954 when the VISTAVISION format was installed.

The Plaza's first manager was Mr. Wilfred G. Kemp, who had been manager of the AVALON Theatre, Hobart.
He was previously at the Majestic Theatre Leeds, and in the silent productions had charge of the orchestras of
a circuit of Theatres in England. In the Plaza's history where five managers, they were Wilfred G. Kemp, Bill
Carroll, Harry Muller, Ken Morgan and Valerie Callaghan.

Over the years there were six long serving projectionists :
Bob Johnson 1934-40 John Leggo 1959-65
Perc Woodyard 1940-49 Michael Purden 1966-70
Max Morse 1949-59 Ken Hill 1970-75

Max Morse had the honor of screening the last films at the Plaza, on Saturday 20th December, 1975 with a
Kung Fu double, Bruce Lee's "Fists of Fury" and "The Chinese Connection".

After it's closure the Theatre was gutted, and the upstairs level was extended to the proscenium, and is now a
gymnasium. The oriQ'inal ceiling, proscenium and side boxes remain intact, but with a different color scheme.
The downstairs area now houses a furniture store and the original theatre entrance is now a Ladies wear shop.

References: The Bendigo Advertiser, various issues.
Interviews with former staff members.

Photographs: The Wolanski Library (Sydney).

Archivists Note: The Plaza was the last of Bendigo's three major city theatres to close, the others being the
older Lyric and The Princess theatres. Kevin Houlahan and Partners took over the lease of the Plaza around
1965. They also built and operated the Golden drive-in. The partnership built the Golden Twin Cinema which
opened on 28th of December, 1975. During the 1950's the Lyric screened RKO, Fox and BEF films, The
Princess screened MGM and Warner Brothers, and the Plaza screened Universal, UA and Paramount