Page 19 - CinemaRecord #21R.pdf

Steps led to the entrance foyer. A glass panelled ticket box was on the left hand side and a staircase, on the
right hand side led to the upper level. The foyer floor was covered with inlaid marble parquetry. The manager's
office, switch room and dynamo room were also located off the ground floor foyer. The circle foyer ran the full
width of the building and a ladies powder room was the only other facility in this area.

A central stair case from the upstairs foyer provided access to the middle of the dress circle. The projection
room was located at the rear of the circle. The steeply raked circle was supported on a clear span steel truss.

Stalls Area Showing The Level Floor c.1930
As the theatre was also to become a major dance and ball venue, the stalls floor was flat. Five rows of leather
upholstered seats were used at the back and the rest of the chairs were of a folding variety. Leather upholstered
flip-up seats were installed in the circle.
The side walls were splayed to the proscenium and the original stage area was 28ft.wide x 11 ft. deep, and 20
ft wide with a bow front forward of the proscenium. A roomy orchestra pit and dressing rooms to each side of the
stage were included. The original colour scheme included rich cream to the walls trimmed with sepia and blue
shadings. The stepped down ornamental ceiling was painted rich cream trimmed with old gold. The walls were
of plain finished solid plaster. The electrically operated stage curtains as well as the side and rear wall window
curtains were described as nigger brown in colour (2).

Heating and cooling were not included in the project although provision was made for their later installation.
Extensive fire protection was built into all levels of the theatre including fire hydrants and extinguishers.

The theatre opened with 807 seats, 367 in the circle and 440 in the stalls (2). This was subsequently reduced to
7 41 seats, 364 in the circle and 377 in the stalls.

The projection room equipment included the two machines from the old theatre. Also the operators controlled
the dimmers for the lights, a bell warning system, and the operation of the stage curtains.
The theatre was opened by Cr. A. B. Frost (President of the Lowan Shire) on Wednesday 25 May,1927 at the
commencement of a charity evening. Proceeds were equally divided between the Nhill Hospital, Band and Fire
Brigade. Two films were screened "What happened to Jones" and "The Blind Goddess". Mr. H. Frisch's orches-
tra provided the music. The local press noted that the screening was slightly marred by a defective lens (2).

Lon Chaney's "The Phantom of The Opera" was promoted as the next attraction to be screened (2).