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C JNEMARECORD

Cinema J-fistorg 9{p: 7 5 'By !fWger Seccom6e

THE PRINCE GEORGE THEATRE, MIDDLE BRJGHTON

A Sentimental Reminiscence.

My first acquaintance with the old PRINCE GEORGE came rather late in the day in the life of that cinema: early 1958 tO be
precise. Growing up as a child in Kew, Brighton seemed the other end of the earth to me. I used to read the long lists of
suburban screen advertising (under the headings of Hoyts and Independent theatres in the papers) more out of curiosity than
anything else. I never expected to visit the more distant ones. Travelling by train or tram put many of them out of bounds for
visits from a schoolboy with a passion for
cinema ... but with liule pocket money. So far
as Brighton was concerned what changed
everything for me was an enthusiastic review
by my favourite film critic, Colin Bennell of
"The Age": he began his review by saying:
"Congratulations to the PRJNCE GEORGE,
Middle Brighton, for being the only theatre
in Victoria willing to give us a look at an
Australian fLim ... Cecil Holn1es' THREE lN
ONE will be at the PRINCE GEORGE until
Wednesday ... "! went, with great
expectations, by the Sandringham train and,
so far as the PRINCE GEORGE was
concerned, I wasn't disappointed. What a
revelation! Many people didn't (or for that
mauer still don't) know that the PRINCE
GEORGE ever existed! Of course, it was
hardly a landmark in Church Street, Middle
Brighton, being tenuously connected with
that street by a lengthy paved and covered
passageway. If you missed the bill posters at
the entrance, you missed the cinema altogether! Inside, as I soon discovered on frequent subsequent visitS, you had to be
careful not to select a seat where a couple of pillars supporting the dress circle might interfere with your view of the screen.
The theatre was something different to the sleek, modernistic lines of the "GLEN" or "PALACE" in Glenferrie that I
frequented, or the somewhat art deco interior of the"BROADWA Y" in Camberwell or the full-on, though faded, rococco,
splendours of the "RIAL TO" in
Kew. The PRINCE GEORGE
was dingy ,dark and rather
decrepit. But it was homey. I
always fell welcomed by the
family operators. Sometimes
there even were children in
attendance on the doors. Manager
of the PRINCE GEORGE,
Robert Ward, recently told me
that his grandfather was the chief
"greeter" to welcome patrons. By
the time the cinema closed
grandfather was around 75 years
of age but still enjoyed the job.
Robert Ward, as manager, would
be in his dinner suit and bow-tie;

The emrance today.

Photo R Seccombe