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A total of forty-six members enjoyed a sit-down three course meal following a welcome from President, Trevor Walters.

Founding member Fred Page was our Guest Speaker, and Fred ourljned a surprising number of inspections, excursions
and events the Society has achieved in the past decade. All founding members who were present, were awarded a
certificate to commemorate this milestone.

Three lucky members won door prizes and Jean Smythe and Dot Howson carved up an almost too fresh birthday cake,
complete with ten candles, after founding member and first President Ken Tullock cut the tirst slice.

A film "The Picture Show Man", courtesy of Peter Wolfenden and Mjke Trickett, completed a most successful evening.

Classic Cinemas, Elsternwick Inspection

Despite a cold wind and an early start, some forty members spent an interesting morning at the Classic.

The original auditorium dates from around 1890 and was built as a public hall to stage live concerts, dances and eventu-
ally silent movies. Re-furbished and re-opened by Mr. W. Howard on the 20'h September 1946 with M.G.M."S "Ziegfeld
Follies", it was known as the Esquire Theatre.

In the early fifties, the balcony was removed and stadium seating introduced along with conversion to the new wide-
screen systems.

Several management changes followed and a 1969 fire closed the building until 1970 and another re-furbishment. The
Esquire name was altered to Sharon for a time and then a further change to Classic.

By early 1997. the single screen cinema had fallen on difficult times and was taken over by Mr. Ed Tamir and Reading
Theatres.

Cinema One has been completely retirted and Cinema Two created in a former office space upstairs.

Adjoining propetties were demolished and Cinemas Three, Four and Five occupy a new building and a spacious foyer.

The Classic is now ready to entertain its patrons for the next hundred years!

Re-Lighting The Capitol Theatre -A Melbourne Landmark

Melbourne's first true luxury Picture Palace opened on the 7m November, 1924. Over the years, the Capitol has survived
despite television competition and substantial re-building in 1965, when the stalJs area was removed in favour of a
shopping arcade.

Designed by Walter and Marion Burley Griffin from the U.S.A., the Griffins also planned the City of Canberra amongst
other buildings and homes in Melbourne and Sydney.

Their lasting legacy is the Capital's world-famous ceiling, a fantasy of plaster cubes and mouldings indirectly lit by
thousands of colored globes that constantly change color.

The Theatre bas only been used spasmodically in recent years and was threatened with permanent closure in early 1999.
Fortunately, The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology saw the need for a large lecture auditorium in the heart of the
city and have purchased it. The name is now the RMIT Capitol Theatre.

On Sunday 7'h November 1999, 75 years to the day, guests were invited to attend a "Relighting The Capitol" Ceremony.

Percussionists from the Melbourne Symphony opened the evening. Various dignitaries outlined the aims and objectives
to re-furbish the property over the next five years, returning it to a true multi-purpose venue.

The ceiling lights were switched on, then an amazing aerialist acrobat appeared from a trap-door at the top of tbe ceiling
and descended down a swatch of material without a safety harness or net!

An exciting night closed with a preview of the comedy film "Happy, Texas".

If you wish to help restore the Capitol Theatre, RMIT have launched an appeal for fwther funds.
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