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Two thirds of the auditorium was re-seated,
while the balance was reupholstered. Mod-
ern lighting has been installed to replace
old fashioned light featw·es. ( 13)

ln 1960, a larger false proscenium was
erected forward of the old stage and
Gaumont Kalee Model 2 1 projectors were
installed. (14)
By the 1970 's, Manly still had three cin-
emas open, but poor product and changes
in the industry due to restructuring were to
ultimately change cinema going at this
beach side suburb.

In 1971 , M.G.M. theaters sold aU their cir
cuit and quit exhibition entirely in Australia.

The Manly MetTO was sold and by 1973 had
been taken over by an independent exhibi
tor and renamed Manly Silver Screen Cin-
ema. This cinema, which had served Manly
since 1912 was to fall victim to colour tel-
evision and finally closed its doors in 1976c.

The building was later converted to the
Beachcomber Night club, but despite this
conversion the projection room remained
complete. The nightclub venture folded and
the venue was noted as being closed by
1986. The premises were used as a ware-
house for many years . There were propos-
als mooted in 1990 to reopen the cinema,
but this did not eventuate and the property
was sold and demolished in 1999.

Hoyts Manly - Belgrave Street in 1959. The Hoyts Manly theatre a lso had its days numbered in
Note the elaborate signage the mid-seventies. Hoyts announced plans to build a new
(Jan Hanson Collection) twin cinema at Brookvale, an adjoining suburb. The new
twin cinemas opened in 1977 in the Waringah Mall shop-
This opinion was to change the fate of both cinemas. Acme- ping centre.
Odeon-Kings theatres tberefore reversed a previous deci-
sion and decided not only to reopen the Embassy, but also Hoyts Manly went up for sale also in 1977 and was sold in
renovate the building. The Rialto, (which had been re- May of that year. The cinema was renamed Manly Flicks
named the Odeon) was closed down in February, 1960 ( 12). and pursued a policy of art house product, similar to that
The property already sold prior to the closure, was very of the former Silver Screen cinema.
quickly demolished for an arcade of shops, which still stand
on the site. Unfortunately the Manly Flicks also closed its doors in
1980 and was demolished.
In May of 1960, work on the renovations to the Embassy
had been completed and the theatre was reopened as the By this stage the only cinema still 9perating was the fom1er
Odeon theatre and was placed on the first run circuit of Embassy, now Odeon theatre. This building however was
suburban theatres. to fall victim to the video menace and rumours started to
circulate in 1982 that tllis landmark building was doomed.
Renovations to Manly's new Odeon included a full repaint-
ing of its facade and on this occasion the decorative em- Fearing the worst, prominent Manly locals decided to form
bellishments were featured in a striking and more appro- the Odeon Restoration Committee. Alderman, Mrs Joan
priate colour scheme. New tiling was installed at the en- Cooke of the Manly Municipal Council, being its repre-
trance with new showcases for the posters, plus an over- sentative. Because the few remaining suburban cinemas
hauled vertical neon sign. were disappearing at the time and there was mounting

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