Page 16 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

Village

Theatre

Toorak

By Gerry Kennedy

Owner: Village Theatres Pty Ltd
Tenants Victoria Theatres Pty Ltd/
Consolidated Theatres
Architect: Charles N. Hollinshed
Location: 441 Toorak Road, Toorak
Opened: 7 March 1936
Closed: 31 December 1958 The Herald Thursday 5 March 1936 Source: State Library of Victoria
The Village Theatre was an
the restraint of the exterior by day and veneer, floral arrangements and a piano
imposing landmark high on the skyline
night. From a distance the only created the ambience of a city theatre.
in the Toorak Village Shopping Centre.
external lighting was from the neon A ladies toilet facility opened off the
It’s competition was Hoyts Regent
and the interior illumination of the foyer. Patrons proceeded from the foyer
South Yarra, also in Toorak Road. Ten
three tall windows. through a large promenade area, to the
years and a distance of one mile
separated the rivals, but The Village Although the theatre had a frontage left and right staircases. These led to the
was light years away in style. of 25m. (82 feet) to Toorak Road the cross aisle between the lounge and
auditorium was only 17.7m. (58 feet) circle sections of the auditorium. Two
The Toorak Village shopping centre
wide. The building was 44m. (145 feet) staff rooms also opened off the
is still mainly a group of Tudor-style
deep. The upstairs manager’s office and promenade.
shops and the theatre’s modern styling
circle toilets were built over the exit The auditorium was an impressive
was out of character with its
laneways that were located on each space with a high ceiling, horseshoe
surrounds. The architect C. N.
side of the theatre auditorium. The site balcony and tall but rather narrow
Hollinshed, another practitioner of the
sloped steeply towards the stage. proscenium. The Argus commented on
‘Regent-style’, also in Melbourne and
New Zealand, was also responsible for The decision to have a sweets shop the ‘almost entire absence of ornament
Melbourne theatre work associated and large poster cases on the left-hand in the theatre, in which an unusual
with the J.C. Williamson group. He co- side of the frontage meant that the effect is achieved by the use of
designed The Comedy (1928), did the entrance was off-set. Five recessed straight lines, relieved only by circular
conversion of the Auditorium into the doors provided access to the stalls designs on the ceiling. There is very
Metro Collins Street (1934), and the foyer. The foyer contained left and spartan use of colour in the interior.’
new interior for His Majesty’s (1934). right hand ticket boxes, an entrance to The theatre was equipped with an
In essence The Village two years later the sweets shop, a left hand staircase orchestra pit and a musicians room, an
was a further paring back of the to the mezzanine foyer, another unusual addition for a cinema by this
principles of form to match function staircase to the basement men’s toilet time. The stage itself was only
used within His Majesty’s. facilities and an offset entry to the rear intended for a screen and perhaps a
crossover aisle of the stalls. solo artist. It was 3m (10 feet) deep
The Village was a prestige theatre
for a prestige suburb. The blended The rear rows of the stalls were and 14m (46 feet) wide. The
brick façade –an example of first class stepped to provide better sight lines and proscenium opening was 9m (30 feet)
workmanship in colour matching and the seating was arranged in curved rows. wide. Total seating was 1382; 116
brick-laying - was stepped with a Climbing the staircase to the mezzanine Front Stalls, 630 Back stalls and 614
slightly bowed central façade foyer, the manager’s office and a men’s in the Lounge and Circle. The total
incorporating three French-doors toilet were accessed from the first stair had been reduced to 1264 by the time
opening on to balconettes. Above the landing. The Argus said that large of closing.
balconettes were three very tall mirrors in the lounges and foyers ‘give The quality of the finish in this
windows. The marquee was also an impression of spaciousness.’ The theatre extended behind the scenes.
stepped and designed for moveable furniture and fittings were described as Access to the projection suite was by
letters for program advertising. A large ‘ultra modern, but in no sense bizarre’. direct stairways from the mezzanine
vertical neon, incorporating a village Timber was a feature of all parts of the foyer and manager’s office and in total
bell logo, was fitted to the right hand theatre. A well appointed first floor these facilities ran the width of the
side of the façade. The Argus praised foyer with walls of Queensland Walnut theatre.

16 2002 CINEMARECORD