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Cheltenham
Cheltenham

Theatres
Theatres

By Brian Hunt

s a boy growing up in Mentone in the area for the
A the 1950’s I regularly attended following thirty-
the New Mentone Theatre on the three years I
corner of Nepean Highway and must have passed
Balcombe Road. Further along the the Cheltenham
highway in neighbouring Cheltenham Memorial Hall
films were also shown regularly at the on hundreds (probably thousands) of (a friend of my parents) was the
Cheltenham Memorial Hall. I only occasions. During this time I have projectionist at the New Mentone
ever attended the Cheltenham theatre observed the changes in the condition Theatre (see CinemaRecord 4, August
on two occasions. I saw Genevieve of this particular building and also the 1994) and told me that Burgoyne and
and, on another occasion, The Marx various purposes for which it has been Casey who ran the original Mentone
Brothers in The Big Store. I recall that used. Theatre in Brindisi Street also showed
the interior was quite plain and nothing My curiosity about the history of films at Cheltenham for a period.
like the palatial New Mentone the hall led me to the Public Records (As a matter of interest, Ken told me
Theatre. I also remember having Office. The building situated at 1261 that he used to assist with showing
difficulty in seeing the screen at the Nepean Highway Cheltenham opened silent films to the residents and staff at
evening session of Genevieve. In in 1886 as the Protestant Hall. The the nearby Melbourne Home and
retrospect this is understandable Returned Soldiers and Sailors League Hospital for the Aged, now known as
because the building was designed to took over the hall in the 1920’s.In a the Kingston Centre).
be a hall and not purpose- built as a letter (dated 25th October 1921) the On the 17th February 1945 the hall
picture theatre. When I went to see the RSL stated to the Public Records was leased to Lawrence Bros Talkies.
Marx Brothers at a matinee there was a Office that they were desirous of Thanks to Ern Bruhn it is now known
bumper crowd and bench seats had to leasing the Memorial Hall at that the projectors were not from the
be put in front of the regular seating. It Cheltenham for twelve months to Verne East Malvern. Rather, the two
wasn’t very comfortable but at least I Messrs Clarke and Page to show venues ran concurrently for awhile. In
was able to watch the film and have a pictures. From this time until the late 1956 the cinema operator was Ernest
good laugh. 1950’s films were shown in the hall. Dawson. It is possible that there were
As a resident of Mentone for There were several operators over other operators of this picture theatre,
twenty years and as a regular visitor to the years. The late Ken Lemmon however my research failed to find any.

Profile of the vandalised building in 1998.

24 2003 CINEMARECORD