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For twelve years, from 1958 until 1970,
Cinerama was exhibited at Melbourne’s
Plaza theatre. It was very popular in
a period when the cinema business
was struggling. The Plaza basked
in the glow of this popularity. As the
1960’s progressed however,
changing tastes in film and
presentation meant that cinemas like
the Plaza, and its big brother upstairs
the Regent, were no longer needed.
This is the story of the Plaza’s Cinerama
period and its final days.
By Eric White
Image courtesy of Ross Thorne

In September 1952 Cinerama was partnership with Robin International arrangements for the filming of the
first presented to movie audiences in and gave this company the right to open Australian sequence of Cinerama’s
New York. This huge-screened, theatres in Britain, Europe and Japan. South Seas Adventure that the pace
audience-enveloping experience left the By the middle of 1955 there were 25 quickened. Stanley-Warner did a deal
movie industry stunned and admiring at Cinerama theatres. In 1958 the with Hoyts Theatres Ltd and in early
a time when mainstream movies were agreement was extended to the rest of 1958 it was announced that Cinerama
in decline. Quickly Hollywood sought the world, except for a few countries theatres were to be established in
to imitate it with cheaper wide-screen where Stanley-Warner already had Sydney and Melbourne within the year.
systems and spectacular subject matter. interests, which included Australia and Hoyts was well placed to introduce
Meanwhile Cinerama opened in new Canada, Venezuela and Cuba. (It did Cinerama. It had led the exhibition
locations and produced several new them no good in Cuba. Castro industry in introducing Cinemascope
films in much the same travelogue style expropriated the theatre and put in the and drive-in theatres, was owned by
as its initial effort, This Is Cinerama. Soviet version of Cinerama, industry giant Twentieth Century Fox
By the latter part of the 1950s, the Kinopanorama.) and had prestigious cinemas in all
Cinerama phenomenon had settled Cinerama was ready for a growth Australia’s capital cities.
down. Thee had been a steady spurt. Several second-string U.S. Cinerama sent a representative to
expansion into the major cities of the locations had closed due to declining Australia to inspect possible sites for
United States, Canada, London, Europe business and the slow production of conversion. The manager of
and Japan, engineered by business deals new Cinerama movies. There was Melbourne’s Esquire in the late fifties
with various partnerships. The original unused presentation equipment stored remembers being told by the city
barn-storming entrepreneurs who had at Cinerama headquarters at Oyster supervisor, Reg Potter, to expect a visit.
backed Cinerama had been almost Bay, Long Island and money could still A rather physically unprepossessing but
completely replaced by more be made from the early features, which fast talking American, Harry Goldberg,
conservative owners due to the constant had yet to be seen in many countries. turned up in due course and gave the
need to raise more capital to finance The time was ripe for Cinerama to be Esquire the once over. Hoyts New
this expansion. It was now time for a established in Australia. Malvern was also briefly considered. It
methodical development of new venues Many Australian exhibitors had was decided that the Plaza was the best
through the rest of the world, including shown some interest in Cinerama since proposition for Cinerama however. The
Australia. the middle 1950s, but their tentative Sydney Plaza was also selected.
From 1953, the Stanley-Warner proposals had not borne fruit. It was Cinerama reserved the right to
Corporation, primarily a lingerie not until a Cinerama/Stanley-Warner control the choice of theatres for an
manufacturer, had the rights to make representative Bruce Newbery came to installation. The technical requirements
and distribute Cinerama films and open Australia in 1957 to set up were complicated. Only wide
theatres. It then entered into a

12 2004 CINEMARECORD