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Interior showing the original curtain. The door and moulding motif of the boxes is repeated along the walls. The musician’s
instruments can be seen in the pit.

(11m) by 15 feet 4 inches in height minor. The large candy bar was the complex closed in January 2004.
(4.7m), second in size to the Victory St. converted into a rack room, while a The Fitzroy building outlasted its
Kilda, amongst the Hoyts suburban section of the back stalls was part-owners, Griffiths and Wests. The
theatres. The original contour act reconstructed to suit the needs of a live company was wound up in the early
curtain had already been replaced with television audience. At the rear of the sixties following the closure of their
a standard French-action type in a deep auditorium, an audio control room and remaining theatres, the Palace Fitzroy
burgundy colour. The view to the stage adjoining video control room were built. and the Crystal at Caulfield.
area was improved by removing the The remaining half of the stalls was The Regent was sold to a developer
token chair from each proscenium box, converted into an open studio. A railing and a demolition order sought. By 1984
(a distraction to the eye), and enfolding separated the seating from the studio the site had been levelled. The
each box in richer drapes. When Hoyts area. All foyers survived intact, as did demolition finished off one of
introduced ‘Simultaneous with City’ for most of the theatre. The dress circle Melbourne’s largest but least known
Cinemascope films, the Regent Fitzroy simply remained unused. Television picture theatres. For some reason the
was overlooked in favour of Padua production in the form of variety and theatre never attained the legendary
Bruswick, a sure sign that geography quiz shows commenced in early 1961. status of the Regent South Yarra nor the
and the Regent Collins Street was When HSV-7 moved out, the Regent Victory St Kilda (a ‘Regent’ by proxy),
telling against it. saw a brief return to the spotlight as a even though it fulfilled the requirements
Television was now the popular legitimate theatre for a run of the Rocky of scale, style, and originality to justify
entertainment. In Victoria in May 1960 Horror Picture Show. Approval for the the same reputation. Perhaps proximity
there were 312,807 television receivers conversion was given in October 1975. to its big brother on Collins Street
in use (based on licence figures) and The theme required an old theatre to set always worked against it – the best kept
the number was climbing by 4,857 per the mood and the building in effect secret of Fitzroy? – in that cinema-goers
month! As a large theatre with high became a prop in the show. Rocky from the southern or eastern suburbs
operating costs, the down-turn in Horror had enjoyed a long run in had no reason to go there and see for
attendances and the effect of inflation Sydney at the New Art Cinema in Glebe themselves. It was a trendy destination
marked the Regent Fitzroy as a and now Melbourne warmed to it. during the season of Rocky Horror, but
potential early casualty of the new After 1977 the theatre saw little use the deliberate ‘distressed look’ for the
culture. The final screening was on 17 and by 1982 it was in a poor state. Well show, a parody of the original intent,
September 1960. before the end, the crystal chandeliers made a visit a bittersweet experience.
HSV-7 purchased the property in were transferred to Hoyts Regent But then again, to be the venue for a
1960 for conversion into television Adelaide where they saw new life in hot-ticket item before fade-out, is not
studios. The alterations were carried out theatre surroundings. They remained in such a bad ending. ★
over several months and were generally service in the reconstructed foyers until AT A GLANCE

CINEMARECORD 2004 21