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The Fuller Influence:

By Bernie Halperin
Benjamin and John Fuller already
controlled a vaudeville circuit in New
Zealand when they crossed the Tasman
to expand their theatre interests. In
Melbourne their first acquisition was
Brennan’s Amphitheatre at the top of
Bourke Street. Their Melbourne jewel
was the Princess, acquired in 1915. The
Fuller influence in vaudeville, musical
comedy, drama and films meant
competition for Williamsons, the Tivoli
circuit, Hoyts and Union Theatres.
From the National to the Palace
Opened as Brennan’s National
Amphitheatre on Saturday 6 April
1912, by Monday it had become
Fuller’s National. The theatre was one
of the plainest in Melbourne, with a In 1931 the Princess returned to
small straight balcony and white walls films under Fuller management. The
said to be devoid of decoration. most successful was MGM’s Trader
For six months in 1915 Hoyts Horn (seven weeks).
leased the National while St Georges The Bijou and Gaiety/Roxy,
Hall was rebuilt to become Hoyts Bourke Street
The usual fare at the Princess was
DeLuxe. Hoyts offered free buses from A popular destination for
plays and musicals. From 1910 and into
Swanston Street to the top of Bourke theatergoers from the 1890s, the Bijou
the twenties there was the occasional
Street. The theatre later shared Union was part of the Palace hotel complex
out-booking for a film. When sound
Theatre films concurrently with the that included the Gaiety theatre. Under
arrived in 1929 Union Theatres signed
Majestic in Flinders Street for about the Fuller management the Bijou was
a four-year lease, intending to use the
six months. A similar arrangement promoted as The Home of Clean
Princess as a prestige house for first run
followed with Barret’s Snowden Vaudeville. In 1932 Fuller’s introduced
talkies. Things started well with
theatre (later renamed the Garrick) on a first release film policy using
Coquette (four weeks) then the Marx
a site now covered by the Performing Celebrity Films. This lasted three
Bros. in The Coconuts (11 weeks), but
Arts Centre. months before the theatre reverted to
Union ran into the twin problems of
In 1915 Fullers brought in their occasional live theatre including
access to first run films and the decline
favourite architect Henry White to pantomimes. After a two-week season
in attendances caused by the
redesign the interior. White provided of the pantomime Mickey the Mouse in
Depression. Union Theatres broke their
the shape and horse-shoe balconies that January 1934, the theatre closed forever.
lease on the Princess after only seven
mostly survive today. The theatre re-
films. (For a first-hand account of The Gaiety, a 1,400-seat vaudeville
opened as the Palace for plays and
bringing sound films to the Princess house, located on the first floor of the
vaudeville.
see CinemaRecord 30). Palace Hotel, began showing films
In 1929 Fuller’s Palace was about 1910 in opposition to Hoyts at
equipped for sound and became a first St. Georges Hall. The programs were
release film house with some long run the same as those at the Melba (Bourke
and weekly run films. Most successful Street), Spencers/Wests in South
was MGM’s Hollywood Hotel (eight Melbourne and the Lyric in Prahran.
weeks). Then came a series of weekly
The Gaiety specialised in twice-
runs of Radio Pictures. The
weekly changes. Its success was with
arrangement was basically a swap of
serials (up to 22 weeks) running with
product with Fuller’s Roxy in Sydney.
two to four reels per session. Wests,at
Columbia and Warner Bros films also
the corner of City Road and Sturt Street
screened there until 1932.
later became Hoyts Lyceum and when
The Princess - Spring Street. the site was sold to build the YMCA,
For the Fullers, Henry White put the Hoyts leased the Gaiety. As Hoyts
finishing touches to what is one of the Gaiety the theatre screened some first
best-loved theatres in Melbourne. releases, but basically operated with
White’s re-working of the interior in weekly cross-overs from Hoyts De
1921 was the version restored and Luxe across the road. After opening the
enhanced by the Marriner family. Regent in 1929 Hoyts had no further
use for the Gaiety.
10 2004 CINEMARECORD