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The interior c.1922. The organ console is front left and the organ pipes occupy the stage boxes. Image: Ross Thorne.

As the opening-night advertisement A unified interior Hoyts extolled the virtues of a new
shows, the original screen covered the Pitt’s auditorium may have been ticketing system. Rather than use pre-
full proscenium space and was set flush conservative, but neo-classicism also had printed rolls, the details were printed on
with it, leaving no room for a curtain. advantages. A feature of the best 19th to blank paper at the moment of
This was soon corrected, but picture century halls was an emphasis on purchase, through a machine put out by
theatres without curtains have a long pronounced cornices. Pitt skillfully used the National Cash Register Company.
history after all. this feature to avoid a problem often
seen in later theatres - an arbitary shape THE RHYTHM OF THE STREET.
Maximize Site Possibilities Hoyts showed a mastery of
for the proscenium. The curve of Pitt’s
The total length of the building advertising for their theatre, in the street
cornice defined the curve of the
extended a full city block, but it was a and in the papers. Large numerals on the
proscenium, and in doing so, elegantly
medium size auditorium by later building displayed the daily countdown
blended opposing walls. The style was
standards. The frontage at street level to opening night. The façade was fitted
so easy to like that Pitt recycled it for his
had two equal size entrances: on the with ‘Elevated Rocket Signs,’ possibly
only suburban theatre. The auditorium of
west side a retail premises, the other the city’s first example of ‘chaser’ lights.
the Kinema Albert Park (1919) was
the theatre foyer. The three stories of Powered by gas and electricity, the
almost a clone of the De Luxe.
office space above the verandah was for rockets were designed to zoom up both
many years Hoyt’s head office. The rear State of the art technology sides of the building to explode in a
of the building on Little Bourke Street The projection room was claimed to shower of stars above the roof. Hoyts
was also four stories of office and retail be absolutely fireproof with the suggested ‘that this unique spectacle
space. projectors (believed to be a complete promises much free entertainment to the
The main façade was a blend of Pathe set-up) fitted with automatic cut- man in the street.’ (2)
classical, Federation and Art Noveau off and said to be perfectly flickerless. Significantly, details about the new
elements. A central vertical column Ventilation of the auditorium theatre praised the luxury of the ladies
featured an oriel of coloured glass, lit employed a so-called refrigeration retiring rooms. A free telephone service
from within and displaying the name. (4) chamber for washing, filtering and (eight lines) and ‘work tables’ were on
The Westgarth (1921) still displays a cooling air before it was blown into the offer in the dress circle foyer. This
similar device. An arched main window, theatre. Stale air was expelled in a space included a café, open to the
popular in early designs for cinemas cycle of fan-forced intake and removal. public whether theatre patrons or not.
was prominent. As befitting its status, This system still seemed to be in Clearly, no husband need be concerned
the De Luxe sported two of them. operation in the 1970s, minus the about the safety of his wife if she was
‘refrigeration chamber.’ to tell him that she was going to a
22 2005 CINEMARECORD