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image. The first 70mm film shown
there was Divine Madness with Bette
Middler.
By 1967, 70mm was well
established in all Australian cities as
well in selected suburban sites and
numerous Drive-Ins. Amongst the early
independent installations was the
Dendy at Brighton, near Melbourne.
The Dendy’s reputation as a quality
cinema, was enhanced by the result on
the large screen.
The Rivoli Camberwell, another
quality cinema, also got 70mm around
this time; state-of-the-art Philips
equipment.
In Adelaide, Hoyts installed 70mm
at their refurbished Regent in 1967 and
also in the new Paris. The latter
screened a 70mm single lens Cinerama
version of Ice Station Zebra. The
season commenced on the 28th August
1969 and was the only occasion that a
Cinema 1 at Hoyts Cinema Centre, Melbourne. The generous curve of the curtains Cinerama film screened in Adelaide.
concealed an equally impressive 21m (70 ft) Harkness screen. The Cinema 2 fit-out The development of cinema
was similar. complexes in the 1970’s went hand-in-
hand with the roll out of 70mm. One of
The first 70mm epic shown at the In Adelaide G.U. converted Wests
the earliest, and an outstanding
Barclay was Lawrence of Arabia. The in Hindley Street with minor changes
example was in Hoyts Cinema Centre
source of ‘Barclay’ was said to be Lady compared with some other locations.
Bourke Street, Melbourne . My
Rydge’s maiden name. In Brisbane in 1965, G.U. opened favourite screen was Cinema One’s
For many years the Chelsea in their first 70mm theatre known as the giant curve, specially designed for
Melbourne was GU’s only 70 mm Cinema George with Fall of the single lens Cinerama. Cinemas One and
house. G.U. built the Bercy from the Roman Empire. An interesting concept Two had 90 degree screens made of
ground up in the mid-1960s intending it (first introduced at Sydney’s Barclay) vertical ribbons, just as in the Cinerama
to be a prestige house, which meant 70 was the decision to fuse picture-palace installation in the Plaza Melbourne.
mm equipment, but for some reason style items such as Roman statues, with They were removed in the 1980s.
penny-pinching economies crept in. modern lay-out and decoration.
In Melbourne, G.U. opened their
The second-hand Kalee equipment did The screening of 70mm films was Russell Cinemas in 1978 with six
have four-track magnetic capacity not confined to specially designed screens. Two were fitted for 70mm. The
however. Funny Girl, which should theatres. Well to the fore in the 1960’s first 70mm film there was the Sgt.
have run in 70mm, did at least run with were Drive -In theatres where large Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (the
stereophonic sound. screens created an ideal environment Bee Gee’s version). The film was a
Similarly there is the strange case of for such presentations. The down-side disaster both in Sydney and Melbourne,
Oliver, which Melbourne audiences was sound reproduction, as all of that but in 1980, Raiders of the Lost Ark
should also have seen in 70mm. stereo sound was chanelled into a redeemed things a bit for 70mm at the
Instead, the Odeon was slightly solitary speaker hanging off the inside Russell Cinemas, with a run of over 12
upgraded but not even to stereophonic of the car! months.
sound, even though the print was The grand old bastions of cinema, When it came to manufacturers of
magnetic. At least the Odeon used the the Regent, Melbourne and the State, reliable, first-rate equipment with dual
magnetic tracks on the film, paralleling Sydney were also fitted with 70mm sprockets, the market place was
them into their mono sound system. equipment. The Regent received 70mm dominated by two names, Philips and
This at least gave superior fidelity. The Cinemeccanica equipment in the Cinemeccanica, but other manufactures
distributor of both these films, 1960’s. One 70mm release there was were not far behind. In 1963, the
Columbia, was happy to bring 70mm Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. Identical Century Projector Company of the
and 35mm stereophonic prints into equipment was re-instated after the U.S.A. unveiled their 35/70mm JJ3
Australia. It is a pity that G.U. never restoration of the theatre by Marriner model machine; but very few of them
fully capitalized on them. In any event, Theatres. came to Australia. Two that did were
Columbia shortly after took its first run Sydney’s palatial State theatre was acquired by Mike Walsh for his
business to Hoyts who promptly ran a fitted out in 1980, but the narrow stage Hayden Orpheum at Cremorne. They
70 mm revival of Oliver. G.U. would surrounds allowed only a small screen, are still there, and sometimes still
however show a new commitment to so the only advantage was the sharper screening 70mm films!
70mm in the multiplex era.

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