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REELS ACROSS

THE CITY

Part Two: The Independent Theatres
By Brian Miller

In May 1936 readers turning to the
entertainment pages of the Melbourne
dailies saw a new heading -
Independent Theatres - and a listing of
22 theatres arranged in alphabetic order
by suburb. The logos of MGM and
Paramount on the masthead made a
strong point: output from the two most
famous studios in the world had been
wrestled away from Hoyts.
The third source of product for
these independents was to be the output
of studios releasing under the banner of
British Empire Films.
This turn of events coincided with a
spate of new theatre construction and
refurbishment. With the worst of the
Depression over, and a night at the
pictures high on the list of family
priorities, investment in entertainment
was again on the agenda. The start of something big: The Herald 8 May 1936.
Some of the entries were new or
almost new buildings: Caulfield This column was a mix of true booming in the city, then a revival of a
Camden, Malvern Embassy, St. Kilda independents and theatres controlled by past hit had to suffice. At the Caulfield
Astor, Toorak Village. The Footscray Robert McLeish, in association with Camden, MGM’s Naughty Marietta
New Grand was a revamp of an old Hoyts. (1935) with Jeanette McDonald and
theatre. The Carlton North Adelphi and
Two prestige venues in this column Nelson Eddy - ‘back by popular
Glenferrie Apollo were conversions
were the Camberwell Rivoli and the demand’ - held the house record for
from other purposes. The rest were
St. Kilda Palais. return engagements.
older theatres, including a few once
From the early 1940s MGM’s Across the independent system,
part of the Hoyts stable - Brunswick
output went exclusively into two city MGM’s Waterloo Bridge, with Vivien
Empire, the Gardenvale, and Oakleigh
theatres, the Metro Collins Street and Leigh and Robert Taylor was another
Paramount.
the St. James, which became the contender for most revived title.
The Independent column continued
Metro Bourke Street in 1951. The It was a similar situation with
to grow as new theatres opened. Entries
best from Paramount went into the Paramount; big hits were re-circulated
in 1940 included Brighton Middle
State; while those a notch below as required. Revivals became more and
Dendy, East Malvern Waverley,
opened at the Princess or Majestic. more frequent in the 1950s, as all
Hawthorn/Kew Vogue and the
Later, Paramount used the Kings for companies, MGM in particular,
Yarraville Sun.
A-minus and B releases trimmed production.
Further makeovers saw the Albert
Output from both studios was This revivals policy contrasted with
Park Kinema (formerly Hoyts),
prolific, and while this continued, the practice at Hoyts, where re-issues
Glenferrie Glen (shuttered for nearly
things were sweet in the suburbs: four were unusual (although Hoyts did
ten years) and the North Melbourne
to six weeks of either MGM or resort to them during the Warner Bros.
Loco ( headquarters of the Australian
Paramount, leavened by one week of contract dispute of 1942-45).
Federated Union of Locomotive
British. It was a badge of honour for the
Enginemen) join the list.
Even so, a reliance on three sources front-line Independents to hold their
Another column, Suburban of films was limiting, compared with programs for a week, another way to set
Entertainment, appeared about this the choice from six or seven studios themselves apart from Hoyts.
time, the result of a dispute within the releasing into the Hoyts chain. Some were rock-solid in this
ranks of the Victorian Independent
When it was MGM’s turn to put a commitment, especially those in week
Exhibitor’s Association.
film into the suburbs, and business was one, even when the quality of the release
22 2006 CINEMARECORD