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NAMING RIGHTS

By Brian Miller

An early issue of CinemaRecord ROYALTY AND EMPIRE
(no. 4 August 1994) took a light- The red sections of the world map
hearted look at the variety and choice are long gone and the sun has set on the
in cinema and theatre names. It’s a Empire, but it was once a fertile source
popular subject, revisited in CR 47 and for names.
again here. Think of Britannia, His and Her
As the movie business passes Majesty’s, the Kings, Queens and
through yet another transformation, those Princes - Regent, George,of
home cinema units are available to all Wales and Edward.
with the time, space, funds and Then there was the Princess and a
inclination. You too can be your own Royal Princess. A little down the
theatre manager, dinner suit optional ! diplomatic scale came the Regent, Rex,
Most hard-tops are now located in Royal, Regal, Imperial, Empire,
shopping complexes and use the Empress, Embassy and Ambassadors.
suburb’s title plus the operating
company, but there was a much wider
range of names and imagination used in
the pioneering days. SOMETHING PRECIOUS
Here is the 2007 expanded survey, Cameo Coronet, Bijou, Crown,
grouped by sources of inspiration. Diamond, Jewel, Silver City and if
There may well be more, but this will these were too expensive, the Magnet.
get you started:
AUSTRALIANA.
LOCATION, LOCATION
The Balwyn, Westgarth and OTHER BRITISH
Brighton Bay date back to the 1920s Straight lifts from London theatres,
and 30s and still use their district fashionable suburbs or localities were
names. Most other location entries are Albany, Chelsea, Crystal Palace,
long gone: Bentleigh, Carlton, Grosvenor, Mayfair, Piccadilly,
Carnegie, Fairfield, Glenhuntly, Strand, Tatler, and York.
Ivanhoe, New Malvern (was there ever
an Old Malvern?) Northcote and
Windsor. There were many more.
Don’t forget the half-names of a
suburb put to use: (Albert) Park, Ascot
(Vale), Clifton (Hill), Glen (ferrie) and
Moonee (Ponds). Gowerville was an
early name for East Preston and
similarly Camden became South
Piccadilly Circus 1896. The London
Caulfield.
Pavilion is on the left. Australia, Austral, Boomerang,
Colonial, Federal.
CLASSICAL ALLUSION
Academy, Apollo, Athenaeum, NAUTICAL
Coliseum, Forum, Lyceum, Olympic, Argosy, Corio, Matthew Flinders,
Street names were also a source, in
Odeon, Orpheum, Palladium, and Pier, Port, Shore and Ozone. The sea
case you lost your way: Barkly,
Valhalla. breezes easily reached the Ozone
Broadway, Lygon, Victoria and Glenelg, but Mildura was a problem!
Waratah were used. Local roads were HOLIDAY EUROPE
Maling and Waverley. Alhambra, Bercy, Capri, Como, MODERNE THIRTIES
Sometimes a name was Europa, Italia, La Scala, Lido, Century, 20th Century, Liberty,
appropriated from a natural feature Padua, Paris, Plaza, Rapallo, Rialto, Time, Times and Vogue.
such as the Merri Creek. Roma, Tivoli, Rivoli, Savoy and PROMISED DELIGHTS
General directions came into it too: Vesuvio. Arcadia, Capitol, Classic, Castle,
Cinema North, the Southern, ABOVE AND BEYOND Criterion, De Luxe, Esquire, Gala,
Western, East End, Mid-City and Astor, Astoria, Dawn, Eclipse, Grand, Ideal Majestic, Palace, Palais,
Midland. Galaxy, Lunar, Orion, Planet, Palatial, Paragon, Ritz, State,
Southern Cross, Sun, Sunset and Wintergarden and Wondergraph.
World. Some did live up to their names.

30 2007 CINEMARECORD