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DARK NIGHTS FOR
DARK NIGHTS FOR

PERTH’S ASTOR
PERTH’S ASTOR

By Peter Jackson

Inner-suburban Mount Lawley is a While news that the Astor was to foreign movies of dubious artistic
well-to-do area of Perth where people close came as a shock, dwindling merit. Its number looked like it was
value their heritage architecture and attendances and film distribution issues almost up when it briefly became a
buildings. In recent years its main had sealed its fate. bingo hall, a potentially inglorious end
thoroughfare, Beaufort Street, has The Astor was an independent with for a cinema which first opened its
evolved into an upmarket cappuccino, only two screens. Owner Bruno doors in 1911 as the Lyceum Theatre.
dining and fashion strip. While fashions Zimmermann says he resisted carving The Lyceum was designed for a mix
and shopfronts have changed, the the auditorium up into a multi-screen of vaudeville and lantern slide shows.
town's main intersection - Beaufort and format because to do so would have In the mid-1920s it was converted into a
Walcott - has managed to retain its compromised the theatre’s architectural cinema and given a name change to the
major Art Deco buildings. Among these integrity. State. The building was substantially
landmarks has been the beautifully Mr. Zimmermann, a prominent local remodelled by prominent cinema
restored Astor Cinema. professional photographer and architect William Leighton in 1939 in
Through changing times and businessman, purchased the theatre in the Art Deco style, which the Heritage
fortunes, the Astor has stood like a 1996. He cited “the politics of the film Council of WA describes as being
beacon, screening movies as an industry” as the major contributing ‘illustrative of the resurgence of hope
alternative entertainment option to factor to its closure. and prosperity between the Depression
coffee, food, drink … and more coffee. The Astor had been close to going and World War II’.
That was until 30 August 2008 when under before. In the 1970s it had The theatre became the Astor in
the Astor ceased operations as a become somewhat rundown, staging the 1941 when use of the name ‘State’ in a
working cinema. odd live theatrical production and private business was forbidden by new

28 2008 CINEMARECORD