Page 31 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

In 1998 the orange vinyl seats in
Cinema 1 were replaced by blue wool
ones and the space between them
widened by reducing seat numbers to
167. At the same time the floor between
the seats was also carpeted in blue.
The next year Cinema 1 was
revamped. Rich red-velvet flame proof
drapes lit by soft flood lights enhanced
the already excellent sound and created
a 1930s feel.
On 15 June 1999 the Penthouse
celebrated 60 years of screenings on
this site with a special evening session
of MGM’s Belle of New York with Fred
Astaire and Vera Allen and Laurel and
Hardy in Bohemian Girl plus selected
shorts, and everyone received a Moro
Bar.
2001 saw the Penthouse open the
Vogue Suite, an intimate 30-seat
Staircase to Cinema 1, the original access to the circle.
cinema with its own lounge. This space
can be hired for private screenings,
although it is used mainly for previews
In December 2005 the Penthouse In the movie Field of Dreams Kevin
and when a film is nearing the end of
opened what they now call Cinema 3. Costner builds a baseball stadium on
its run. It has DVD projection facilities,
Built on an adjoining site, it is reached the philosophy, “Build them a place
but it is Penthouse policy to screen
through the passage which serves the and they will come.” The Penthouse
35mm wherever possible.
Vogue Suite and Cinema 2. It has 168 has gone the extra mile with great staff,
About the time the Vogue Suite
large lounge chairs made by Effuzi and great movies, great coffee, and for me
came on stream the café was expanded
the décor maintains the Art Deco style. its worth travelling 56 km and passing
and the menu extended. Always keen to
The projection box is linked to that of numerous cinemas to go to my place,
innovate, the Penthouse began a
the Vogue Suite and uses a single the Penthouse. ★
‘Babes In Arms’ session especially for
projector and platter system, while
mothers with young infants. Should Acknowledgments
Cinemas 1 and 2 have their own boxes.
they be unable to stay the distance the Former Manager Kat Sprowell assisted
In December 2007 the seats in
mother receives tickets for the next with some updates to this story.
Cinema 1 were replaced by Effuzi
screening. This idea has proved so Iain Macleod kindly provided the foyer
lounge seats, similar to those in Cinema images.
popular that it has been copied by
3 and the floor was altered to allow
competitors.
more leg room. The seats removed
The Penthouse offers ‘10-Trip
from Cinema 1 were then offered for
Tickets’, a folder of multiple tickets. At
sale to patrons.
Christmas patrons can purchase tickets
So what makes the Penthouse
plus coffee vouchers as gifts to friends.
special, apart from its dedication to art
A German movie Gloomy Sunday,
-house movies and its Art Deco décor?
which ran for one week on release in
Crucial to its success has been the
Australia, has been a winner in New
dedication of the long-serving staff and
Zealand and ran for months at the
their treatment of patrons as family not
Penthouse. When DVD outlets showed
a number, and the continual
no interest in stocking it, the theatre
improvement of facilities, sound and
management arranged the import of
presentation.
copies for patrons. The movie is now in
In an industry increasingly run by
its seventh year in one cinema in
kids, the Penthouse has two
Christchurch, which has to be some
projectionists each having given over
sort of record. You may ponder whether
20 years service: Jim Anderson and
its reception in the two countries shows
Brian Jennings. And at front-of-house
a fundamental difference between
is Sharon Flanagan who has been there
Australians and New Zealanders.
for 12 years. Kat Sprowell was
manager for ten years and has just left
to look after her young son.
CINEMARECORD 2009 31