Page 10 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

The opening program consisted of a
20th Century Fox program; the main
feature “Thin Ice” staring Sonja
Hennie. The supporting feature was
In keeping with the high standards
“Dangerously Yours” staring Cesar
of the construction and fit out of the
Romero. Two supporting shorts were
theatre, the projection room boasted a
screened, a Disney cartoon “Little
pair of British made Kalee 11
Hiawatha” and a Fox Newsreel.
projectors. The carbon arc lamphouses
The mayor, Alderman C.N. Brown,
were built by Sloman and Moggs'
(4) performed the official opening. In his
engineers in Melbourne.
speech, he said he was pleased to have
the privilege of opening this theatre, he
recalled the opening of the first theatre
in Geelong (the Geelong Theatre,
1913) when opinion was that it would
not receive sufficient patronage to
present a program every night. The
venture proved successful and a second
theatre (the Regent, 1922) was
eventually built. Now Geelong
possessed a third theatre. Below: Foyer in 1940 decorated for the
The mayor’s comments would Disney film “Snow White”. Note original
suggest that he (and perhaps the light fittings. (CATHS Archive).
community) regarded only the Geelong Bottom: Cast-Iron “Foot-Warmer” from the
and the Regent to be theatres of merit Corio. (Kevin Adams Collection)
along side the new Corio.

Projection Box c1938. Kalee 11
projectors (slide projector in the
foreground) CATHS Archive collection.
Patron comfort was assured by “air
conditioning”, which was a plenum fan
delivering fresh air to the grille above
the proscenium, with exhaust fans
sucking the air out through grilles
under the dress circle and through the
risers in the dress circle walls. Heating
was by the “comfort” system of hot
water foot warmers. The heat source
was a cast iron boiler and rotary oil
burner, the water being circulated by a
centrifugal pump. Although described
at the opening as “All seasons are as
one - the theatre always has the right
temperature”' it would seem that the
cooling system was not quite as
described, as a major revamp of the
system took place only two years later.
The opening night, Saturday
February 19, 1938 was a gala event in
Geelong. The Geelong Advertiser ran a
full-page feature on the theatre that
morning. The opening speeches were
broadcast live by Radio 3GL. The
theatre was fully booked, many patrons
wearing full evening dress. The evening
commenced with the manager Mr.
Leslie Raphael welcoming those
present, and promising all patrons the
very best in entertainment at the Corio.

10 2010 CINEMARECORD