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n the article on the National Theatre Movement in the last issue of CinemaRecord
I(#72) there are two photographs of the former Victory Theatre in the Melbourne
suburb of St.Kilda, (now home of the National), that have an interesting and little
known history.

The photo with the Hoyts signs (below) was taken in about 1969 when the films
Catcus Flower and Age of Consent were shown. In the second photograph the sign
with the National’s name on the Barkly Street wall is all that remains of the original
Hoyts sign. The second Hoyts sign on Carlisle Street is, of course, long gone. So let
me tell about these two original signs for they are unique.

The two H O Y T S signs were made in 1949 and were a radical departure from traditional
signs that marked the other Hoyts suburban cinemas spread across Melbourne.

The original signs were made and the name “HOYTS” embellished with
serviced by Claude Neon. The large blue neon strips forming a curved ‘fish
vertical, two-sided signs had a dark blue tail’ at the top and bottom of the sign.
background with large white letters that They could be seen for miles (as they
became at night, iconic with the red were in those days). If you were coming
neon letters switched on in sequence by public transport, you certainly knew
to spell out “H-O-Y-T-S”, then flashed where to get off the tram.

Sometime in 1949 a decision was made
to replace the Claude Neon signs on the
Victory Theatre with two new signs
designed and made by Hoyts as an in-
house project. Whether this was done
on economic grounds I’m not sure, but
it was said that there were savings to be
made in leasing and maintenance costs.
It was certainly a big project for the
Hoyts maintenance crew.

The maintenance crew that serviced
Hoyts city cinemas, were housed at the
Regent Theatre in Collins Street. The
staffroom was below the stage-door
entrance in a lane off Flinders Lane.

The crew comprised electricians,
carpenters, painters, mechanics, and

28 2012 CINEMAREC ORD