Page 12 - CinemaRecord #77C

Daytime boxing match c1926.

September 1922 ad.
Marre and Turner extensively Doug Rattray - Paramount Theatre It would accommodate 2300 (or 3000
refurbished the theatre and opened a Marre and Turner sold the theatre to the according to another source) patrons
couple of days before the finishing Walters Bros – who had a cordial factory and there would be no posts impeding
touches were added. in Toonburra Street in late 1922. the view of the movie-going public.
It would also feature a lighting
The screen was situated at the northern In 1926 Doug Rattray leased the theatre scheme unique in Queensland, a
end and terraces of seats and steps rose from Walters Bros, for whom he had café downstairs and wide exits to
back towards Bourbong Street. More worked in the operating box, and in 1927 “...enable the theatre to be emptied
terraced seating was provided on either he purchased it outright. It then became within three minutes…”
side of the theatre, and patrons could also the Paramount Theatre which Mr Rattray
choose to take advantage of seats on the would enlarge and enclose with a roof. At the time it was the largest theatre
concrete floor. All up the Paramount in the Southern hemisphere.
could hold around 3000 people. A Brisbane architect, Mr Claude E.
Humphreys, was commissioned by Doug The roof, which Mr Rattray himself
The orchestra (these were the days before Rattray to design the new Paramount constructed, would take 17-18 years to
‘talkies’) was housed in an enclosure in Theatre. Mr Humphreys designed it finish. This was also in part due to the
the centre of the seating at the Bourbong in an Eastern style in plans dated 14 introduction of ‘talkies’ not long after
Street end of the theatre. November 1928. construction began.

Readying the theatre for talking pictures
Architects involved a significant expenditure. The
plan for ceiling when it was in place had to be
improvements.
lined with special acoustic material.
The first talkie shown at the Paramount
was The Vagabond Lover starring Rudy
Vallee. It was shown on 8 October 1930.

Mr Rattray didn’t just show movies at
the theatre. He also catered for many
other events. He supplied roller skates
and the building was sometimes used
as a skating venue; a ring was set up
to showcase boxing events; and the
Paramount also played host to a
session of Amateur Hour, an Australia-
wide radio programme.

Rebuilding underway in 1929. Roof construction 1929.

12 2013 CINEM AREC ORD