Page 19 - CinemaRecord #77C

The theatre was renamed the Paris from
February 17, 1966 re-opening with a 70mm
TODD-AO season of The Sound of Music
which achieved an Adelaide record run of
over two years.

To enable stage 2 of the Regent Arcade
project to proceed, the Paris Theatre closed New 1969 entrance and stairs.
in Saturday May 25, 1968 after a season of A
Guide to the Married Man.
In 1977 the names were extended to Regent
The adjoining Regent Theatre had closed Cinema One and Regent Cinema Two.
in 1967 for conversion to a single-floored
auditorium in the former balcony and complete In 1983, Regent Cinema Two (former
demolition of the Paris (and adjacent Sturt Paris) was closed for twinning from Monday
th
Arcade Hotel) allowed for completion of a 12 September. The venue re-emerged as
shopping arcade through the former stalls of Regent Cinemas Two (370 seats) and
the Regent to Grenfell Street. The new-look Regent Cinema Three (397 seats). Dividing
Regent opened on May 30, 1968. the original single auditorium in half created
long, narrow auditoriums which were often Recently a plan has been put forward to divide
A completely new and larger Paris Cinema nicknamed “the shooting galleries”! At this these two auditoriums yet again to create
was built above the Grenfell Street end of the time the Gawler Place cinema was also four small “boutique Gold Class” cinemas.
arcade and opened a year later on April 17, renamed, becoming Hoyts Midcity until its In December 2012, local press incorrectly
1969 with the Julie Andrews film Star! This closure in 1984. reported that these would be “housed in the
new venue was completely independent of 85 year old Regent Theatre building”, but
the Regent and had its own entry and ticket With the downturn in cinema attendances in in reality, if the project proceeds, these new
box in the arcade with stairs leading to the the CBD, Hoyts closed the Regent Cinemas theatres will in reality be housed in the 43-
upstairs foyer and cinema above. In August on 28 January 2004. The remains of the year old Paris Theatre building!
th
1969 the Paris screened MGM’s Ice Station original Regent auditorium were converted
Zebra in single (one strip) Cinerama. into retail space, although the projection- Only time will tell if movies ever return to
ports and much original 1928 plasterwork
Hoyts opened a new cinema in Gawler Place on are still visible. The converted Paris (Regent this location again. H
1st November 1972 named Cinema 3. The same Cinemas 2 & 3) were occasionally used for Complied by Kevin Adams from the information
week, the Regent became Cinema One and the brief theatrical use, but have mainly remained of Alan Bell, Brian Pearson and Colin Flint.
Paris became Cinema Two. out of use as bare shells. Newspaper cuttings supplied by Alan Bell.

The completely new Paris in 1969.

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