Page 22 - CinemaRecord #79

he arrival of talking films wiped out the musical ensembles in all suburban theatres around the world.
TIn the prestige suburbans of Melbourne, orchestras as large as 9 -13 players were employed.
For a time the biggest city theatres retained their orchestras, In the big theatres the organ played before the show, and was
their dance troupe and organ, until the Depression forced a followed by the newsreel. Then the screen rose and the full
scaling back, but not always abandonment, of lavish preludes. orchestra, with a vocalist took centre stage. The organ would
Those sessions cost more, but a lot of enjoyment and value for also be used in a specialty presentation, while in the Capitol
money was in the package. Sydney, State Melbourne and Ambassadors Perth, stars
twinkled and clouds floated across the ceiling.
Live entertainment was brought back to the big city cinemas
during the full-house phenomenon of the war years, until The newsreel was usually followed by a ‘B’ feature, usually
finally abandoned in the early 1950s. Last to go in every case of about 60 minute duration, then the live artists re-appeared
was the featured organist. at interval. There may have been a second newsreel, a trailer
of the next attraction and then the 90-minute feature, all over
The organ - the mechanical orchestra – was part of the show by 11.00 pm.
from about 1919 in the De Luxe, Paramount and Melba
theatres in Bourke Street, and at the Majestic in Flinders A roll-call of every orchestra leader and organist at the major
Street. In these early cinemas organ entertainment did not city cinemas is outside the scope of this story. Instead, we
survive beyond the late 20s, in part an economy wish to recall some of the personalities whose names became
move, and because the opening of the Capitol synonymous with a particular theatre, either as orchestra
in 1924 had made it clear that no ‘dressing– leader or organist, some of whom will be fondly remembered.
up’of old theatres was going to disguise
their diminished status.

Original proscenium of the Melbourne Majestic with Organ, pipes and Orchestra.

22 2013 CINEM AREC ORD