Page 31 - CinemaRecord #80

reater Union’s Russell Cinemas was the
Gthird theatre/cinema built on the site at
131-141 Russell Street, between Portland Lane
and Donaldson Lane.

The Kings Theatre had opened there on the
th
11th of July, 1908 and was a typical 19 century
theatre building. Designed by architect William
Pitt, it had a three level auditorium and seated ^ĂŵĞ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ĐŽŵƉůĞƚĞůLJ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ůŽŽŬ͊
1600 people. Although constructed as a variety Above: The Kings becomes the Barclay (below).
theatre it alternated between live and cinema >ĞŌ͗ >ĂƐƚ ĂƌĐůĂLJ ĂĚ ĂŶĚ ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĐŝƌĐƵŝƚ͘
usage over its history until closure on 13
February, 1958.

The new Barclay Theatre was then built within
the walls of the old Kings. This new cinema had
a modern, compact, two level auditorium seating
950 designed by Cowper Murphy & Associates.
The Barclay opened on 12 December, 1958
with The Ten Commandments and closed on 3
June 1976 and the site was cleared to make way
for the Russell Cinemas.

Greater Union, after a major national cinema
construction and re-vamp program in the
1960’s, watched their arch-rival Hoyts erect Economies could be made not only with the real
the Cinema Centre (1969) and Midcity (1970) HVWDWH UHTXLUHG EXW ZLWK FRQVWUXFWLRQ VWDI¿QJ
cinema complexes in the Melbourne central front of house and projection equipment.
business district. By the early 1970’s Greater Union were
Greater Union saw from the bold Hoyts hatching plans for their own circuit of city
expansion in Melbourne that the future for city cinema complexes.
theatres was housing more than one auditorium
within the same complex.

Russell Cinemas foyer
ŶĞĂƌŝŶŐ ĐŽŵƉůĞƟŽŶ͘

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