Page 29 - CinemaRecord #81

WĂƌĂŵŽƵŶƚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ƌĂŝůǁĂLJ ĐƌŽƐƐŝŶŐ
ĂŶĚ ƐŝŐŶĂůͲďŽdž ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ďĂĐŬŐƌŽƵŶĚ͘

The advertising for the Grand Opening claimed WR HQVXH IRU WKH EHQH¿W RI DOO FRQFHUQHG JRRG

that “management have made arrangements to music of a pleasing description and modulated
screen every Saturday night the main feature tone.”
that is shown at Hoyts and Paramount Theatres
during the week. This arrangement will be a Hanney’s Paramount Orchestra was the resident
boon to the picture loving patrons of the district RUFKHVWUD LQ DGGLQJ GUDPD WR WKH ¿OPV¶
DV LW PHDQV ZH DUH DEVROXWHO\ WKH ¿UVW VXEXUEDQ atmospherics, movies at that stage of course still
theatre to screen these programs.” Indeed, being in the silent era.
the opening main feature, The House Without
Children was advertised the previous week in After the opening of the Paramount in 1922
the Herald newspaper at Hoyts Theatre de there were several changes made to the theatre.
Luxe in the city. The original theatre was rectangular with the
stage attached to the rear of the auditorium.
The theatre’s success was immediate and Two very small toilets (two WC’s in each) were
VXI¿FLHQW WR VFUHHQ ¿OPV RQ 0RQGD\ :HGQHVGD\ outside through exits on either side of the stage.
and Saturday evenings, with a matinee for kids
on Saturday afternoons. Originally the staircase to the dress circle
was directly opposite the main entry doors
In January 1926, the management at the with access to the stalls on either side of this
Paramount announced that “every Thursday staircase. There was no upstairs foyer so the
night, a special program, the same as shown at stairs led directly to the dress circle. The bio box
the Majestic Theatre (city) will further enhance was at the rear of the circle. Consequently there
the management’s reputation for securing the were no upstairs toilets and presumably patrons
ODWHVW ¿OPV”. Films were now being screened had to walk down stairs and through the stalls to
daily except Tuesdays (and Sundays of course). the exits at the front of the auditorium.

In March 1927 “the astute management of There is mention of an orchestra in 1926 and
the Paramount Theatre decided to introduce by this time there were small dressing rooms on
orchestral music of a high standard – the par either side of the stage built where the former
excellence pertaining to appropriate melodies, toilets were. New larger toilets were added at
interspersed with features, carefully selected, the rear of the theatre but were still external to
to meet with a resuscitated growing demand – the main building. Access was still via the doors
from the more classical school of piquant and on either side of the stage. An orchestra pit was
refreshing studies. It is a universally-admitted added to the front of the stage. A second shop,
truism that the most essential factor in the with an engineering room behind it, was added
stabilised success of a modern picture show is to the left of the front of the building.

CINEMAREC ORD 2014 29