Page 31 - CinemaRecord #81

New lighting “has achieved the soft and
comforting effect desired and blending of color
lighting around the proscenium is exquisite”.
Painting and decorating was “bright and cheerful
in soft tints of turquoise blue, biscuit tint, pale
terra cotta, and cinnamon, with also a liberal
display of gilded lines and ornament specially
designed for the walls and balcony front,
staircase and vestibule.”
The Paramount re-opened with a new manager,
Mr L Webb, on Saturday August 16, 1930,
advertising itself as the “+RPH RI 5H¿QHG
Entertainment” and featured daily programs
changing every 3 days.

In March 1927 builder James Kelly made an
application to build a dance hall at 45-49 Portman
Street located on the other side of the Oakleigh
shopping centre to the Paramount.

The Ramona Dance Palais opened in June 1929.
The building was a single level brick construction
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Merssrs Berry and San Miquel, the building was
very attractive in Spanish Mission style with the
exterior in dark buff tones. A tower on the front
was crowned with a Spanish mission tiled roof.
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plaster, relieved by bold beams and specially
textured, sprayed with a bright blue background
and enriched with gold.

Dances and competitions were held Saturday On September 29 1930, Oakleigh Talkies Pty The Plaza, like it’s the rival the Paramount,
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nights, as well as some other nights of the week, Ltd made an application to convert the dance hall was operating daily screenings, with changes of
until October 1929 when the venue appeared to to a picture-theatre. Alterations were completed program usually twice a week on Mondays and
close. The Ramona Palais reopened under new E\ 2FWREHU DQG 2DNOHLJK¶V ¿UVW ³WDONLH´ WKHDWUH Thursdays.
management in April 1930 but was soon to close the Plaza, opened on 10 November 1930 with
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again. the “all talking, thrilling Mystery Drama The
Return of Dr. Fu Manchu supported by Burning
Up, also Talking Shorts and Newsreels”.
The theatre retained the stylish Spanish-
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popular American culture at the time.
The National Trust of Australia reported in 1994
that of those six, only three, including Oakleigh’s,
survived partly intact.
The Plaza’s foyer had a refreshment area, a small ďŽǀĞͲ ĞůŽǁ͘ dŚĞ ĨŽƌŵĞƌ WůĂnjĂ ŝŶ ϮϬϬϵ͘
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The auditorium was parallel to the street with
the screen on the left as patrons entered via two
sets of doors from the foyer. The door on the left
led to the stalls, and the door on the right was up
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raked dress circle.
There were 548 seats in the stalls, and 365 in the
dress circle making a total of total 913. The bio
box was built external to the main building.

CINEMAREC ORD 2014 31