Page 35 - CinemaRecord #81

The Paramount ZDV UHEXLOW IRU UHWDLO DQG RI¿FH The Paramount from the railway overpass. ;'͘DĐ ĂŝŶĞͿ
use. It had a new, much lower roof. In recent
years the space within the walls of what was the
auditorium was used for car parking, with entry
to one side of where the stage once was at the rear
of the building.
At the time of writing the building was vacant
and set to be demolished and redeveloped.

The former Plaza also still stands and the original
Spanish-mission façade and tower are intact. The
bio box is still visible on the external wall. The
foyer area contains a wedding and christening
business. The auditorium has been redeveloped
into 6 two-bedroom residential units and uses
the original 1927 name: The Ramona Palais
Apartments.

Tragedy struck the Kitchen family in 1954 when
two of Harold Kitchen’s granddaughters were
sadly killed in a car accident. The car was being
driven by Harold’s wife, Beatrice, when it grazed
a power pole on the Hume Highway north of
Euroa. The young girls killed, Gail, 5, and Julie, WĂƌĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŝŶ ŽƐŵŽƉŽůŝƚĂŶ ĚĂLJƐͲ ϭϵϳϴ͘ ;W͘zŝĂŶŶŽƵĚĞƐͬ^͘ZĂŌŽƉŽƵůŽƐͿ
2, were daughters of Harold’s son Ronald and his
wife Lillian. Beatrice suffered a fractured skull
and Lillian, also in the car, was treated for shock.

Two other grandchildren of Harold Kitchen died
in the 1950s. A three year old son to Harold’s
daughter Audrey died in 1950, and an infant

daughter of Harold’s son Ronald in 1958.Harold
lost his wife of 51 years when Beatrice passed
away in 1971. Harold died in 1975, four years
before his Paramount Theatre was destroyed
E\ ¿UH DJHG \HDUV

ĐŬŶŽǁůĞĚŐĞŵĞŶƚƐ Θ ZĞƐĐŽƵĐĞƐ͗
^ŝŶĐĞƌĞ ƚŚĂŶŬƐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĂī Ăƚ ƚŚĞ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ Θ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ
Historical Society, Monash City Council, Public Records
KĸĐĞ sŝĐƚŽƌŝĂ͕ DĞůďŽƵƌŶĞ dŝƚůĞƐ KĸĐĞ͕ dƌŽǀĞ͕ ŝƚLJ ŽĨ
<ŝŶŐƐƚŽŶ ,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů tĞďƐŝƚĞ͕ d,^ ͬ ŝŶĞŵĂZĞĐŽƌĚ
DĂŐĂnjŝŶĞ͕ ZW ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͕ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ ^ƉƌŝŶŐǀĂůĞ
ĂƵůĮĞůĚ dŝŵĞƐ͕ dŚĞ ƌŐƵƐ͕ ŚĂĚƐƚŽŶĞ WƌŽŐƌĞƐƐ ^ƉĞĐŝĂů
Issue.
ŽŽŬƐ ĂŶĚ WƵďůŝĐĂƟŽŶƐ͗
dĂŬŝŶŐ /ƚƐ WůĂĐĞ Ͳ ,ŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŽĨ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ͕ H G Gobbi,
KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ Θ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů ^ŽĐŝĞƚLJ͕ ϮϬϬϰ
KŶĞ ,ƵŶĚƌĞĚ 'ŽŽĚ zĞĂƌƐ ʹ ^ƚŽƌLJ ŽĨ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ ŽƵŶĐŝů͕
DĂƌLJ <ĞĞůĞLJ͕ ƉƵďůŝƐŚĞĚ ďLJ ƚŚĞ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ Θ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ
Historical Society, 1991
'ƌĞĞŬ ŝŶĞŵĂ ĐƌŽƐƐ ƵƐƚƌĂůŝĂ͗ ĞŚŝŶĚ dŚĞ ^ĐĞŶĞƐ͕
WĞƚĞƌ zŝĂŶŶŽƵĚĞƐ͕ DĞůďŽƵƌŶĞ ϮϬϭϬ
KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ͛Ɛ 'ŽůĚĞŶ ĂLJƐ͕ KĂŬůĞŝŐŚ Θ ŝƐƚƌŝĐƚ ,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů
Society, 1988.
Photos:
Graeme McBain; Kevin Adams; Peter Yiannoudes;
d,^ ĂƌĐŚŝǀĞƐ͘ ůů ϮϬϬϵ ƉŚŽƚŽƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƚŚƌĞĞ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐƐ
were taken by the author, Keith Davies.

WĂƌĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŝŶ ϮϬϬϵ͘ dŚĞ WůĂnjĂ ďĞŝŶŐ ĐŽŶǀĞƌƚĞĚ ĨƌŽŵ ƐƋƵĂƐŚ ĐŽƵƌƚƐ ŝŶƚŽ ĂƉĂƌƚŵĞŶƚƐ͘ ; d,^Ϳ͘

CINEMAREC ORD 2014 35