Page 12 - CinemaRecord #82

RICHARD STEPHENS
The many faces of the Merthyr – remodelled into the
arched Astor, then a streamlined make‐over
before becoming the Village Twin.

Other picture theatres that he may have had
Merthyr. involvement with, which have been mentioned
in various newspaper articles are:
A theatre in Bulimba. It is uncertain whether
this was the Avro or the earlier Open-Air
1917 - Ipswich School of Arts and Ipswich theatre. The Rialto at West End, Arcadia at
Town Hall as Stephens Picture Co. Torwood, and the Victory at Taringa – were
all run by T R Garrick at the time Richard
1918 - Clayfield Savoy with Charles E Munro was in partnership with Garrick. Richard’s
would become one of the flagships of the involvement in these is not documented.
Stephens-Munro circuit and a highly regarded Also, the first Open-Air Theatre in Cairns,
venue. North Queensland, mentioned by Richard in a
Astor 1920s
speech at a Rotary Conference in Cairns.
1924 - Merthyr Theatre, New Farm, later
called the Astor and then the Village Twin; The Bon Accord Theatre at Sandgate was
again in partnership with Munro. Together included in the circuit by the early 1950s,
with Clayfield Savoy, the Astor was the but the exact involvement has not yet been
company’s flagship. This theatre is currently determined. It may have been only for film
under renovation for conversion to apartments buying purposes, or another of Richard’s
with boutique cinemas. handshake deals or verbal agreements.
MunroStephens also had financial interests
in the Imperial Theatre Lutwyche, Imperial
Theatre Nundah, and Ascot Theatre Ascot.

Astor 1940s

Astor 1960s
Astor as Village Twin

12 2 0 1 4 C I N E M A R E C O R D