Page 13 - CinemaRecord #82

RICHARD STEPHENS

Lutwyche Imperial

Family Tragedy

On the night of 30 January 1932, Richard had still had his finger on the pulse up until his
returned to his home with his wife, Lillian and death on 15th December 1957.
son Verdun, 14, when they were held up by two Ironically, his son Verdun was a company
armed men at their home in Dutton Park, and director with the Burleigh Heads Drive-In
were robbed of the night’s theatre takings of Theatre, which opened only days earlier, on
th
£75. Mrs Stephens attempted to wrest the bag 12 December 1957.
of money back and was shot dead.
Richard Francis Stephens is buried at Toowong
As a result of this tragic event the Queensland Cemetery in Brisbane with his second wife,
Motion Picture Exhibitors Association Lillian. Richard had a long and interesting
introduced new laws within the Association on involvement with the film and theatre industry
the disposal and transporting of theatre takings from as early as 1907 through until his death
after hours. in 1957
The killers were both sentenced to life in prison
with hard labour. There was a public outcry at Notwithstanding, he had an outstanding career
the time for the return of capital punishment. covering early film and cinemas, sound,
colour, CinemaScope and stereophonic sound
Richard also had ties to other theatres in and even (through his son Verdun) a drive-
Brisbane, including as business manager at the in theatre which was equipped with 70mm
Tivoli Theatre and the Lyceum. He knew how projection.
to promote a film, one of the most successful
being The Unborn, a controversial film on Richard Stephens made a huge contribution
social class inter marriage, contraception and to our cinema history and the motion picture
abortion, which took £1200 in the first week industry itself in a career spanning half a
of screening! century, but he also knew great tragedy, and
went out of his way to assist others in the
In 1925 he witnessed the Schoedel brothers industry.
of the Morningside Astra Theatre take a
French biograph and synchronise records and Helen Stillman is a great grand-daughter-in-law of
Richard Stephens and a family history researcher.
films which they advertised as singing pictures
– probably the first attempt in Australia to
introduce talking films. PHOTOGRAPHS and ILLUSTRATIONS: From the
collec�ons of Les Tod, Helen S�llman, Ian Hanson,
As his years advanced and he semi-retired, his Kevin Adams and Gordon Turnbull.
sons Herbert, Verdun and Douglas filled their
father’s shoes in varying degrees, but Richard

Bon Accord Theatre, Sandgate.

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