Page 3 - CinemaRecord #82

elcome to CinemaRecord # 82. I’m very pleased to have put this issue together
Won time for a change – I must admit that the workload that it presents has
always been a considerable challenge to complete on top of a fulltime job!
There comes a time when all of us must choose to put our health and wellbeing first,
and with that in mind, I am sad to say that my time as Editor must come to end and
in fact, this issue will be my last.
Like everyone in the role before me, I do hope that in some way I have made a positive contribution to help
CinemaRecord to develop and grow. I firmly believe that maintaining a strong focus on relevant content is
th
imperative to the success of both the magazine and CATHS as a group. In this our 25 year, the organisation
continues to prosper and grow and as the only group now recording the history of our theatres and cinemas
our National presence is all the more important.
I must sincerely thank everyone who has so generously assisted me with CinemaRecord in so many ways
because whilst I mainly worked on it alone, the magazine would not exist without contributors, proof
readers, our enveloping and postage team, Zoe McDonald for her digital re-formatting work, Snap Collingwood..,
and everyone else involved.
My biggest thanks must go to my employer and work colleagues at Melbourne Imax who most generously tolerated
the seemingly unending madness of all my magazine work taking place there. For their support and understanding,
I am most indebted. Now we can all rest easy – and just show films!
Dear readers - Adieu, Farewell and happy reading! – Kev.

ust as I was about to congratulate you
Jon the excellent reproduction of my
charts about some cinema statistics in issue
81 of CinemaRecord, I noticed that the
seating capacity of Greater Union 5 at the
Cosmopolitan Centre in Adelaide’s Hindley
Street was shown as 2026, instead of the
correct 2066. Oops! However, yours isn’t the
only esteemed journal to get a figure wrong...

HONEY, THE AGE SHRUNK THE KINOS
In a feature relating to dwindling attendances at
Melbourne city cinemas (A movie with plenty nce more, thank you so much for
of elbow space? Try this city, February 1, OCinemaRecord#81, it was quite an
2003), The Age gives the total seating capacity awesome issue! The use of so many rare photos
of the six screen Russell Cinemas as 740, a was of great historical significance.
shortfall of 1848.
The photo of the interior of the Hub Theatre
SHOWMAN FROSTY CLIMBS EVERY at Newtown (NSW) is quite interesting.
MOUNTAIN, BUT NONE OF THE Some years ago the theatre was cleaned up
ADELAIDE REGENT’S STAIRS and painted. There were to be stage shows
In a recent issue of The Weekend performed there, but they only had one and it
Australian Magazine (The impresario of closed after a few weeks – I’ve forgotten what
Oz, April 26), John Frost, who brought Julie it was now, but perhaps it did no good?
Andrews to these shores, claims that, when he At that time the theatre was re-seated and l am
was a tray boy at the Adelaide Regent Theatre, wondering why there are no seats today. It will
he watched The Sound of Music as he “sat at be interesting to see what they will do there.
the top of the stairs.”
That would have been quite an achievement, In Melbourne, I note that 105 years longevity
as it didn’t screen there! In 1966, it began a for the Kings Theatre site in Russell Street is
record-breaking season of more than two years quite an achievement. On my frequent trips
next door at the Paris Cinema, which had just down there in the past, I recall seeing Gone
changed its name from the Plaza. with the Wind at the Paramount Theatre out
Yours sincerely, at Oakleigh. Its story was quite fascinating.
Alan Bell Best Regards,
Paruna (SA) William Gray
N.Parrama�a (NSW)

FrontandBack–Thegrandeurofa110yearoldicon,HisMajesty’sTheatre
in Hay Street, Perth (W.A). With thanks to Robert Garvey and HMT.

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