Page 17 - CR-90

An advertisement
from the Sydney
Sun of 13 May
1971 shows that
Hoyts operated
seven city theatres.
In those, Butch
Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid was
advertising 2nd big
year at the Plaza,
Song of Norway
was in its 6th happy
month at the
Mayfair and
Women in Love was
in its 6th
1959 until November 1961 at the Esquire. controversial month at the Embassy. In the
That theatre housed some well-known long same paper, Ryan's Daughter was in its 5th
runs. Originally the Hoyts DeLuxe, it was month at the Ascot. Film Weekly statistics
renamed the Esquire in 1946 and, in 1957, show that all of those theatres had between
was refurbished for a new life as Hoyts 970 and 1013 seats. There are no statistics
number one theatre screening blockbuster available to show how many of those seats
films. It opened with a 15 month run of
were actually filled, but the theatres were
Around the World in 80 Days. South Pacific often sold out, especially on Saturday nights,
was followed by Tom Jones, which ran for
four days short of a year. Other long run hits and it can be assumed that the run would not
have continued if the crowds were not
included The Graduate, which was expected
to run for six weeks but screened for coming. The Star Wars claim of opening on
66 weeks, and M.A.S.H., which ran for 941 screens would include many Gold Class
One main difference which makes it very
47 weeks. difficult to compare statistics in different eras and similar theatres holding as few as
is the size of the theatres. In 1953, in 30 seats, which is hardly comparable with a
Another long run champion in Melbourne was Melbourne the Regent had 3250 seats, the 3000 plus seat cinema of the past. ê
The Sound of Music, which ran for 32 months
from April 1965 to December 1967 at the
Paris, and was then transferred across the
road to the Esquire where it continued for
another nine months.

The Paris was originally the Lyceum. It was
renovated and reopened as the Cleopatra in
February 1964, screening the film of the same Credits:
name for 14 months. Naming the Cleopatra State 3371, the Metro 1479 and the Capitol The Picture Palaces in Melbourne – Trevor Walters
after the movie provided additional 2115. In suburban Melbourne in 2015, the (2003).
advertising benefits. The same principle was Lido opened with nine screens, seating a The Hollywood Story – Joel W. Finler (1988).
used when the new My Fair Lady theatre total of 894. Three of these cinemas seat 54, The Regent Theatre: Melbourne's Palace of
opened in Melbourne in December 1964. 59 and 65. Event Cinemas in Marion, South Dreams – Frank Van Straten (1996).
After a 21 month run of My Fair Lady, the Australia, now advertises as the largest Film Weekly and various newspapers.
theatre was renamed the Palladium. Adelaide cinema in the Southern Hemisphere, with
also opened their Fair Lady theatre for the 26 screens and total seating of 4500, but that Images:
same purpose, although it retained its original is still only an average of 173 seats per theatre. CATHS archive
name for 22 years. Royce Harris collection

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