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Waverley, East Malvern

The Waverley Theatre in East Malvern was designed by renowned theatre architects Cowper, Murphy and Appleford, in Art Deco Moderne style,
and opened in December 1936. It was independently owned and was an early casualty to the introduction of television. It closed in 1958 and, in
1965, was acquired by the ABC, who remodelled the interior into rehearsal studios for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It fulfilled that function
for almost the next 30 years, longer than it had operated as a cinema. In 2000, the building was converted into 24 flats and three shops, plus car
parking. This development differs from others in this article in that, although the building retains its former cinema shape, there is no reference or
signage to indicate its early cinematic history.

Another relatively recent apartment conversion is the former Hoyts Circle
Theatre in Essendon. The building was initially a public hall which had
shown pictures since 1915 as the New Essendon Theatre. It was taken
over by Hoyts in 1929. Well known theatre architects H. Vivian Taylor
and Soilleux undertook a complete renovation in 1938, including adding
the words "Picture Theatre" in large letters across the Art Deco facade. It
was renamed the Circle Theatre and operated as a prestige Hoyts
suburban house for more than 35 years. When it finally closed at the end
of 1966, it was the last of Hoyts' hard top theatres remaining in
Circle, Essendon
Melbourne's north-west. It was then converted into reception rooms and
operated as such for another 40 years. In 2012 the auditorium was
demolished. The facade was retained and restored to its original look, including the return of the words "Picture Theatre" across the top. (They had
been removed in 1988.) This facade fronts a large, four storey apartment block in which accommodation appears to have been very popular in the
local real estate market.
The Broadway theatre in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Elwood was another independent theatre, operating from approximately 1920 until
1960. In the late 1990s it began a new life, retaining its ornamental facade above street level, but with a central ground floor entry to a basement
car park which serves the 18 apartments, with a shop on each side. The building is known as The Broadway Theatre Apartments and sits
comfortably in the streetscape, now surrounded by cafes, bars and restaurants.

A position on a corner block is an advantage in many cinema conversions. The Lyric theatre in inner suburban Brunswick is a case in point. The
Lyric was constructed c. 1911 and was the first purpose built suburban cinema north of the Yarra River. It closed in 1931 after the introduction of
talking pictures and had many subsequent uses, latterly as the Brunswick Club. Interestingly, the developers in 2010 named their building the Lyric
Apartments to capitalise on its early history. Situated on a tram line only about 5 km from the city, there was no need to supply a car space with
each apartment. The developers also acquired the block behind the theatre, giving them a large building which now contains 33 stylish apartments,
marketed as "Warehouse conversion style living."

28 CINEMARECORD # 92