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court and, in stepping back to curtsey, steps on
and tears her dress. Just imagine 3253 patrons
almost jumping out of their seats as a minor
tear comes over as a major explosion! Just as
well the Manager wasn't around. The longest
run the theatre ever had was The Robe, the first
CinemaScope feature. It ran 16 weeks, but was
“held over” longer than necessary as a selling
point so that all the independent exhibitors
would install this new entertainment wonder
and stave off the forthcoming evil of television.
Otherwise, The Best Years of Our Lives
clocked up 11 weeks, (and 11 Academy
awards!), with The Third Man running an
amazing nine weeks in the middle of a lengthy
tram strike, before people became a slave to
the car.
However, once television arrived, the rot set
in. The “action” houses, the Esquire and
Lyceum in Bourke St., were the first affected,
as people who once paid money to watch
rubbish in the theatre, now found they could
watch rubbish at home for nothing! Then the
Ian’s other home - the Capitol Theatre, Melbourne big theatres like the Regent, Capitol, State
every show at the Regent, either school anything. My first “theatre posting” was to the etc., felt the pinch. Fox, whilst controlling
holidays or Saturday mornings. The circle was Capitol in June 1951 as a cadet. This theatre Hoyts, would not let movies like South Pacific
the same price as the back stalls, the organ was also played an important part in my life. I was go to the Regent. Why? Well, a blockbuster
always featured, and I would linger on the way Assistant Manager when it closed in 1964 - a like South Pacific would probably have run at
out to hear the orchestra as it rose up from the heartbreaking experience as it was the first of least six months at the 3253 capacity Regent.
pit. Sadly the orchestra was dropped mid 1948 the “movie palace” theatres to shut. I couldn't But, at the 1500 seat Esquire, it ran just on
due to post war inflation. believe it - how could a magnificent theatre THREE YEARS!. With half the seating
like this just close down? Who would dare to capacity and lower overheads, a smaller theatre
Most kids would have been off to “the footy” pull it down? Over two years later. I was to can override “bumps” like a hot spell which
on Saturday afternoons, but not me. I would return as House Manager to the modified kept people away from the non-air conditioned
set off on my bike from South Box Hill through upstairs theatre we know today. Putting in a theatres. Sound of Music even went to a tarted
Surrey Park and call at Hoyts Maling, booking system, getting good staff; countless up Lyceum, with about 1200 seats, and the
Canterbury, then to the Rivoli and Hoyts eighteen hour days, yet the six weeks up to and standard of product at the Regent started to
Broadway, Camberwell, then to the Hoyts including the opening weeks were the happiest deteriorate. Those of us working could feel the
Time and Balwyn theatres, and finally the of my life. Oh, I almost forgot - who of us theatre dying, sometimes 300 patrons at an
Surrey, Surrey Hills. It was at the latter that I working at the theatre before it closed will evening session early in the week. The organ
discovered the Film Weekly, a trade magazine forget those “pests” buzzing around backstage, had gone silent, the theatre was becoming a
that I was to subscribe to twelve months before frightening the usherettes; something to do morgue, and we felt it would be better to close
I joined the industry! But I clearly remember with removing the organ! it than go on in this fashion. Whilst the Regent
what happened one day whilst riding through faded out on a mediocre western, the Plaza had
the park. I saw these “strange” people lining The next few years would be spent at the scored a bit with Butch Cassidy and the
their dogs up, then leaving them whilst they, various city theatres, a happy life. Always Sundance Kid. Was it something like 90
the handlers, hid behind a tent. One dog good houses. ALWAYS full on Saturday weeks?
moved, then another cringed forward; little did nights. In one sense though, I dreaded school
I realize that 40 years later, I would be doing holidays - “ankle-biters” or “rug-rats”! by the In November 1969, the final insult. Auction
the same thing myself … and loving it! It’s thousands every day! Of course, when the catalogues being sold from the island ticket
called “obedience training”. At this time, I had holidays were wet, it seemed like complete box, the auction itself conducted from the
an interest in commercial art. I would spend chaos. One such year, the managers received stage. My main purchase, a four lamp bracket
hours designing posters, approximately 15" by a Japanese cigarette lighter for their efforts; the from the circle which has been waiting for
9" for the local Rialto and Regent theatres assistant managers like me - NOTHING! twenty five years to be re-lit in my lounge
which went up on the back verandah wall. One room! I decided some time ago not to jinx
for MGM’s National Velvet won me a In 1951, the Regent scored the biggest day in myself. It will only be re-lit when the theatre
certificate from the Argonauts Club on ABC its history – 14,500 admissions! Of course, re-opens. We're almost there! Oh, the
radio 3AR. most of the audience were in the first four and BIGGEST day in the theatre for a movie was
a half sessions of the six shows we ran per day. certainly Cinderella, but otherwise it would
In one of my first “decisions”, I decided I had have to be 8 October 1995. At least 30,000
to be in the theatre life, better to be on the Naturally, I had my devilish side too. I was people trooped through on the State
“inside looking out than the outside looking particularly irked when the usherette on the Government’s Open Day. With a special re-
in!” I made two attempts to get a job with sound monitor didn't compensate for the thick opening celebration being planned, and the hit
Hoyts, the second time I became the office boy red house curtain cutting the sound volume as musical Sunset Boulevard slated for a long run,
in City Publicity located on the first floor of it came gracefully down at the end of the the Regent will be well and truly back where
the Regent Building (over the door to Head movie. Me? “Excuse me dear” - and promptly it belongs at the heart not only of Collins St.,
Office). That was on 16 May 1949. I had to go turned the dial up so the movie, musical or but with more big shows planned for the
to all the newspapers with the ads, and to the otherwise, came to a fitting crashing finale! Princess and Her Majesty’s at the heart of the
film exchanges for publicity material and was arts and entertainment capital of Australia.
constantly on the go around the various city My wickedest prank came during Call Me MARVELLOUS MELBOURNE! ★
theatres. Once a week, Geoff Robertson would Madam, the Irving Berlin musical starring
be featured on the organ live on radio 3AR, via Ethel Merman. In one scene Merman, as Images:
a phone line, and I wouldn’t miss that for Ambassadress Sally Adams, is presented at CATHS Archive

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