Page 25 - CR-94
P. 25
In Tasmania more modest arrangements
prevailed. The silent picture theatres in Hobart
and Launceston all had orchestras and no doubt
silent theatres in major country towns such as
Burnie and Devonport used local musicians.
In Hobart the Palace, purpose built as a picture
theatre, opened in 1914 with an orchestra under
the direction of Miss Eva Creese. The Grand
Empire (later rebuilt into the National and
then Prince of Wales) opened in January 1911
with a full orchestra and a musical director.
His Majesty’s Theatre in Liverpool Street,
built as a live venue but rapidly adapting to
films, also opened in January 1911 with a live
performance and an orchestra led by
E. McCann. Kings Hall Pictures, in a
converted hall, had opened in October 1910
with Southey’s orchestra providing music. The
Strand, in Liverpool Street, featured the
Strand Concert Orchestra.
An extract from the exhibition industry
magazine Everyones recorded in July 1927 that
C. Briglia, late of the Capitol Theatre
Melbourne, had arrived to take the place of his The Padua (Brunswick, Vic) proscenium, the outline of the rotating stage can just be made out.
father Guiseppe Briglia as conductor of His
Majesty’s orchestra, ill health necessitating the Majestic Theatre with the Corrick family. subsequently removed, eventually being
his father’s return to Melbourne. Film Weekly This family had settled in Launceston in 1915 installed at St. Giles Presbyterian Church in
of 19 September 1929 noted that Ted McCann, after touring as one of the world’s most Hurstville NSW. The projection box telephone
musical director of the Prince of Wales, had celebrated family musical groups, becoming installed with the Western Electric sound plant
picked up the baton again after a tour of the synonymous with entertainment in still carried a station “organ” when removed
state, although the Prince had been wired for Launceston. in 1956 during the conversion to The Odeon.
sound in July 1929. A projectionist from that era told the writer
In Hobart the Palace Theatre in Elizabeth many years ago that some steps were taken to
Launceston’s two major theatres of the 1920s, Street had a Photoplayer organ installed in use records cued on the “non sync” to
the Princess and Majestic, seemed 1917 to accompany day sessions, it seems to accompany the organist, giving the impression
particularly well served with orchestras, with have remained in use until the Palace closed he was crooning.
Alex Lithgow conducting at the Princess and in 1924. The Strand, opened in 1916, had a
six rank Wurlitzer organ The orchestra pit was sometimes subjected to
installed in 1918, the third pranks from larrikins in the front stalls.
Wurlitzer of substance to Peashooters used on a pianist facing the screen,
be imported into Australia. and the occasional firework (cracker) tossed
These appear to have been into the pit did cause some unfortunate distress,
the only two organs in particularly to female musicians.
Tasmanian theatres.
Following the first sound installations in
Notable local identity Ben Australia in December 1928, the monopolistic
Corrick was organist and American company Western Electric
conductor from 1920 until undertook a strong marketing push for sound
1928, with the Strand installations, advertising in February 1930 that
Concert Orchestra it “had wired 3551 theatres worldwide, 768 in
conducted by him from the foreign countries”. By June 1930, 350 of
console of the organ from Australia’s theatres were equipped for sound,
time to time. The Strand and the figure had more than doubled to 804
Wurlitzer console was within five months. Exhibitors were able to
remodelled and the console lease plants from this company rather than
moved to centre it in front purchasing outright, an attractive incentive.
of the stage, with curved By July 1930 major film distributors operating
cabinetry to emulate the under licence to Western Electric loosened
then popular “horseshoe” their restrictions against Australian made
style when the Strand was equipment, enabling smaller exhibitors to
leased by Union Theatres install cheaper sound systems made locally by
and reopened with sound Raycophone and other small manufacturers.
on 29 November 1929.
Film Weekly of 9 January The introduction of sound had a devastating
1930 announced that effect on theatre orchestras. Some 3000
Manny Aarons, of the musicians had been made redundant by May
State Theatre (Sydney), 1930 in Australia, and thousands more in the
had arrived to preside at USA and other countries where theatres had
the Strand Wurlitzer. been rapidly converted to sound. Some relief
came with the revival of stage shows in major
The Strand organ was out venues, as referred to above. Live theatre also
The Strand Theatre, Hobart. c 1930
of use by 1940, and suffered; in Australia a few survived but entire
CINEMARECORD # 94 25