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above was a two and one-half rows set beneath the
p a r t i c u l a r l y extremity of the projection booth. Mid City
spacious foyer. A ran on 6000 ft reels until 1976, when platters
s e e m i n g l y were introduced. In 1970, a common or shared
floating roof projection room for both auditoria presented
plane hovered an exciting possibility. It was possible to
above with lights simultaneously run a film through one cinema,
dotted like stars. continuing on to pass through the second
The March 1969 cinema, with just a few seconds delay. This
plan of Bogle and capability of interlocking became more
B a n f i e l d prevalent as common projection booths
specified that emerged elsewhere.
walls of the
theatre foyer be There were two projectors for each of the Mid
of bare face City cinemas, plus the most modern slide
clinker brick. In machines of the day, as designed by Hoyts
contrast, the engineering department. Equipment was
The shared projection room was an insight into the future. earlier July 1968 computerised so that essential functions, such
plan of both as dimming of the auditorium lights and reel
The new Mid City auditoria were inducted as auditoria included cement rendered walls ready changeovers, could occur automatically. Chief
Cinema 4 and Cinema 5. The numbering to receive carpet cladding. projectionist Roy Ramsay was quoted at the
presented the Mid City complex as an time, describing the efficient, air-conditioned,
addendum to the 3 screens at Cinema Centre. Unfortunately, the plans for Mid City lacked shared projection room as one of the “most
David Kilderry explains the numbering as appropriate access for disabled persons, refined” he had worked in and “it enables the
follows: “Given Hoyts was one of the first in something we take for granted nowadays. two cinemas to be perfectly coordinated and it
the world to build a cinema complex, let alone makes my job much easier. The operation is
two a block away from each other, there were Of his first visit to the Mid City Cinemas, controlled by a Cinemation system designed
no rules to copy. The main reason for the CATHS member, Martin Powell, recalls “The by a British company.”
numbering was to avoid confusion i.e. two Cinema Centre was transformative. Then
Cinema Ones’ in Hoyts complexes on the same came Mid City, new and different again. The The 1970s were good years for Hoyts in
street would have caused problems.” main foyer at Mid City was huge! Located on Melbourne’s CBD, and became even better for
the first floor, it originally extended most of Mid City when Hoyts no longer had to supply
David elucidates the role of Mid City as a the length of the building, with back-to-back product to the Athenaeum and Esquire.
“further extension of Hoyts economies of cinemas above. The foyer ceiling was Testimony to this was Hoyts decision to add a
operation. It sounds strange today, but the undulating, following the general shape of the third cinema to Mid City, which commenced
Cinema Centre not only had separate stadium floors, with the highest point located screening in December 1975 with an obscure
projectionists and assistant projectionists for above the cinema entrances. The original two R-rated comedy The Coming of Seymour.
each of its three cinemas, but also separate auditoria were well-raked and the dimensions
booking clerks, ushers and managers for each for viewing were very good. Overall, it was Part of the huge foyer was sacrificed for
of the three cinemas!” quite impressive.” Cinema 6. A floor plan of the new auditorium,
and an article in Movie News (March/April
The opening of the $3¼ million Hoyts Mid However, as if to embody the spirit of the 1976), both claim 217 seats. Elsewhere I have
City Cinemas 4 and 5 was quite an occasion. 1970s, Hoyts furnished the foyer read references to 220 and 221 seats. The
Cinema patrons were greeted by ramped incongruously. Deck chairs were positioned auditorium was built beneath the rake of the
auditoria designed to provide the best possible around tables set beneath large umbrellas, as large Cinema 5. Bogle and Banfield were the
sight lines, with each chair individually if poolside, but resting on a carpeted floor with architects once more, and the Dolphin firm
mounted for maximum comfort. The two a brick wall backdrop bearing the word were the builders.
cinemas comprised 3,200 square yards of HOYTS in bold lettering. It surely was a far
carpet and were built back to back with a cry from the Regent.
common projection room.
Décor for the Mid City Cinemas was
A seating plan contributed by Roy Grounds contributed by interior designer Neville Marsh,
and Company Pty Ltd in January 1970 reveals known best for his work with colour. The décor
three columns of seating, situated across a could be fairly adjudged as minimal or austere,
maximum auditorium width of 68 ft 8 inches if one compares it with the picture palaces of
in the larger cinema, number 5. Sir Roy old. The emphasis of the New Age cinema was
Grounds is one of Australia’s most on the functional. Carpeted walls, for example,
distinguished twentieth century modern assisted the acoustics and to a lesser extent the
architects, probably best known for the warmth of the cinemas.
Victorian Arts Centre and National Gallery
of Victoria. The opening features on 26 November 1970
were the D H Lawrence English classic Women
Film Weekly reported a seating capacity of 750 in Love in Cinema 4 and the multi-million
and 932 respectively. A floor plan of Cinema dollar war spectacular Tora! Tora! Tora! in
4 confirms 750 seats, of which 446 are located Cinema 5, a remarkable contrast. Martin
upwards of the entry stairway summit. The Powell was assiduous enough to see both of
Roy Grounds Company’s seating plan includes the opening features in the early days of Mid
942 seats for Cinema 5. So it appears that 10 City. He remembers that Tora! Tora! Tora! in
seats did not materialise. The Grounds’ seating 70 mm was spectacular in the larger of the two
plan for Cinema 5 includes 444 seats auditoria.
downward of the entry stairway summit.
The projectors in the common Mid City bio
At the Bourke Street level were stream-lined were back to back with a small off-set. A visit
ticket selling and booking facilities. One level today to the former Cinema 4 reveals the back

8 CINEMARECORD # 94