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By 1922, Hoyts Proprietary Ltd had control film was one more way to build excitement
of the Canterbury. The theatre was again about the new theatre.
re-seated and re-decorated, and the bio-room
updated. The photo which shows a view to the After the Canterbury closed, the auditorium
stage is presumably from this time. The had a range of mixed uses, including a plastics
Canterbury re-opened on Saturday 22 July factory and a dance studio. Today it is Maling
(7)
1922 , with the words ‘Hoyts Pictures Best Antiques. Step inside and the original purpose
and Most’ emblazoned across the front. The is immediately recognisable.
theatre was the smallest in the circuit
(20 percent smaller than the Memorial On Canterbury Station, city-bound
St Kilda), and was never considered commuters look directly onto the rear of the
important enough to warrant a vertical neon. building. Until about 25 years ago, remnant
Another time he offered a school-children’s
prize for the best essay about a film seen at the
theatre. About 20 entries were received. The
prize was a school bag, won by a pupil at the
Surrey Hills State School.
On 23 June 1917, Riggs organised his own
farewell night at the theatre and, from all
accounts, made it another fun occasion. A
‘leading Melbourne company’ was now the
lessee. Why the paper chose to be coy about
the name of the new lessee is hard to
understand.

The newcomers revamped the interior, turning
it into ‘one of the most comfortable and up-to-
date in the suburbs.’ The new features
(4)
included installation of a second projector, the
latest tip-up seats and an orchestra of six
players. Screenings commenced the following
Saturday, after which films screened six
nights a week. The clubs and organisations
which had previously used the theatre/hall
were now frozen out. The building today. Coats of paint, but the exterior is basically unchanged. Image: Peter O’Reilly

The Spanish flu pandemic brought a drastic Early in 1941, Hoyts began construction of a electric sockets spelled out PICTURES on a
government response. All theatres and schools larger theatre about one hundred metres horizontal frame raised above the roof. One by
in Melbourne were ordered closed from further south, on the opposite side of the road. one the letters began to drop away, until today
21 January 1919 to 8 March 1920. (5) By the The Canterbury’s last show was on only the uprights are standing. Even so, the
time the ban was lifted, the disease had killed Wednesday 22 September 1941 when it history of the building is permanently
628 people in Victoria. screened Last of the Vigilantes starring acknowledged. At the south end is a large
Franchot Tone and Warren William together public square – Theatre Place. ✶
For some smaller exhibitors, the enforced with the Ritz Brothers in Argentine Nights. (8)
closure spelt disaster. With no income for This was two nights before the opening of the
seven weeks and creditors pressing, they had Maling. Perhaps the projectionists needed Credits:
no option but to take the terms Hoyts stepped this time to move the equipment into the new Most of this story is taken from local newspaper
in to offer. Misfortune for some meant another building and familiarise themselves. Or The Reporter. Sentences in italics are quotes from
growth spurt for Hoyts. (6) perhaps depriving the locals of two nights of this source. All this background is on file at the
Archive. Royce Harris, Ross King, Fred Page, Frank
Van Straten and Tony Tibballs burnished the story
with details. Other sources are listed below.
1. Frank Van Straten AM, personal communication
2. Fred Page, personal communication.
3. Personal communication from Peter Burgis to
Frank Van Straten AM
4. Hawthorn, Kew and Camberwell Citizen, 6 July
1917
5. Ross King, personal communication
6. The Reporter, 31 January 1919
7. The Argus 24 July 1922
8. The Herald 22 September 1941

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