Page 27 - CR-96

Three levels of the old Theatre Royal, Perth, (mid 1930s)
between 1899 and 1933. It is possible they are vaudeville and the second half was a musical The Royal reopened with MGM’s Dancing
for the 1910/11 alterations. production with an Egyptian fantasy. Lady, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable,
at a midnight show on Friday 24 August 1934.
Cozens Spencer, well known in the eastern In 1931, it was leased to Hamilton Brown. Its The Sunday Times stated that the theatre had
states for his showmanship and also his lady main attractions that year were stage shows, been given a new lease of life, renovated and
projectionist wife, Senora Spencer, ended his including Midnight Frolics, which ran several modernised in many respects. The theatre was
lease around 1916. He migrated to Canada months and returned in 1933. packed and the audience included many
where, some years later, he shot dead an prominent guests.
employee at his cattle ranch, then took his own In 1934, James Stiles negotiated a lease of the
life. The fate of Senora Spencer after that is not Theatre Royal on behalf of the Grand Theatre Under the Grand Theatre Company, the Royal
known. Company, and a contract for first release of all underwent several renovations, including the
MGM product. This took effect from 10 August removal of the central pillar in front of the
In February 1918, Thomas Coombe took over 1934. MGM was without a major first release theatre to enlarge the lobby. In 1937, the stage
the lease and the Theatre Royal came into the house, and now had the Theatre Royal – at was taken out and the screen set further back.
Union Theatres combine. It closed for a period, least, until it remodelled the Regent into the The very top of the old proscenium survived
unable to compete with the new generation of Metro four years later. But the old Royal now the alterations and was just visible above the
picture palaces being erected in Perth, and had a prestigious tenant and a secure source of new, deep cinema proscenium. In 1934, the
reopened in 1921 as a Fuller’s house, when it major release films from MGM for several Council Health Inspector had considered the
was used again for vaudeville, but this did not years into the future, rather than its alternating fly gallery dangerous and the fire curtain not
last long and it was back to films by the end of between films and vaudeville, with periods of working – which meant the Royal’s days as a
that year. closure. This arrangement was seen as quite a legitimate theatre were now permanently over,
big deal and reported in the press as: as no work had been done to rectify these
The Theatre Royal also screened several local matters.
documentaries, including Western Australia – “THEATRE CHANGES HANDS - MGM
the Land of Opportunity, made by Westralian PICTURES FOR ROYAL But 1939 was to be an important year in the
Films in December 1920, and The Development Grand Theatre Company obtained a long lease Theatre Royal history. It again underwent
of Western Australian Agriculture, which from Mr T G Molloy of the Theatre Royal and alterations, but no piecemeal refurbishment this
sounds quite gripping, in January 1924. secured an extended contract from MGM for time. The theatre was extensively remodelled
the screening of its pictures there. It is the by architects Baxter, Cox and Leighton, and it
In February 1924, it was announced that the intention of the Grand Theatre Company to was during this work that the moulded curved
theatre was reopening with Walter George’s make further improvements to the theatre and and ribbed forms of the auditorium were
Sunshine Players, in the presence of the WA to make it a first release house.” installed.
Governor. The first half of the programme was

CINEMARECORD # 96 27