Page 14 - CINEMARECORD-98

MEMORIES OF THE REGAL THEATRE HARTWELL, VIC.

by Graeme McCoubrie

ocated in the East Melbourne district of across the Toorak Road single lane bridge to of the cartoons and an episode of either a
LHartwell, at the corner of Camberwell the near-by suburb of Ashburton. How laid Superman or a Hopalong Cassidy serial.
Road and Toorak Road, the Hartwell Regal was back was transport at that time - unrushed and Interval would see a rush to the foyer as the
designed in a Streamline Modern style by friendly, with all stations having newspaper semicircular timber doors slid open to the
architectural firm H. Vivian Taylor, Soilleux & stalls and manned by a welcoming refreshment counter where Peters Ice Cream
Overend. Seating was provided for 741 in the stationmaster. was served exclusively at the Regal, it being
stalls, 435 in the circle and 15 in the crying “The Health Food of the Nation – nutritious,
room. The cinema boasted a car park at the side As an early teenager I eagerly awaited the most palatable and easy to digest”.
of the theatre, a bicycle park, a spacious roof Saturday matinees where the street youth would
garden and air conditioning. walk as one down Toorak Road with 2/- for a
ticket and an ice cream at interval. The doors
The Regal Theatre stood tall from my from the terrazzo steps on Toorak Road would
bedroom window looking east from Glen Iris be open as some 500-600 young patrons would
Road down Toorak Road. Its domed roof fill the stalls while those with parents often
overshadowed the intersection of Toorak Road indulged in the upper Dress Circle with their
and Camberwell Road. Opening 8 May 1937, “Dunlopillo Cushioning” seats, that claimed to
it regrettably lasted barely thirty years and “definitely repel, germs, moths and vermin”
“progress” saw its demolition early in the 1960s. Back after
I could also see with great enthusiasm the two Birthday announcements would be made by the the noisy chatter of
carriage “red rattler” train as it plied its way Theatre Manager prior to the matinee screening interval to the main feature, be it an
Abbott and Costello, the Lone Ranger, maybe
an early Tom Mix but often, best of all, a full
length Hopalong Cassidy. On the way home,
we would venture along the back creek that
crossed Toorak Road to re-enact the brave
deeds of the cowboys as they searched for the
villains amongst the dense undergrowth.
Arriving home with muddy shoes and clothes
was not always greeted with approval.

With feature films changing twice a week, it
was necessary to book in advance and, in my
late teens, we as a family would book for
regular Saturday night seats in the Back Stalls
at 2/9d each. The Peters Ice Cream boy would
Side view of – emergency exit, steps and verandah Toorak Road. be in the auditorium at interval, or we would

14 CINEMARECORD # 98