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STATE / EMBASSY THEATRE, INVERCARGILL, NEW ZEALAND
by Gerry Kennedy

nvercargill is a city with a population hotel, causing damage to over an acre of allow for continuous running. The opening
I50,000, situated on the southern tip of the buildings. program was Curly Top with Shirley Temple.
New Zealand’s South Island. The city services
a large lush rural hinterland. In 1906, the rebuilt Hibernian closed its doors On 23 January 1936, the then cinema operator,
and became the City Private Hotel. In 1914, the Amalgamated Theatres, reopened the Popular
Over the year, films have been screened at a hotel and its surrounding shops were Theatre as the State. The building had
variety of locations including the Civic reconstructed with the inclusion of a theatre. In undergone another refit, featuring a
Theatre (Town Hall), the Majestic and the fact the Popular Picture Palace (a.k.a. Pops) Raycophone sound system, a modern heating
Regent. Today, the city's cinema-going public was opened on 22 December ahead of the system of warm air blown up through ducts in
is serviced by a Readings five screen complex completion of the hotel and shops. Seating the floor (it is still there), indirect lighting on
in Dee Street, (originally built and opened by 850, the theatre was described as having a dimmers and an on-stage drop curtain formed
Movieland Cinemas). handsome proscenium made of fibrous plaster. on a series of recessed arches, each of a
The walls were plaster finished and a pressed different shade and giving a sun-ray effect. A
The Embassy building occupies a low profile metal ceiling was fitted. The theatre had an side and top drape of old gold satin surrounded
building in Dee St, the main downtown island ticket box. From the vestibule, two this. Externally, a veranda had been installed
shopping centre, surrounded by shops. The entrances led to the stalls and a staircase to the over the entrance, with large embossed plate
theatre has had a colourful history going back balcony. glass entrance doors.
to the mid-nineteenth century when John
Turnbull Thompson purchased the land in The screen was inclined backwards because of The State underwent another major refit prior
1857. In 1877, Mr. P. Silke opened the well- the height of the theatre and the angle of the to the installation of CinemaScope, and was
appointed Hibernian Hotel on the site. In 1882, sight line from the projectors. The theatre was re-opened by Amalgamated Theatres as the
a fire broke out in a grocery shop beneath the fitted with two Ernemann Jubilee projectors to Embassy. The Embassy is entered via three

Civic Theatre (Town Hall). Majestic Theatre. Regent Theatre.

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