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Service with a Smile at the Cinema

The Era of the Cinema Usher

Bertie Bertram

ecently I bowled along to see a movie in In those days, when a visit to a movie in the city baby", the old theatre manager had whipped out
Rone of our city theatres and from the time or suburbs did not cost an arm and a leg, you the "house full" sign and would stand alongside
I entered the theatre, I was struck by the attitude got not only movie value and entertainment it stubbornly like Napoleon at the Battle of
of the cinema usher of today compared with value, you also received lots of courteous and Waterloo!
their predecessors in the 30s, 40s and 50s and helpful service. The movie moguls and their
what passes for service to the public in this year extremely efficient staffers' prime purpose was Out in front of the competition - way, way out
of 1997. "The Year of the Big Spender"! to ensure YOU - from your entrance to your in front - was the Hoyts Theatre Chain. They
exit - an entertaining time in their theatre. weren't merely big; they were awesome. All
I quickly perceived I was not in a top- other theatre groups or individuals were
flight city movie palace of the 30s and contenders and pretenders to the throne.
40s by the service of the ushers - or
rather, the lack of it. Hoyts had the magnificent Regent and
Plaza double as the flagship of the fleet
After a good climb, I was met by an usher and, throughout the suburban sprawl, it
who tore my ticket and with a "straight had its chain of more than 40 theatres
ahead, mate", wham, bam I was on my that were packed nightly by patrons
pat; but, in spite of everything, I made it who saw two movies, one or two
to my seat. comedies, a travelogue, a newsreel and
a couple of trailers, and you did not
In that long-ago era, when you entered a need a bank loan to take the family. You
theatre to see a movie, you were met by could even rake up a shilling (10c) to
a male or female usher who gave the purchase a Dixie ice cream and a packet
patrons a smile of welcome, passed you of Columbines.
along to an auditorium usher, who
showed you to your seat, waited until you At St. Kilda, Hoyts had the elegant and
were settled, then left. prestigious Victory Theatre, and what
The glamour "angels" of the 90s may well be a magnet for the people of St. Kilda by-the-sea
Even if you had the misfortune to arrive late, pouring you a coffee and a hot croissant on a that lovely classy theatre was. There was a bevy
the same procedure took place, only this time Qantas 747; a slick in-flight steward may be of dazzling beauties in burgundy gowns and
a torch beam was used to guide you safely to handy to give a young lady a smile that will always banks of gladioli throughout the
your seat, and without any annoyance to seated brighten her day and settle the butterflies in her Victory, which took hours for these dreamboats
patrons. The patron took that type of service tummy. But, in the 30s, 40s and 50s the to prepare for the patrons' delectation. For these
and courtesy for granted, and that's how it really personality darlings and the dapper young male delightful young ladies, it was a work of love
was in all types of movie houses in the city as ushers were there to greet you in a large movie to have their Victory looking so glossy for the
well as the suburbs. palace or a suburban movie house and, prior to public's perusal.
television's arrival in 1956, there were hundreds
Today, you hand in your ticket and wander off of picture theatres all over the suburbs of Also at St. Kilda, on the Lower Esplanade -
to a seat and if it is a dimly lit auditorium, stiff Melbourne town. Friday and Saturday nights right by Luna Park - was the grandiosity of the
cheddar. And, if you don't stumble on steps or were unreal. If you weren't early or had not Palais Theatre, a picture palace years and
someone's trotters, there's a good chance you'll "booked" your seat in "the lounge", before you years ahead of its time - a super colossal theatre,
find a seat and enjoy the flicks. could say "Lillian Frank is a hubba hubba jazzy by golly. The Palais did not merely "show a
flick", it "proudly presented a photoplay". That
is how it read in the daily news in 1927. It also
gave us lucky Melburnians the magic of Harry
Jacobs and his Band of Renown, and every
musician was an artist of perfection.

Built in 1926, it opened with a flourish and
attendance of every one of the rich and famous.
All the assorted socialites from Toorak and
Brighton and their spouses attended on the
Saturday evening of 12 November 1927 to a
blaze of publicity never before seen in the
Melbourne papers. Even Smith's Weekly gave
it a big plug, and the staid Argus waxed lyrically
about the Palais.

The opening program was Monte Blue in
Across the Pacific and Clara Bow in Rough-
house Rosie, an apt title (if I may be permitted
an opinion) for it was the very same Clara Bow
who was extremely "good friends" with a
complete Californian grid iron football team in
the 1930s. but as they say, "gals will be gals".
Left: The Hoyts Victory, St. Kilda c. 1939.
Image: CATHS Archive

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