New outdoor screens, live performance spaces planned for Randwick Ritz after sale

A new era is dawning for one Sydney’s last surviving 1930s cinemas — the art deco style Randwick Ritz — after new owners took the reins last week.

The Ritz cinema in Randwick is a drawcard for movie-lovers across Sydney.

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A new era is dawning for one Sydney’s last surviving 1930s cinemas — the art deco style Randwick Ritz — after new owners took the reins last week.

Extra screens, an outdoor cinema, live performance spaces and an expanded offering of Australian and art house films are among the big plans Eddie and Lindy Tamir have for the much loved 82-year-old picture house.

Mr and Mrs Tamir, who run three heritage cinemas in Melbourne, settled the sale last Thursday after the site was listed by the owners who had operated it since 1997.

Despite the change in hands, Mr Tamir said the couple are committed to retaining the heritage value and charm of the site.

“We’re suckers for old cinema buildings and unfortunately there aren’t too many left in Australia,” he said.

“I think seeing a film in an old picture house can really add to the cinema-going experience. For us the Ritz had all the right ingredients.”

The building dates back to the plethora of art deco style “picture palaces” that emerged across Sydney in the 1920s and 1930s.

The art-deco style interior of the building.

The Office of Environment and Heritage said the Ritz was one of Sydney’s last remaining cinemas of that style. It was added to the NSW Heritage Register in 1997.

Mr Tamir said plans for the site include more screens — possibly even an outdoor screen area — without affecting the main theatre.

There are also plans to bring additional Q&A screenings, along with art house, foreign and Australian features to the mix.

And despite the rise in online streaming services, Mr Tamir believes there’s many more pictures left to roll.

“Cinema has been constantly challenged over the last 70 years. I think there’s still something human and exciting about sharing a movie with family or friends,” he said.

“It offers something you can’t necessarily get at home.”