The secret history of Melbourne’s cinemas, from the Lido to the Forum
Now a Yarraville icon, this Melbourne cinema was a dishevelled shell occupied by squatters and graffiti 25 years ago. It’s one of scores of grand theatres still going strong across the suburbs — and with stories worthy of a movie themselves.
Inner East
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From architectural beauties to historically significant buildings and new-age wonders, Melbourne’s cinemas and theatres can be worthy places to visit on their own merit.
Picture theatres started appearing soon after the start of the 20th century in Melbourne and while many closed in the 1960s, with the introduction of television having a big impact on attendance, many still remain in operation today.
So for when they are open to the public again after being shut due to coronavirus, it may be worth checking out some of these sites and truly immerse yourself in the experience.
And for those who want an outdoor experience, check out this list.
RIVOLI CINEMAS, HAWTHORN EAST
Taking up a prominent space not far from the multi-pronged Camberwell Junction, the art deco facade is a throwback to when it opened in 1940 with a capacity of 1644 people after moving from its original Burke Rd site. With eight cinemas, its doors and entry into the foyer remind cinemagoers of its historical significance. Added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 2005, it enjoyed a $16m restoration and expansion in 1999.
LIDO CINEMAS, HAWTHORN
A site which has served many different purposes throughout its history — from a school, to a dance hall and a minigolf complex — Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn has transformed into a contemporary hub of cinema. The Glenferrie Theatre was built on a former Catholic school site in 1912, becoming a dance hall in the 1920s — closed by health inspectors after discovering “a certain amount of immorality going on outside”. It turned to minigolf in the 1930s before its first glimpse as a theatre from 1939 to 1959. During the next 40 years it became dance studios, music rooms and a dinner theatre, becoming the Lido Cabaret and Restaurant. Abandoned once again, it was bought by the owners of the Classic and Cameo Cinemas in 2013, retaining original design features such as the foyer’s terrazzo floor and decorative plaster ceilings.
ASTOR THEATRE, ST KILDA
A firm favourite of this writer. Originally a stables, its first shot at being a cinema was from 1908 to 1924. Then becoming a motor garage, it transformed into the last single-screen cinema of its kind in continuous operation since its grand opening in 1936. Its imposing form looms over Chapel St and gives way to the art deco architecture inside, complete with a grand entrance foyer. The comfortable seats which can cater for more than 1000 people are perfect for the double-billing features, with the screen framed by gold curtains. Listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, the site was saved in 2015, when Palace Cinemas bought it to stop St Michael’s Grammar School redeveloping the building.
CLASSIC CINEMAS, ELSTERNWICK
One of the oldest buildings on this list, it was constructed in 1889, but it was not until 1911 that it opened as a theatre. Its original intention was for it to be a skating rink, shop and club house. The 664-seat theatre closed in 1929 during the depression, evolving to become a dance theatre for 15 years. After World War II it reopened as a theatre and has been named Classic Cinemas since 1971.
PALACE WESTGARTH, NORTHCOTE
Financed and built in 1921, Palace Westgarth is held up as one of the most beautiful cinemas in Melbourne. With cosy seats and wide screens, art deco architecture has been maintained throughout and has occupied the same spot on High St for more than 30 years. A $4 million facelift in recent years has spruiked it up but retained some of its most eye-catching features.
CAMEO CINEMAS, BELGRAVE
Perhaps now more known for its outdoor screen, The Cameo opened in 1935 and still has indoor cinemas. The main auditorium boasts 309 seats in its classic cinema.
SUN THEATRE, YARRAVILLE
Independently run since it opened in 1938, most Saturdays were fully booked when it was a single-screen 1050-seat cinema. Today it seats several hundred people across eight cinemas. After being shut for about 20 years, it was bought in 1995 in a dishevelled state — squatters had lit fires to keep warm, graffiti was prevalent and much of the original art deco features had been stolen. The new owners divided up the auditorium and detailed the new cinemas in an art deco style, many with original details and renaming its cinemas after local landmarks.
THE KINO, MELBOURNE
Tucked away in a shopping complex in Melbourne’s CBD, the Kino is a great little cinema with comfy seats and good food and drink options. A jack-of-all-trades, it hosts a variety of screenings, as well as forums and festivals, and has been known to attract ‘sick’ workers or students who are attracted to its cheap tickets on Mondays.
JAM FACTORY, SOUTH YARRA
One of Melbourne’s best most well-known buildings, it has a long history after being constructed in the 1850s. Starting life as a brewery, it was turned into a factory which produced jams and preserves for almost a century. The complex turned into its present use in 1979 and is in the midst of a $450 million upgrade, which will give it 15 tiered storeys of offices and shops, an open-air public plaza and restoring historic buried laneways.
CINEMA NOVA, CARLTON
Comparatively young, this inner-city theatre has long been known as the home of quality art-house cinema. With 15 cinemas, it has been a Lygon St mainstay since opening in 1992.
THE STATE THEATRE, MELBOURNE
The site on the corner of Flinders and Russell streets was sold in the first Melbourne land auction in 1837 and used as a private residence. Through the years it became an iron store, coal yards, offices and a bond store before the theatre was built in 1929, seating a massive 3371 patrons — the largest capacity across Australia. The magnificent interior boasted chandelier columns and pillars and screened films until 1962. It was then divided into two theatres, the larger one of which is more well-known now as The Forum.
ATHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE
Originally the Mechanics Institute and Hall of the Arts from 1843, it is one of the oldest public institutions in Victoria. The first motion picture to be screened in Australia was at the Athenaeum in 1896. The former hall was remodelled as an 880-seat theatre in 1921. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.