Looking out from the stage of Melbourne’s Regent Theatre in Collins Street. (More pics in comments below).
Francis W Thring bought the Collins Street site on which he built this glorious Cedric Ballantyne designed picture palace. It opened in 1929.
Uniquely, a second theatre, The Plaza, was built below the main theatre. This was originally intended to become a Cabaret but difficulty with licensing laws prevented this. It too opened in 1929.
The main theatre (The Regent) seated 3,250 and had a full orchestra pit and inbuilt Wurlitzer organ, which rose up from the stage on a hydraulic lift.
A 1945 fire destroyed much of the building, but fortunately not the foyers or The Plaza. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1947. The screen was enlarged to Cinemascope size in 1953. In 1958 the Plaza received a Cinerama screen. The 1962 Cinerama epic ‘How the West Was Won‘ ran there for 2 years.
In 1970 The Regent closed, the victim of falling attendances. For a time it looked like it might be demolished. An active ’Save the Regent’ campaign and a BLF Green Ban ensured it was saved.
Under a joint deal between entrepeneur David Marriner and the Kennett State Government, the theatre reopened in 1996, after a three year $25 million refurbishment. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Sunset Boulevarde‘ was the opening show.
Another more recent re-fit has only recently been completed, with the grand old lady reopening in January last year (2020).