Theatrical traditions: stage and screen in Bendigo

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Commercial
Photographic Co.
20th century
Exterior view of the
Princess Theatre, View
Street
1936
black and white
photograph
Courtesy Harold
Paynting Collection,
State Library of
Victoria
Lyle Fowler
Australia 1891 – 1969
Exterior view of the
Plaza Theatre, Mitchell
Street
1936
black and white
photograph
Courtesy Harold
Paynting Collection,
State Library of
Victoria
comfortable up-to-date picture theatre.
Modern conveniences such as heating
and cooling were installed including
heated foot-warmers; purported to be
the best method of maintaining the
body at a consistent temperature! 34
The biggest development to
revolutionalise the film industry since
sound on film was CinemaScope.
In 1954 the Lyric became the first
independent theatre in Victoria to
install the widescreen technology and
in September of that year, launched
with a highly anticipated gala event,
including a screening of The Robe. The
CinemaScope system was developed in
Hollywood by 20th Century-Fox and
resulted in an image that was almost
two and a half times as wide as it was
high. A new ‘miracle mirror screen’
was installed at the Lyric to cater for the
new CinemaScope films. Soon after,
the Royal Princess and Plaza Theatre
just across Bath Lane from the Lyric,
followed suit refurbishing to incorporate
the new widescreen technology.
PLAZA THEATRE
The Plaza Theatre opened with a
gala event on 28 December 1934. In
addition to the feature movie Little
Miss Marker starring Shirley Temple
and the associate feature We’re Not
Dressing starring Bing Crosby, the
highlight was the newsreel showing
the wedding of the Duke of Kent. 35 In
the inaugural program, addressing the
citizens of Bendigo, Managing Director
JL Thornley wrote:
Proudly we present to you a temple
dedicated to the best in motion
picture entertainment. My company
has endeavoured to give you a
theatre that Bendigo will be proud
to own. Our ideal has been founded
on comfortable, healthy and pleasant
surroundings, with special attention
to ventilation, cooling and heating
and strict cleanliness. We have
endeavoured to build a Theatre that
will be a happy rendezvous for each
and everyone of you – every week
in the year. 36
The Plaza was located on a narrow strip
of land on the corner of Mitchell Street
and Bath Lane with the main entrance
on Mitchell Street. 37 The theatre was
designed by the architecture firm
Cowper, Murphy and Appleford (the
same firm which had designed the
refurbishment of the Princess) and had
a seating capacity of 1164. Unlike the
popular Art Deco style of the Princess
and most other picture theatres being
built at the time, the interior of the
Plaza was elaborately embellished in an
opulent Neo-Gothic style.