Metro Theatre
William Street,
Perth,
WA
6004
William Street,
Perth,
WA
6004
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Perth’s Metro Theatre, located on William Street and now demolished, started life as the Queen’s Hall (opened 19 April, 1899). Among the early artists to appear there were Dame Nellie Melba and Clara Butt. With the advent of film, Queen’s Hall became the venue for Vic’s Pictures.
In 1927, the Hoyts Theatre chain took over the lease, with architects Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson transforming it into the Regent Theatre, complete with chandeliers imported from Italy and a Wurlitzer organ. The opening film was “Three Bad Men” with George O'Brien and Olive Borden.
It 1938, Hoyts Theatres gave up the lease to MGM Theatres, and the theatre was again transformed, this time by architects Baxter, Cox and Leighton, who gave it the full Art Deco style treatment. It remained one of Perth’s most stylish, comfortable and most-loved theatres until its demolition in 1973, its final film being a revival of “Gone With the Wind”.
Contributed by
barryinperth
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In 1950, Perth’s Metro Theatre screened MGM’s THE REFORMER AND THE REDHEAD, starring June Allyson and a lion cub named Herman. At the time, two lion cubs had just been born at the Perth Zoo. Marketing opportunity! The zoo named the female cub ‘June’ and the male ‘Herman’. In the image that is linked below, we see one of the Metro’s box office girls (‘June’) posing with ‘Herman’, one of the two cubs. It’s a fun pic!
‘JUNE’ AND LION CUB ‘HERMAN’ POSE AT THE METRO BOX OFFICE, PERTH
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Theatre was also named The Regent before Metro Theatre:
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Photo of Regent auditorioum in 1932 where seating was 2000, it was reduced to 1405 in 1938 and change to Art Deco style and renamed Metro:
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Exterior Regent photo from 1929
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