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Astor Theatre 659 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley, WA

Survival of The Astor Theatre Mt Lawley - Putting the record straight

In 1971 Ben & Anna Parri took over the lease of the New Oxford Theatre, Leederville re-naming it “The Olympia” - a dramatic change of policy followed which involved the screening of Italian, Greek & Chinese films. Major International acts followed, such as “Little Tony “The Italian Elvis”, Gianni Morandi , & Orietta Berti . Over a 7 year period the policy is very successful. At the end of the lease the Parri’s move to The Astor Theatre, Mt Lawley which they favour because of its centralised position.

Innovation and experimentation at The Astor Mt Lawley between 1978 & 1985

What followed at The Astor was a period of innovation and experimentation that extended over an eight year period. These are regarded as the Golden Years that succeeded despite a depressed theatrical environment. It is this writers opinion that The Astor would never have survived without the efforts of Ben & Anna Parri. They kept the candle burning brightly with policies of constant change, and It is doubtful that The Astor will never again experience box office grosses the likes of International Super-Star “Toto Cutugno”, and a string of major Italian international acts that graced the Astor’s stage, such as Riccardo Fogli, Lando Fiorini, Nino Reitano, Giacomo Rondinella. While Umberto Tozzi, Ricchi e Poveri, Lucien Taioli and Nilla Pizzi played the Concert Hall & The Italian Club for The Parri family.

Hollywood in Italian at The Astor..

Rocky in the Italian version screened at The Astor to huge figures. Italian’s love Rocky to the point that Stallone said he contemplated having Rocky’s last fight staged in the Coliseum in Rome. Other films in the Italian version to fill The Astor were Quo Vadis, The 10 Commandments, Ben Hur, Dr Zhivago,& Spartacus.

Three Dimensional movies at The Astor.

To offer a wider selection of product for the English market the Parri’s decided to build another theatre in the upstairs foyer. It was intimate, comfortable with good sight lines.The Paris Theatre in Hay street were screening “Comin At Ya” in 3D to record breaking figures. At the end of the season it was decided to shift the film into the Parri’s new Mt Lawley cinema complex. At the same time The Stewardesses in anamorphic 3D completed it’s Melbourne season and was moved directly into The Astor. Both films in the new 3D process played during 1981 to excellent figures. At the time The Astor was the only cinema complex outside the city of Perth that was equipped to screen 3D movies.

The Astor as a community hub & meeting place.

The Astor had a wide screening policy that included a smörgåsbord of regular play-time for English / Italian / Greek / R Rated, and Chinese Kung Fu movies screening on Sunday. Bingo was featured on a weekly basis attracting large numbers of people. The Astor was a regular and popular meeting place for many ethnic groups .

Social significance

Ben & Anna Parri are major Pioneers in West Australian Cinema and Live International Entertainment. A contribution that stretches across a spectrum of exhibition genres. Their tenure at the Olympia Theatre Leederville and The Astor Theatre Mt Lawley should be celebrated as important because motion pictures, live entertainment and the bringing of communities together continue to be a part of our lives and our future. For a generation the Parri’s time in Cinema is without doubt a remembrance of positive emotion and pleasurable experience - Author Greg Lynch, Cinema Historian

Contributed by Greg Lynch -