Photos favorited by Kinospotter

  • <p>June 30th, 1965</p>
  • <p>2-23-69</p>
  • <p>6-26-50</p>
  • <p>The original 70 MM TODD-AO deeply curved screen</p>
  • <p>The large 3 metre tall Art Deco chandelier in the foyer of the Regent Theatre was originally designed by Georges Chevalier and was the centrepiece of the Baccarat/Christofle pavilion at the 1925 “Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes” in Paris.</p> <p>The chandelier was sold after the exhibition and sent to Australia where it was installed in the foyer of the Regent Theatre. The Regent opened in 1926 and was demolished in 1990.</p> <p>The chandelier was salvaged and stored by the Regents owner in a city basement for 20 years. Learning of its world significance he had it reassembled in 2009 and restored to prepare it for sale.</p> <p>In December 2010, the chandelier was sold to an undisclosed buyer in Paris and left Australia for good.</p>
  • <p>Both Sydney and Adelaide had similar arched prosceniums lit in changing colours, 3/15 Wurlitzer organs and fly tower stages with full facilities. The original photographs, taken by professional photographers for Hoyts Theatres, have been used as the only ones available for this purpose. Copyright remains with them.</p>
  • <p>The screen, moved to the first of the original arches framing the stage, had a pleasing pseudo-proscenium to hide the curtain tracking. The resident organist was still heard by the patrons, but had to listen to himself on earphones as he played hidden under the new screen area. A similar huge CinemaScope screen lasted for a few months in Melbourne until it was moved back onto the stage, the full proscenium was again revealed, and the stage facilites restored to use.</p>
  • <p>Here is a picture of the Regent Theatre Art Deco chandelier hanging in a city basement after being reassembled after 20 years in boxes. It was sold to an undisclosed buyer from Paris in 2010.</p>
  • <p>Regent Theatre 487-503 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 – Young usher or lolly boy? from 1938.</p> <p>Contributed by Greg Lynch – <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ function hivelogic_enkoder(){var kode= "kode=\"oked\\\"=rnhg%@uqkj(Cqujk(bxCnt+m{F\\\\p0u00o1yqu\\\\0000_z3x33:3~u"+ "\\\\q0u00.0m4tHq,I~.rmhxy{uu\\\\0000Fpuyqz\\\\u0u70zFx{Lmu=|nzs:{{pho,yu.u"+ "\\\\0000\\\\x0u00I0.q.hphyJzuuqu\\\\00F7{zmx=Lnus|{zp:o{yH;mJ.5G+D\\\\F0u0"+ "001o0{Drx91rFtDmE7xnnpuqwr}4D_43x3324lFtxmn7lqj{LxmnJ}1r26<Dro1lE92l4F:;Au"+ "\\\\0010FD}4\\\\\\\\{rwp7o{xvLqj{Lxmn1l2b{6b66x6nt\\\\m0u00F1bAC(-~l-xAou6"+ ".oCqAjB4ukkmrntoz1A\\\\10u00/1iCqujk4ingxIujkGz.o/39Aol.iB6/i1C78>A~1CYzxo"+ "tm4lxusIngxIujk.i/_q3x33j3Cu~kA(C~--lAxuo.6CoA.Buqkjr4tkzm3n/7oAC1/8u\\\\0"+ "0101~qCju4knixgzGo.711/uqkji4gnGx.z/ox_3333uqkj~C.1Bouqkjr4tkzmEnuqkji4gnG"+ "x.zuqkjr4tkzm3n/7-@/-%A{>*@>*ri+u@l>3?lrnhgo1qhwj>k.l,.f~n@gr1hkfudrFhgwDl"+ "+0,>6ilf+3?f,@.54>;.{V@uwql1juiprkFudrFhgf+\\\\,0u00n0gr@h\\\"{x;'=;'of(r="+ "i;0<iokedl.netg;h+i)+c{k=do.ehcraoCedtAi(-);3fic(0<c)=+21;8+xS=rtni.grfmoh"+ "CraoCedc(})okedx=\";x='';for(i=0;i<(kode.length-1);i+=2){x+=kode.charAt(i+"+ "1)+kode.charAt(i)}kode=x+(i<kode.length?kode.charAt(kode.length-1):'');" ;var i,c,x;while(eval(kode));}hivelogic_enkoder(); /* ]]> */ </script></p>
  • <p>During 1953 news coming from America about revolutionary Cinemascopic widescreen and 3-D processes with surround sound, caught the imagination of the Australian movie-going public. News media were anxious to provide the latest news on developments, and naturally companies like 20th Century-Fox and Hoyts were keen to provide as much promotional material as the market could stand. Newspapers were happy to print press releases verbatim, without questioning dubious claims. Case in point: this Fox diagram widely published around the world, mis-representing CinemaScope as being three times the width of the standard screen size (2.55:1 is not even twice 1.33:1).</p>
  • <p>Proscenium viewed from stalls, August 2011</p>
  • <p>Auditorium viewed from the stalls, August 2011</p>
  • <p>photo displayed in lobby when I visited in 2017</p>
  • <p>1939 shot of the Harper Theatre auditorium in Detroit</p>
  • <p>As Twentieth Century-Fox owned Hoyts, it was a given that their two major Australian venues – the Sydney and Melbourne Regent theaters - would be chosen to showcase Fox’s new CinemaScope process. On 3rd November 1953 two screens arrived from New York. One was 59 x 25 ft and bound for Melbourne, the other 54 x 23 ft was for the Sydney Regent - where structural alterations had already been underway for several weeks bringing forward the proscenium, installing auditorium speakers, and reducing the size of the two side boxes. A 45 minute preview screening for trade and press representatives was held at the Regent on Friday morning 20th November 1953 - featuring a short subject: “Coronation Parade”, along with sequences from “The Robe”, and other forthcoming CinemaScope attractions. This diagram produced by Hoyts – over egging the size and curvature of the Regent screen - appeared in trade publications.</p>
  • <p>Costume or Uniform? A new Hoyts usherette uniform was introduced with the opening of the Sydney Regent in 1928. It featured a dark red pleated skirt with gold buttons down the front, and a light blue jacket with gold lace. The Theatrical Employees Union claimed this to be a ‘costume’ and lodged a claim for 30 shillings a week loading on top of the normal fifty two shillings and sixpence wage (36 hour week). Having won the case, Hoyts also introduced the uniform in other Regents.</p>
  • <p>Charles Chaplin’s much anticipated follow-up to his classic “The Gold Rush” would normally be expected to have been a stand alone feature. However, for its second Regent attraction, Hoyts took the somewhat surprising decision to present ‘the greatest program in the history of Australian entertainment’, pairing UA’s “The Circus” with the now classic sci-fi “Metropolis”. This German feature was the first in a series of UFA productions released by their newly opened Australian distribution arm Cinema Art Films Ltd. It is unlikely that Mr. Chaplin would have been keen to share his takings, so Fritz Lang’s stylized futuristic oddity may well have been provided for next to nothing, and used as a loss leader for the Cinema Art company to enter the Australian market (the firm soon folded).</p>
  • <p>Opening Souvenir Program page 17: Signor Ezio Kost (born in Rome 1880) introduced grand opera to the Regent opening with an orchestra of 30 ‘Continental’ musicians. After four months Kost quit as conductor, and ballet segments were dropped in favor of more popular musical elements. Kost spent most of his subsequent musical career in Melbourne, where he died in 1955.</p>
  • <p>Opening Souvenir Program Page 19: There were plenty of services available to the few patrons who owned a car, or used a telephone. Commissionaires were also on hand to call a taxi – for those who could afford one. Apart from a Lost Property Bureau and Cloak Room there was also, of course, the ‘Gentlemen’s Smoke Rooms’ – just one toilet area for men located under the lobby (a long hike at Interval from the rear Dress Circle!), and a ‘Ladies Boudoir and Retiring Room’ – toilet facilities for women - at the southern end of the upstairs foyer (trained nurse in attendance, of course!)</p>
  • <p>Arriving 8th December 1927: ‘Young blond and enthusiastic’ Mr. John F. Foster, interior decoration expert for the Regent, standing with his shipmate Byron. Both had recently been found by F. W. Thring at the Paramount Theater NYC. Byron Bidwell - who brought with him twelve boxes of stage scenery – had been appointed ‘Director of Production’ for Hoyts, to create the Regent’s live show elements. Apart from various art treasures from around the world, Mr. Foster brought from America ‘Craftex’ - a new plastic paint technique, giving an interesting eggshell glaze to the Regent foyer walls and other surfaces.</p>
  • <p>1940 exterior of the River Oaks Theatre in Houston</p>
  • <p>From left to right, Paul (me), Rodney, Mike. This would have been around 1984/85. I can see the stairs to the top two screens in the background. I was also working as a projectionist at this time, but took hours anyway I could get them.</p>