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Metro Theatre 20-30 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC - 1950’s.

MGM - Quality theatres & presentation.

MGM renamed it the Metro Theatre in 1952, not to be confused with the Metro Collins Street. Among the films screened during the 1950’s and 1960’s were “Gigi”, “North by Northwest”, “The Parent Trap”, “Mutiny on the Bounty”, “Ben Hur”, “Mary Poppins” and “Doctor Zhivago”. The latter film ran for over two years.

MGM sold the theater and the last MGM film screened was “Kelly’s Heroes” in October 1970. During the next few years it returned to live theatre which included a 39 week season of the musical “Hair” in 1971-72. It re-opened as the Palace Theatre in 1974 and once again showed films - Notes by Graeme McBain.

MGM was best known for its continuous stream of new and upcoming stars and was well known for the quality and loyalty of their people. There were even technicians who worked in the company for over 30 years. However, the company was devoted more to the craft of filmmaking, rather than the art of it, and so most of its directors left after a relatively short time. Names like Stroheim, Ingram, Stiller, and Sjöström left the company, taking their creativity with them.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -