Hoyts Esquire Theatre
238 Bourke Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3000
238 Bourke Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3000
2 people
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July 1970 photo added via Johnny Riley.
In my younger days the Esquire theatre along with the Lyceum theatre across the street were somewhat seedy. When it was upgraded it was a great theatre with a 70 mm screen and opened with “Around the World in 80 Days. The one that lasted 3 years at the Esquire was "South Pacific”. When it finally closed some patrons said they had seen it 60 times. It was then followed by “West Side Story” that I had waited for impatiently. The Lyceum was refurbished for the presentation of “Cleopatra” which was not as bad as everyone had been led to believe.
I am trying to find the name of the owners of the ‘Esquire Theatre’ Melbourne, so I can try and contact living relatives regarding some research. Appreciate your assistance.
The Esquire Theatre screened “The Sound Of Music” for 9 months. It was transferred from the Paris Theatre after 139 weeks. “Tora Tora Tora” never screened at the Esquire Theatre. The seating capacity at this time was close to 1200.
The Esquire was a 70mm house and when i worked there they had just finished a 3 to 4 year run of the sound of music it also showed films like the graduate, tora, MASH, the lion in winter 70mm wit a mono track spread over the 5 stage channels. The Projectors were Phillips DP70 with ashcraft lamphouse using 13.6mm black carbons and drawing 135 amps the seating cap was around 1800 in those days, but did have a larger seating cap before then. it was the only cinema that i knew of that had a spre screen rolled up and sat next to the stage. it was supposed to be used for a special show but never got used. she was a fantasict of cinema. shame coles got there hands on it
The Esquire was actually GUTTED to create further retail space for the adjacent department store. It has since been rebuilt at street level into an aracde/food-court. The original “Hoyts (Deluxe) Pictures” facade remains in all its glory, hidden behind a 1976 false street frontage. The facades original double arched windows – complete with “Hoyts Pictures” in cement render on the central column are still there, waiting to be re-discovered by a new generation of cinema archeologists… one day!
The Deluxe/Esquire was built on the site of the original St.Georges Hall – the birthplace of “Hoyts Theatres”. Next door was Melbourne’s historic THEATRE ROYAL, a live venue which closed in 1934 and was demolished for – you guessed it – more retail space!
Kevin Adams.