Club Cinema
37 Swanston Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3000
37 Swanston Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3000
1 person
favorited this theater
Not much is known about this city centre adult cinema. It was located on the ‘Second Floor’ (First Floor, as Australians called it) of the Nicholas building. Patrons entered up stairs inside the Nicholas Building Arcade (see photograph taken on 8th January 2015). The cinema auditorium was located in the small building to the left of the Nicholas Building. Opened on 19th December 1977 with the family film “Joey and the Dolphin” (aka A Whale of a Tale) starring William Shatner. Seating was provided for 204. It soon opened as the Club Cinema, a cinema club operated by 14th Mandolin, the Melbourne-based film distributer. It quickly went over to screening adult movies. On 24th November 1983 it was taken over by the Club X chain of adult cinemas. It was closed on 15th December 1986. It became a clothing store for a while. It was demolished in the middle of 2019.
Contributed by
Ken Roe, Robert Hoskin
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Opened on 19/12/1977. Closed on 15/12/1986.
210 seats.
Additionally, the first-ever released movie called “JOEY AND THE DOLPHIN” was NOT shown in the basement nor came from Penthouse ( as it has mentioned from Ken Roe’s comment ) cinema. This 1976 movie was solely released by CLUB CINEMA on correct date of Monday 19th December, 1977, and continued screening in there until Friday 20th January, 1978, for 32 days. The USA-produced original film title is “A WHALE OF A TALE”, featuring William Shatner. Then after that film, then screened the first-ever Adult movie, also made in USA, called “THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF DON QUIXOTE AND SANCHO PANZA”, released on Friday 23rd December, 1977.
Actually, the Penthouse Cinema was closed on 24th May, 1979 after established the smallest basement cinema on 10th March, 1977, that it is NOT being owned by 14th Mandolin whose does operates the Club Cinema as it is not connected with Penthouse Cinema. The Club Cinema was not sited in the basement, as Penthouse actually was, but only located separately in the ‘first-floor’ above inside the 27-29 Swanston St. Building. Additionally, the Club Cinema owner of 14th Mandolin has deliberately screened the only-banned film called “The Abduction of Lorelei” for two weeks from 1st to 14th September, 1983, for straight 14 days and escaped persecution from Law officers who has secretly received the bribe money and free tickets to see it. Their cinema was then taken over by other entertainment source called ‘Club X’ Adult Enterprise on Thursday 24th November, 1983, to expand their firm. 14th Mandolin has terminated operating their small Club Cinema of 5 years, 11 months and 340 days, the day before Club ‘X’ took over.