Village Theatre
441 Toorak Road,
Melbourne,
VIC
3142
441 Toorak Road,
Melbourne,
VIC
3142
2 people
favorited this theater
Rising up amongst the small shopping strip of Melbourne’s fashionable Toorak, the Village Theatre was equally as luxurious as the suburb it was built in. Opened by Stanley Argyle on 6th March 1936, the Village Theatre was designed by the noted architect, Charles Hollinshed. The same architect was responsible for the Art Deco interior of Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre in 1934.
A number of features in a similar vain to the formentioned Her Majesty’s could be found in the Village. They included walnut panelling in the foyer and lounges. Comfortable padded seating throughout the auditorium. The actual cinema was high and narrow. The proscenium was 30ft wide (9m). The auditorium was only 58ft wide (17.7m).
Many features appeared to be based on those of the British Odeon circuit at the time, including the brick façade.
The Village Theatre was acquired by Consolidated Theatres which operated theatres in various suburbs including Albert Park and Richmond. Television made a sudden impact on the box office and it was closed on 31st December 1958. In April 1962 it was in the process of being converted into a ‘live’ theatre, when the building caught fire and the remains were demolished later that year.
Despite the name, it never had any connection to Village Theatres or Village/Warner. A new cinema seating 550 and called the Trak Cinema opened on the site in 1969 (it has its own page on Cinema Treasures). It too has now closed.
Contributed by
Ian Hanson
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Melbourne’s Herald newspaper reported (6 March 1935) that the Village Theatre was expected would cost £25,000, and was being completed for an independent syndicate of Melbourne & Adelaide people.
source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244973607#
Opened on 7/3/1937. Closed on 31/12/1958. The fire was in april 1962.
Builders for the Village Theatre Toorak were Messrs. Swanson Bros. Ltd. An article published in May 1936 issue of Journal of the Royal Institute of Architects states that the Village Theatre Toorak opened to the public on 6 March 1936. source: page 34 at https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-405767089/view?sectionId=nla.obj-423523989&partId=nla.obj-405771594#page/n7/mode/1up
Village Theatre Toorak was managed for many years by a Mr.Graham S. Slobom, and operated by Victoria Theatre Pty Ltd (who also operated the Broadway Theatre in Elwood and Victoria Theatre in Richmond) at the time it was acquired by the newly formed Consolidated Theatres in August 1950. Mr. Slobom, then became managing director of the Consolidated Theatres chain.