Wondergraph, Wondergraph Theatre and variations were names given first to a technology, and then to
picture theatres run first by the Continental Wondergraph Company (represented by two German men who arrived in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
, in 1910); and then, in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
,
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
, by the Wondergraph Company (1910–1911), and then the Greater Wondergraph Company, established around 1911 and in existence until 1939.
The Continental Wondergraph Company was registered in Perth in early 1910, and later that year set up an
open-air cinema in
Semaphore
Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when arr ...
. This was followed in 1911 by the Wondergraph Theatre, an indoor
picture theatre in
Goodwood.
The Greater Wondergraph Company was established in Adelaide around 1911 by a group of South Australian men led by Mandel Finkelstein, who built the first Wondergraph picture theatre in
Hindley Street
Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after Charles Hindley, a British parliamentarian and soc ...
in 1912–13, and over time built a
cinema chain
A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall (Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...
in the city and suburbs. In September 1920
Dan Clifford bought some of Wondergraph's suburban cinemas. The Greater Wondergraph Company finally went into
liquidation
Liquidation is the process in accounting by which a company is brought to an end in Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and many other countries. The assets and property of the company are redistrib ...
in 1942, after selling their remaining interests to
S.A. Theatres
Ozone Theatres Ltd, formerly Ozone Amusements, was a cinema chain based in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1911 until 1951, when it sold its theatres to Hoyts. It was founded by Hugh Waterman and was jointly run by him and seven sons, including ...
in 1939.
Company history
November 1909: arrival in Perth
The Continental Wondergraph Company is first mentioned in newspapers in Australia on 10 November 1909 in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...
, when they announced the presentation at the
Theatre Royal, for the first time in Australia, a new technology, "claimed to be the latest development of animated art. The pictures, which are presented on a silver wall instead of on a linen screen, are, it is stated, greatly intensified, and presented more clearly and more distinctly in their every outline. Three different apparatus are said to be utilised to produce the remarkable mechanical and artistic effects. The Wondergraph is declared to be a perfected
cinematograph
Cinematograph or kinematograph is an early term for several types of motion picture film mechanisms. The name was used for movie cameras as well as film projectors, or for complete systems that also provided means to print films (such as the Cin ...
and
phonograph
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
combined, and differs from all other shows of the kind in that the dramatic dancing and singing pictures are presented not in a dark, but in a lighted room". It was the company's intention to have a limited season in Perth before proceeding to the
eastern states
The eastern states of Australia are the states and territories of Australia, states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland Australia, mainland states of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, New South Wales and Q ...
.
A Mr K. Luttgens was the director, and Mr T. Baar the general manager, and both arrived in the "''Koningen Louise''" (probably
SS ''Königin Luise'') on 8 November 1909.
[ A later court case revealed that there were six partners in the firm when they came out from Germany, including ]W. H. Bruce
Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and r ...
in Australia.
In January 1910 Wondergraph gave exhibitions in Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...
. In March 1910 the "Continental Wondergraph Company, Ltd., of £1,250, in 25 shares of £50 each" was registered at the Supreme Court of Western Australia
The Supreme Court of Western Australia is the highest state court in the Australian State of Western Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters (although it usually only hears matters involving sums of A$750,00 ...
, with an office at 11 William Street, Perth.
At some point the partnership with W. H. Bruce was dissolved in Western Australia, in an agreement whereby Bruce took 140 films to Adelaide and 70 to Broken Hill
Broken Hill is an inland mining city in the far west of outback New South Wales, Australia. It is near the border with South Australia on the crossing of the Barrier Highway (A32) and the Silver City Highway (B79), in the Barrier Range. It is ...
, New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.[ In April 1910, at a scheduled showing of Wondergraph films in Broken Hill by Bruce, "much disappointment was expressed at the non-appearance of the 'Wondergraph Talking and Singing Machine'", owing to the failure of a piece of equipment. In Adelaide in June 1910, Bruce sued the Continental Wondergraph company for breach of contract. The parties agreed to a settlement whereby Bruce was paid £50.][ In July 1910, Bruce was showing "Bruce's pictures in the suburbs", with screenings at ]Unley
Unley is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, within the City of Unley. The suburb is the home of the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Unley neighbours Adelaide Park Lands, Fullar ...
and Semaphore
Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when arr ...
, and as late as July 1912 Bruce was showing films at the Lyric Theatre in Grote Street
Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and r ...
.
May 1910: Adelaide
On Saturday 14 May 1910, Luttgens and Baar began a seven-night season of screenings at the Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The City of Adelaide Town Hall complex includes the Town Hall and the office building at 25 Pirie Street.
Description and history
Adelai ...
, using "finest and best process extant", including a technique known as "Fata Morgana", showing moving pictures in colour, accompanied by a full theatre orchestra
Theatre music refers to a wide range of music composed or adapted for performance in theatres. Genres of theatre music include opera, ballet and several forms of musical theatre, from pantomime to operetta and modern stage musicals and revues. Ano ...
. The same show was then given at Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
in the following week. They continued to give showings at the Port Adelaide Town Hall every Friday night in June 1910.
In September 1910, Mendel Finkelstein (c.1878–1949) was selling "a large quantity of surplus outfit from the Continental Wondergraph Company", including projectors and many films, from his company at Bank Street, Adelaide. A couple of days later, he posted an ad saying "WANTED, Building Site, Port Adelaide, suitable for Picture Hall, or a suitable Building... Full particulars to Wondergraph Company, c/o Finkelstein & Co., Bank-street". In October 1910, the abridged prospectus for a new company was published, being Wondergraph Limited, with capital of £8,000, to be divided into 150 shares of £20 each. The directors were M. Finkelstein, C. B. Ware, W. O. McAulay, J. M. Hinton, and one other, to be elected at the first meeting. This new company was created to take over from Finkelstein all his rights and assets in the Continental Wondergraph Company, including the patents for the "Silver Wall" and "Fata Morgana" technologies, and also sites at Semaphore and Glenelg, with the intention of constructing a "Plcturedrome" and tea garden
A tea garden is an outdoor space or garden where tea and light refreshments are served, or any garden with which the drinking of tea is associated. Especially in India, it is also a common term for a tea plantation. The tea garden was a part o ...
on these sites and elsewhere. It was also intended to build new halls for showing films and other entertainments. The company proved a great success showing movies at the Adelaide Town Hall
Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The City of Adelaide Town Hall complex includes the Town Hall and the office building at 25 Pirie Street.
Description and history
Adelai ...
, which soon proved too small to accommodate the demand for the new "moving picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s".[ ]
In July 1911, a prospectus for a new company, the Greater Wondergraph Company, was published, with Capital of £50,000, divided into 50,000 Shares of £1 each. The directors of this company were Finkelstein, Charles Boxer Ware, and three more to be elected. The purpose of this new company was "to acquire and take over from the present Company, Wondergraph Limited" and to have the option to purchase part of Town Acre
In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid.
Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogona ...
673 on Hindley Street, opposite the Theatre Royal, on which they would demolish the present buildings and build a new modern picture theatre. It would also acquire the name and the two new technologies associated with the former Wondergraph company,[ which had showed a profit on its paid-up capital of 140%. The company held its first half-yearly meeting in February 2012.][ The company was floated, raising enough money to build the Wondergraph (later Civic) Theatre][ in Hindley Street in 1912.][
On Saturday 2 December 1911, Wondergraph opened its new "Picture Pavilion" opposite the Exhibition Building on North Terrace, a seated outdoor picture theatre, with its screen made of "reinforced concrete and covered with a patent cement" (the "silver wall" technology mentioned above), the largest of its type in the country. A full orchestra would accompany the short film, ''A Doll's House'', based on Ibsen's play and starring ]Marie Eline
Marie Eline (February 27, 1902 – January 3, 1981) was an American silent film child actress and sister of Grace Eline. Their mother was an actress.
Eline acted on stage for three years before she acted in films. Nicknamed "The Thanhouser ...
, William Russell and Marguerite Snow
Marguerite Snow (September 9, 1889 – February 17, 1958) was an American silent film and stage actress. In her early films she was billed as Margaret Snow.
Early life
Snow was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her father, Billy Snow, was a comedia ...
. The venue continued to operate for several years until at least 1919, lending itself to other uses as well.
Around the time the group bought the York Theatre in Rundle Street (?), Nat Solomons succeeded Edward Povey as chairman of the board.[ Solomons (1858–1943) was a London-born tobacco merchant, who later served as ]alderman
An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...
and then mayor of the Kensington and Norwood Council.
1920: acquisitions by Clifford
In September 1920 Dan Clifford bought Wondergraph's suburban circuit, which included cinemas at Unley
Unley is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, within the City of Unley. The suburb is the home of the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Unley neighbours Adelaide Park Lands, Fullar ...
, Goodwood,[ and Semaphore.
Nat Solomons was still chairman of Greater Wondergraph in December 1924.
In October 1936, there were two cinemas in Semaphore: the Semaphore Cinema, run by ]Ozone Theatres
Ozone Theatres Ltd, formerly Ozone Amusements, was a cinema chain based in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1911 until 1951, when it sold its theatres to Hoyts. It was founded by Hugh Waterman and was jointly run by him and seven sons, including ...
, and the Wondergraph Semaphore, which had retained its name despite then being operated by the Star (Clifford) circuit.
1938–9: sale to S.A. Theatres
In January 1937 Solomons was still chairman, although had just been ill for 10 weeks.
After striking a deal worth £200,000 with S.A. Theatres
Ozone Theatres Ltd, formerly Ozone Amusements, was a cinema chain based in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1911 until 1951, when it sold its theatres to Hoyts. It was founded by Hugh Waterman and was jointly run by him and seven sons, including ...
(a subsidiary of Ozone Theatres, owned by the Watermans), in March 1938, the Greater Wonderaph Company sold its assets to the company, including the Civic
Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things:
General
*Civics, the science of comparative government
*Civic engagement, the connection one feels with their larger community
*Civic center, a comm ...
and York Theatres in the city, as well as the Wondergraph theatres at Unley and Goodwood (for some time called the Star, while under D. Clifford Theatres D. or d. may refer to, usually as an abbreviation:
* Don (honorific), a form of address in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and their former overseas empires, usually given to nobles or other individuals of high social rank.
* Date of death, as an abbreviat ...
). In September 1939, the sale was effected, with Wondergraph distributing the proceeds among its shareholders. The company finally went into liquidation in late 1942.
In August 1947, S.A. Theatres sold the Civic Theatre to Greater Union
Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...
, who were leasing the theatre at the time.
Theatres
Semaphore
Various cinemas were operated by the Continental Wondergraph Company and the Greater Wondergraph company in the seaside town (now a suburb) of Semaphore
Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when arr ...
.
The Continental Wondergraph Company bought land at Semaphore in September 1910, intending to establish a tea garden
A tea garden is an outdoor space or garden where tea and light refreshments are served, or any garden with which the drinking of tea is associated. Especially in India, it is also a common term for a tea plantation. The tea garden was a part o ...
and open-air cinema. On Monday 26 December, the Wondergraph company gave the inaugural screening at its "Picturedrome". Situated on the esplanade
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
, the seating faced the sea, and although the construction of the kiosk
Historically, a kiosk () was a small garden pavilion open on some or all sides common in Iran, Persia, the Indian subcontinent, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward. Today, several examples of this type of kiosk still exist ...
and tea garden had been delayed, the screening went ahead. Several silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
s were projected onto a solid concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...
"silver wall" by "a new invention which enables the subjects to be shown without flicker or glare". The Picturedrome, which seated 1,000 patrons, was adjacent to the Customs Boarding Station, which still stands today, on the corner of the Esplanade and Semaphore Road. It was also referred to as the Semaphore Wondergraph.
A scheme to enclose the Picturedrome was advertised in November 1914, but this was apparently not concluded. Films were last advertised as being shown there at the end of summer in March 1915. In December 1917, an advertisement refers to the "Semaphore Wondergraph Residential Cafe", right opposite the beach, for short stays.
The Greater Wondergraph Company (formed in Adelaide in 1911) started showing films at the Semaphore Town Hall
The Semaphore Library is a public library in Semaphore, South Australia. It was formerly the Semaphore Institute, Semaphore Town Hall, Ozone Theatre, and Semaphore Cinema, and is heritage-listed on both the state and national registers.
Inst ...
by mid-1912, which was also referred to as the Semaphore Wondergraph. In July 1912, a film of the British Antarctic Expedition led by Captain Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, , (6 June 1868 – c. 29 March 1912) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the ''Discovery'' expedition of 1901–1904 and the ill-fated ''Terra Nov ...
was shown at this Semaphore Wondergraph.
The Odeon Star
In 1920, the Greater Wondergraph Company had a "palatial" new indoor cinema built on Semaphore Road, Semaphore. This would cater for the people of the Lefevre Peninsula
The Lefevre Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Australian state of South Australia located about northwest of the Adelaide city centre. It is a narrow sand spit of about running north from its connection to the mainland.
The name given t ...
in winter. The magnificently fitted out building was designed by prominent South Australian architect Eric McMichael
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
and built by Messrs. Emmett Brothers. By this time the trams
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
were running to Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
. The theatre opened on Saturday 22 May with the screening of the 1920 American silent comedy film ''What's Your Husband Doing?
''What's Your Husband Doing?'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film directed by Lloyd Ingraham and written by R. Cecil Smith based upon the play of the same name by George V. Hobart. The film stars Douglas MacLean, Doris May, Walter Hiers, W ...
''. In September 1920 Dan Clifford bought Wondergraph's suburban circuit, including the Wondergraph Semaphore, which cost him £15,000. In 1921 the freehold was transferred to Clifford, and then in November 1923 to his company, D. Clifford Theatres Ltd. A vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
troupe known as The Dandies performed at the Wondergraph before its name change.[ The Semaphore Wondergraph was renamed Star Theatre in 1930, and converted to catering for ]talkies
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
on 24 January 1931.[ In 1952 it was extensively refurbished][ and reopened as the ]Odeon Star
The Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas, usually referred to as the Odeon Star, is an independent multiplex cinema in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Semaphore, South Australia. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in Adelaide, opened on 22 May 1920 a ...
. The Odeon Star closed on 13 November 1976,[ but after a few changes of hands and function, it was restored to its original purpose and has continued to operate as the ]Odeon Star
The Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas, usually referred to as the Odeon Star, is an independent multiplex cinema in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Semaphore, South Australia. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in Adelaide, opened on 22 May 1920 a ...
since December 1991.
Goodwood
The Wondergraph Theatre in Goodwood opened on 3 November 1911,[ and still stands two doors down from the present ]Capri Theatre
The Capri Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema in Goodwood, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, built in the Art Deco style in 1941. It was formerly called the New Star Theatre, Goodwood Star, New Curzon, and Cinema Capri.
It is owned by a ...
.
It was acquired by the Clifford Theatre Circuit
Dan Clifford (1887 – 9 December 1942) was a well-known cinema entrepreneur and philanthropist in South Australia. He was also a keen promoter of the cinema industry, and owned 20 cinemas across the state at the time of his death, including se ...
[ in September 1920, along with Wondergraph's other suburban cinemas.] It was renamed Star Theatre from November 1920 until October/November 1942.
The cinema later passed back into Wondergraph hands, resuming its old name.[
On 8 October 1941, the Clifford circuit opened the New Star Theatre a few doors to the north, and the old Star was sold to ]Ozone Theatres
Ozone Theatres Ltd, formerly Ozone Amusements, was a cinema chain based in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1911 until 1951, when it sold its theatres to Hoyts. It was founded by Hugh Waterman and was jointly run by him and seven sons, including ...
.[ The cinema was renamed Ozone Theatre][ when it was operated by the Waterman family, who owned ]Ozone Theatres Ltd
Ozone Theatres Ltd, formerly Ozone Amusements, was a cinema chain based in Adelaide, South Australia, from 1911 until 1951, when it sold its theatres to Hoyts. It was founded by Hugh Waterman and was jointly run by him and seven sons, including ...
(that also operated Ozone Marryatville
The Regal Theatre, formerly known as the Chelsea Cinema, the Princess Theatre and the Ozone Marryatville or Marryatville Ozone Theatre, is a single-screen Movie theater, cinema in Kensington Park, South Australia, Kensington Park, a suburb of A ...
and others). It was called the Ozone until at least November 1946. It was again briefly operated by Clifford Theatres, but the owners and operators are unclear for a period in the 1940s and 1950s. It was renamed the Curzon in 1955 and was leased until its closure on 20 February 1964.[
]
Hindley Street
The new Wondergraph picture theatre in Hindley Street
Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after Charles Hindley, a British parliamentarian and soc ...
, situated opposite the Theatre Royal,[ was built by the Greater Wondergraph Company] from July 1912. Designed by Garlick & Jackman architects, the design of the building was being lauded well before construction. The theatre, which had a stalls entrance in Peel Street, had a seating capacity of 1,800, and was possibly the most opulent so far seen in Adelaide. It cost nearly £60,000 to build. The screen was by , and the building's facade was based on a "Temple of Dreams" design. The theatre housed possibly Adelaide's third theatre organ
A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films, from the 1900s to the 1920s.
Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements o ...
(which was in 1917 removed to Glenelg's Seaview Theatre), and could accommodate an orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
of 60 musicians.[
At the invitation-only event on the night before its official opening night on Friday 5 September 2013, "every seat was occupied by the audience, which went into raptures over the fine appointments of the theatre and the pictures which were shown". The main feature was '']The Crossing Policeman
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''.
The theatre was variously referred to as the New Wondergraph or simply the Wondergraph, with the company known as Wondergraph Pictures. In November 2013, the management was commended for being able to show film of the Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and over, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria as part of the Melbou ...
less than 24 hours after the race was run in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, over away.
The Wondergraph in Hindley Street was taken over by Union Theatres in 1929, and was extensively remodelled as the Civic Theatre (sometimes called New Civic[ or simply The Civic) on ]Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
, 24 March 1932, showing the American drama '' The Secret Call''. Along with the Regent Theatre in Regent Arcade
Rundle Mall is a pedestrian zone, pedestrian street mall located in Adelaide, South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia. It was opened as a pedestrian mall in September 1976 by closing the section of Rundle Street, Adelaide, Rundle Street betw ...
, it was the first in Adelaide to show talkies
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
.[
The Civic was demolished to make way for the State Theatre in 1957, which included provision for ]CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
films as well as air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
.[ The State Theatre closed in May 1977.][ In 2002, it was converted into a bar, ]nightclub
A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music.
Nightclubs gener ...
, and cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...
club, known as The Weimar Room.[ After undergoing renovations, it reopened in May 2019 as a music and entertainment venue named Downtown.][ , 27 Hindley Street is occupied by Precinct Nightclub.
]
York Theatre
The Greater Wondergraph company bought the land on the corner of Rundle Street[ (now ]Rundle Mall
Rundle Mall is a pedestrian street mall located in Adelaide, South Australia. It was opened as a pedestrian mall in September 1976 by closing the section of Rundle Street between King William Street and Pulteney Street, to vehicular traffic. ...
) and Gawler Place
Gawler Place is a single-lane road in the city centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs north to south from North Terrace to Wakefield Street, parallel to and approximately midway between King William and Pulteney Streets. ...
and built the York Theatre, which opened on 5 November 1921.[ The building was regarded as an "architectural masterpiece" and dubbed "Adelaide's first ]skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
".[ ] The interior walls had landscapes depicting Australian scenery painted by decorator George Coulter
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush
Geo ...
. The York was taken over by Greater Union in January 1929,[ at which time the inaugural manager, Mr C. E. Webb, was still in charge (and remained so until at least 1937).][
The cinema was modernised in May 1938 and started showing new releases for ]MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
films. It was demolished in the 1960s when Gawler Place was widened.[
]
Others
In September 1912, the company was making plans to expand into the suburbs of Norwood and Unley
Unley is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, within the City of Unley. The suburb is the home of the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Unley neighbours Adelaide Park Lands, Fullar ...
, with the intention of building adjacent indoor and outdoor cinema An outdoor cinema consists of a digital or analog movie projector, scaffolded construction or inflatable movie screen, and sound system.
History
Outdoor cinemas first began at around 1916 in Berlin, Germany. During the 1920s, many "rooftop theatr ...
s in each.
Footnotes
References
Further reading
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Cinema chains in Australia
1910 establishments in Australia
Cinemas in Adelaide
Perth, Western Australia