Page 6 -
P. 6

SOUTH AUSTRALIA                   Australian Museum of Motion        Hoyts Leave Lower Hutt
          Glenelg For Sale                  Picture Technology                    Hoyts 5 Cinemas shut its doors on
            Wallis Cinemas complex at Glenelg                                  10 March after a rent increase by the
          is on the market with an asking price of                             buildings new owners. The closure of
          $7.5. The cinemas remain open.                                       the 960-seat venue came 15 years to the
                                                                               month after it first opened. The
          Hopes Dashed for Windsor
                                                                               property is now on the market after
            One year ago the Windsor, which
                                                                               lease attempts failed.
          operates in the Magill Institute, was on
          the verge of closing. Residents rallied                              Dendy Wants Out
          to save what one described as a “nice                                   Australian company Dendy has put
          little theatre,” the council which owns                              its New Zealand exhibition interests up
          the hall reduced the rent, and a month                               for sale.
          later patronage was up 40 percent.
                                                                               SkyCity Assets Written Down
            Alas, good intentions may give a
                                                                                  SkyCity Cinemas has had its assets
          fillip to attendances, but consistency for
                                                                               written down from a book value of
          the long-haul is harder to achieve. The
                                                                               $108 Million to some $63 million. At
          Windsor closed 28 May
                                                                               this new figure SkyCity Entertainment
          Bordertown Movies                    Retired electrician Daryl Binning is  hopes that its 94 screens in N. Z. and
            Additional projectionists are in  on a mission to document and preserve  ten in Fiji will attract a buyer.
          training so that more films can be  the evolution of Australia’s moving  Reading are in the final stages of
          shown at the Bordertown Civic Centre.  image industry. Three years ago he set  negotiation with SkyCity Cinemas for a
          Four local movie enthusiasts have  up a national volunteer group to  complete buyout. This purchase would
          undertaken training sessions with the  establish a Museum of Motion Picture  put them in locations where they are
          local projectionist to boost the skills  Technology. At the moment they have a  not now represented.
          pool. Tatiara District Council wants to  range of equipment stored in member's  More Reading Plans
          increase the use of the Civic theatre and  homes around the country.
                                                                                  Regent Centre Wellington has been
          provide different entertainment options.  AMMPT circulates a newsletter and
                                                                               sold and Reading have re-activated a
          Border Chronicle March 20 2008    as part of its national charter
                                                                               plan to build a five-screen art-house at
                                            communicates regularly with CATHS
          WESTERN AUSTRALIA                 Secretary Mike Trickett.           the back of the main Wellington
          East Meets West                      Their goal seems complementary to  Complex.
            CATHS’ Queensland Convenor      both CATHS and ACTS, with an          In a surprise move and without
          Steve Maggs teamed up with        emphasis on collecting and promoting  giving reasons, Reading announced that
          CinemaRecord’s WA correspondent   the history of the equipment that made  they would no longer sell Jaffas in their
          Peter Jackson for some theatre    possible motion pictures and television,  theatres.
          inspections and industry news. This  with an emphasis ‘to recognize the  Whither St James Auckland?
          included lunch at His Majestys    many unheralded Aussie inventions and  Developers working around the
          Theatre Perth, followed by a tour of  innovations that have changed the face  historic St James, closed since a fire
          the building with a volunteer guide. At  of international motion picture and  last year, have proposed a compromise
          the Picadilly Cinemas, the only one left  television industries’.    that would leave the protected section
          in the city centre - the chains have                                 intact and restore the Queen Street
                                               According to the AMMPT brochure,
          departed the inner city - they talked                                tower enclosed in cladding since 1953.
                                            the long-term goal is to ‘establish
          with owner Cyril Jackson, who came
                                            permanent displays in all regions to  Part of the 1928 building and the
          out of retirement to save the theatre. He
                                            exhibit and demonstrate the evolving  existing three cinemas below would be
          was interested to learn of CATHS and
                                            technologies and to tell the stories of  demolished, although significant
          has offered the use of his theatre for a
                                            the pioneers who shaped our social  heritage items would be salvaged.
          function.
                                            culture through moving images’.    Bridgeway For Sale
            Later, Steve inspected the art deco
                                               The website is www.ammpt.asn.au.    On the market is 50 percent of
          Cygnet in suburban Como, which
                                                                               Auckland’s Bridgeway and their silent
          celebrated its 70th on 9 March. The  NEW ZEALAND
          Cygnet is the only single screen  Box Office Not So Bad              shareholding in the Rialto Tauranga
          surviving in Perth, thanks to the efforts  The New Zealand box office for  which will probably be bought by
          of South African immigrant Eddie  2007 was better than expected with a  Rialto Entertainment.
          Herbert who has run it for the past 25  total take of $151m., up nearly $5m.  Rialto 3 Wellington Closed
          years.                            from the previous year, despite the fact  Final screenings were at the end of
            Steve’s guides on the tour of the  that audience numbers were down.   March. The building is to be replaced
          Cygnet were George Robinson and      Picture-goers still prefer to open  by apartments. Rialto had promised to
          Daryl Binning who run Classics of the  their wallets or purses at the window -  relocate, but to date there is no
          Silver Screen on a monthly basis there  credit card transactions accounted for  indication of where or when.
          to raise funds for a cinema museum  only $12m. of the total.
          (see next story).



          6   2008 CINEMARECORD
   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11