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A Tribute to Hoyts Albury

By John Stevens

Albury is the largest city on the masculinity: a bold, square -cornered The stage setting was
Murray River and the largest regional frontage with a long straight verandah, straightforward, with one set of red
city in New South Wales. Its handsome while Hoyts - everything about it crushed-velvet traveller curtains. At
buildings and gardens show off its rounded - was feminine in character. least this was the setting after
importance as the commercial hub of a Although I respect this view it could CinemaScope was installed. Before
wealthy agricultural region. Like its equally be argued that Hoyts’ then the stage curtain was probably
banks and shops, the entertainment minimalist décor and streamlined augmented by an inner set of ‘silvers’.
facilities of the city have also been touches made it the masculine entity. Originally the red curtains were
superior to those of lesser towns. No one would dispute that the two unadorned, no fringe above, nor side
There was also a time when a short buildings were as different as it was borders. Later embellishments were red
walk from Dean Street (the main street) possible to be. swags with yellow fringes.
to Olive Street offered a textbook At Hoyts the auditorium walls were Hoyts had a special bicycle room on
example of the change in cinema almost bare so that the few horizontal the left side of the foyer, which was novel
architecture in Australia within ten years. panels - which also disguised for any theatre. Children’s Saturday
Albury’s 1920s gem is the Regent ventilation ports - were all the more matinees were so popular that this room
theatre, which Hoyts leased until 1937 striking. Their inward curvature was often piled high with bikes.
when they relocated to their new towards the stage gave the impression A Crying Room was almost
theatre, simply called Hoyts Albury. that the theatre was engaging with the obligatory for a theatre of the late
The Regent, a theatre worthy of the audience in an intimate embrace. 1930s. This one was in the usual place
name (and the subject of a future story) This interior was one of the few in at the rear of the stalls. Mothers and
continues its role as the cinema centre the Hoyts chain which actually suited babies could continue to watch the film
of the city, while Hoyts, which opened the white plaster candle-bulb through the glass panel.
with every modish feature is long gone. ‘chandeliers’ which Hoyts pushed into Every second row of seats had foot
Albury’s great historian, the late all their theatres in the mid-fifties. The warmers. A prestige theatre (and Hoyts
Cliff Chamberlain told me that he effect when the globes were on slow Albury certainly was) usually had them
thought the Regent represented dim was the best. along every row, at least in the most used
seats, so this economy was a bit unusual.

18 2008 CINEMARECORD