Page 12 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

A Sight T o Behold:

The Regent

A UCKLAND

by David Lascelles

At the demolition of A beautiful fire screen,
the Regent, Aucklander printed in oils with a
John Macdonald bacchanalian rural scene
commented, “There could hung from the stage.
be enough Florentine From the stage, 46
marble in the old theatre metres straight up, a
to equip every butcher's latticework of ladders and
window in Auckland.” A catwalks gave access to the
strange statement, but an workings of the flys, sets
interesting observation. and counter weights. But of
Melbourne architect all the stage secrets, the
Cedric H. Ballantyne most surprising was a three
designed this picture metre-deep swimming pool,
palace on Queen Street directly under the screen,
with an eye to the Italian used for stunt-diving
Renaissance and saw it competitions. Built at a cost
praised as ‘one of the of five thousand pounds
most beautiful art deco ($NZ 420,000 today) it
cinemas in Australasia - opened on 28 March 1928.
The Theatre Magnificent’. Enterprising staff swam in
Beautiful yes, but art deco the pool when the theatre
it was not. was not in session.
Work started on J.C. At 7.45pm on 24
Williamson Films (N.Z.) December 1926, with red
Ltd’s second theatre in carpet covering the street
March 1926, on land and entrance, the theatre
formerly occupied by the was officially opened by
Foundation of Friendship the Deputy Mayor, Mr. J.A.
Society. Construction Warnock: “The Regent is a
proceeded at an amazing poem of architecture, the
pace; no one was in any impression of beauty given
doubt that the proposed by the wonderful facade is
Christmas opening would belittled by the
This idealised exterior was the cover for Williamson's Weekly, a free
be met. The builder was magnificence of the
program guide.
W. Philcox and Sons Ltd. interior. It is a landmark of
Plasterers and painters applied their Every seat in the house had a clear the city’s progress, and it must be a
skills to create glorious decorative and uninterrupted view of the stage. source of wonder to the public that such
plasterwork embellished in gold, bronze Everything possible was done to a wonderful creation could of come into
and silver, with supporting colors. anticipate the needs and wishes of the being during a few short months.”
A magnificent marble stairway of public, a goal extended to hidden Wonderful indeed; there was nothing like
24 steps led to the dress circle. In the benefits like state-of-engineering Williamson’s flagship theatre.
lounge corridor unique plaster panels ventilation and reasonable amenities for Cedric Ballantyne had honed his
depicted scenes from Shakespeare, the vaudeville artists. It was termed an skill with Regent designs through his
executed in gold and silver by William ‘intimate theatre’, wide and not deep, friendship with exhibitor F. W. Thring.
Andrews. The dress circle had 200 seating 1,700; no larger than some The Regent Auckland was his third
armchairs, assuring rest and comfort. regional or suburban Regents in example. Some enthusiasts claim that
The lounge chairs were pure art Australia, which helped the performers for consistency the Regent Adelaide
nouveau, stiff-backed ebony thrones to reach out to their audience in a way (1928) is Ballantyne at his best, but
upholstered in patterned velvet. not possible in a larger auditorium. consistency and delicacy of touch were
also evident at Auckland.

12 2009 CINEMARECORD