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But Mr Menck believed, according The Health Department plan shows Stalls patrons walked either side of
to the rapturous write-up in the local that the Plaza opened as a ‘stadium’ this staircase to enter a left or right
paper, that a new cinema would carry design. From a central ticket box of corridor, passing office doors, staff and
(5)
the day. High Street was already a black vitrolite and chromium plate, storage rooms to do so. They reached
major northern artery, with four picture ‘circle’ patrons walked to a staircase the auditorium at a cross-aisle at the
theatres along it. A few years later, after that brought them to the cross-aisle at break of slope between the stepped
(4)
the opening of the Plaza and then the the rear of the ‘circle’. From here side seats and the stalls.
Circle Preston (see CR62), there were aisles led to one of five rows of stepped The interior today retains nothing of
six theatres, with a distance of only five seats. the theatre. To walk along Elm Street is
km separating the southern Westgarth to confront another puzzle: how did this
from the northern Circle. modest perimeter ever hold the official
capacity of 1,462 people?
Evidence that the Plaza could pull a
crowd, and was therefore worthy of the
1939 upgrade, was an audit submitted
to the Health Department by the
theatre’s accountants for one night in
March 1938. It showed that 1,432
tickets were sold in a house seating
1,455 (The lower total was after a
seating adjustment in 1935).
For four years the Plaza was
integrated into the independent
network, screening MGM, Paramount
and British product. It was a second-
week outlet, with the same program as
The Plaza was probably the first Top Opposite: Double Decker buses the larger and imposing Westgarth
Art Deco suburban cinema in replaced trams from 1940-1954. Theatre, opened in 1921. Only one km
Melbourne, but it didn’t open with the Bottom Opposite: The amazing Mr. Menck apart, the two theatres would almost
(family collection). certainly have switched, the influential
distinctive frontage of today. No photo
Above: Sketch of the interior, 1934. Westgarth screening the feature after
of the original building, inside or out,
Below: The theatres later façade during its interval.
or of the later internal changes has been
Variety show days.
sighted.
The architect for the 1934 building
and its subsequent upgrade was Rhys
E. Hopkins. A feature of the original
exterior was a large panel of dancing
(5)
figures set over the veranda.
The only sketch of the 1934 interior
shows a long auditorium which
emphasises rectangular forms along
walls and ceiling.The colour scheme
sounds attractive: ‘…horizontal bands
of soft colours, the proscenium splay
partly lit by concealed lights within
decorative grilles. Pastel toned colours,
relieved by brighter bands, will form
the setting.’ The seats, said to be
leather, were upholstered in red with a
wide strip of grey in the centre of the
(5)
back.
Three CATHS’ members who knew
the Plaza in the 1950s are adamant that
this sketch is not the interior of later
years. More about this later.

THE PLEASING PLAZA FOR POPULAR PRESENTATIONS

CINEMARECORD 2010 11