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he closure of Melbourne’s Russell ϭϴϳϴ͘ dŚĞ <ŝŶŐƐ ǁŝůů ƌĞƉůĂĐĞ ƚŚĞ zD ͘
TCinemas in October 2013, prompts
FRQVLGHUDWLRQ RI WKH ¿UVW YHQXH
J C Williamson Theatres Ltd had ear-marked
the site for a theatre as early as c.1880. The
drawings for a venue they would have called the
Comedy, show the main entrance on Russell
Street, and include a carriage entrance from
Bourke Street. It didn’t happen.
The theatre which was eventually built had
a different origin. No other city theatre was
designed and owned by its architect. The Kings became the longest surviving and
William Pitt was the city’s leading architect in best example of an Edwardian theatre only
the boom of the 1880s, and the exuberance of VXSHU¿FLDOO\ PRGL¿HG ZKHUH WKH LQIRUPHG
his best work – the Princess Theatre (1886), visitor could enjoy both the charm and faults of
WKH 5LDOWR DQG 2OGHUÀHHW EXLOGLQJV the period. At one time or other every important
- contributed to the soubriquet ‘Marvellous live-theatre lessee had a claim on it. Later, as
Melbourne.’ a cinema it became the Melbourne home for
Warner Bros. and later, Paramount product.
ƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ <ŝŶŐƐ͘ The Kings (1908) was not in this class. It
demonstrated no advance in design, and was <ŝŶŐƐ ƵŶĚĞƌ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƟŽŶ ŝŶ ϭϵϬϴ͘
regressive in one important element – a forest of
pillars supported the balconies. In one respect
though, it was a King.
Located at 131 Russell Street, within a stone’s
throw of Bourke Street - the city’s Broadway –
it was in the same block as the Bijou, Gaiety
and Tivoli. Across the road from the Tivoli (also
a Pitt design) was the prestige Theatre Royal.
The Kings itself did have presence in the
streetscape, with a right-of-way on both
sides and at the rear. It cost £32,000, (that’s
$4,000,000 in today’s money.)
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