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a brilliant and detailed account of King’s
aesthetic value:

“Much of the auditorium is intact, including
the ornate proscenium arch dating from 1935,
and wall friezes in the same style of decoration.
The ground level foyer has been lost. The state
of the lounge foyer is not known. King’s is one
of the few remaining Kaberry and Chard
theatres from the Art Deco period. This firm
of architects was prolific in designing and
supervising the construction of cinemas across
NSW in the 1920s – 1930s”.

“A modest façade follows the shape of the
pitched roof behind in an interesting manner,
using four narrow panels to define three wider
ones. The central wide panel is the highest and
is rectangular while the two side panels
possess oblique heads to accord with the roof
behind. The façade is two stories above the
awning, each containing windows over which
are chevron patterned Art Deco grilles.
Although the façade is relatively simple the
interior is more interesting for its perhaps
The Kings auditorium prior to closure and conversion into a dress circle only cinema.
Mayan influenced Art Deco details”.
A copy of a notice of advanced bookings and King’s Theatre celebrated the arrival of two King’s Theatre currently houses a furniture
exhibition dates from Twentieth Century Fox new 35 mm Gaumont-Kalee projectors in store, and work on restoring the former upstairs
Film Corporation shows that King’s programs 1950. They were reported to be the best of the theatre has been attempted by the King’s
were received from Bombala (possibly from day and equal to those used in large theatres. Theatre Committee. However, to date, another
the Olympia Theatre) and, after a period of King’s Theatre not only featured movies, but opening does not look promising. ¬
screening in Bega, the films were forwarded at times also held various talent quests, fund
back to Sydney. raising events and bands on stage.
All of the films listed on the document are In the 1970s, the King’s was converted to a
marked by Twentieth Century Fox as roller-skating facility with seating restricted to
“foreign”. Another “Advance List Notice of the dress circle area only. From the 1970s until
Exhibition Dates” from Metro-Goldwyn- 1993, the theatre apparently opened and closed
Mayer shows King’s films arriving directly “numerous times”. In 1991/92, the downstairs
from Sydney via rail and later dispatched area was converted into shops.
straight back to Sydney. The exhibitor’s copy
of exhibition dates also describes the film of The neon sign at the King’s Theatre was
the day as “foreign”. The copy of these originally blue, but was changed to a red sign
bookings is interesting if one is investigating when it was argued that the blue sign made the
what type of film was popular at the time. All theatre “seem cold in winter time”. The red
of the films noted in this report were of neon sign is still in position outside the theatre
American origin. today. The NSW State Heritage Register offers

Below: The largely intact lounge area (Royce Harris 2014).

Acknowledgements:
Originally published January 2014 by the Bega Valley
Historical Society. Original article supervised by Kate
Bowles.
Reproduced in CinemaRecord with the kind
permission of the Bega Valley Historical Society and
Sandra Florence.
Images:
CATHS archive unless noted otherwise.

10 CINEMARECORD # 88