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For the local farmers, rain was the
          pressing need, and when it poured
          overnight, the visitors were hailed as
          emissaries of good fortune.
            After a hearty breakfast Sunday
          morning (for those who got the eggs
          and bacon), it was time to visit the
          souvenir shop at the theatre, see some
          more nostalgia films and head out to
          the trotting track for a BBQ.
            A visit to the Rex is now an annual
          event, thanks to the generosity of Steve
          and Dennis.
          Shorts
          • The Forum Cinemas, Flinders Street
           may get a new awning. The proposal
           is to reduce the width to make it less
           of a sitting duck for large vehicles,
           particularly those doing left turns into
           Russell Street.
          • Sign on the Boronia Cinema says,
           ‘Re-Opening Soon.’ The cinema is
           said to be for sale at $900,000 or for
           lease at $70,000 per year.
          • Village Cinemas have settled on the
           Karingal Hub 3 km east of the
           Frankston railway station as the site
           for a peninsular multiplex. Ten
           screens are planned for the shopping
           complex.
          • AMC is building a 12-screen
           complex in central Frankston. While
           all this activity is underway, Kirby
           Cinemas now operate the former
           Village Frankston Cinemas One and
           Two.
          • Koroit theatre has re-opened under  Nothing but the best. One of the Philips DP 70 projectors now at the Rex. These
           council ownership.               machines have an interesting history, first with 70mm productions in Bourke Street, then
          •The Civic Centre, Swan Hill has re-  at the Altona Drive-in. Image by Alan Windley.
           opened after a major upgrade to
           transform it into a multi purpose  Friends of the Regent Theatre,   ensure the ongoing protection,
           venue.                           Wollongong                         conservation and public use of this
                                               The public forum convened by    heritage item.
          INTERSTATE                        Friends of the Regent Theatre (FORT)  On the question of alterations to the
                                            on Thursday 25 March, collected 169  Regent, FORT supports the upgrading
          Marion Scales Back
                                            signatures on the day. Three resolutions  of the cinema facilities to modern
            The Greater Union complex at
                                            resulted:                          standards, but in keeping with the
          suburban Marion (S.A.), until recently
                                               1. FORT supports the preservation  heritage significance of the theatre and
          the largest multiplex in the world, has
                                            of the Regent Theatre as a heritage  in consultation with FORT and the
          shrunk. Opened as 30 screens, four of
                                            item of significance to the City of  National Trust.
          the original spaces have been converted
                                            Wollongong, the Illawarra region, the  Friends and supporters can be kept
          into three Gold Class cinemas, and
                                            state and the nation.              informed about developments with an
          three others have been sealed off and
                                               2. FORT rejects any proposal which  email to fortgroup@iinet.net.au, or
          the space returned to Westfield
                                            seeks to demolish the Regent Theatre  contact Karla Sperling, Convener,
          Holdings. The mammoth projection
                                            and supports the continued use of the  Friends of the Regent Theatre
          suite will remain the same length. The
                                            Regent Theatre as a cinema.           PO Box 497, Wollongong NSW
          multiplex is still big – 26 screens. GU
          expects the three luxury cinemas to  3. FORT calls on all parties to work  2500
          open 1 July.                      towards seeking a solution that will
                                             Reporting By: Mel Elliott, Colin Flint, Cameron Hall, David Kilderry,
                                             Fred Page, Frank Van Straten, Ian Williams.
                                                                                       CINEMARECORD 2004     7
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