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to the elements, I can report that there was no
need for any air jets.

When the alterations were complete, an
almost wall-to-wall screen and new sound
transparent curtains were installed. The
Wurlitzer console sat on a lift at the left side
of the stage. It didn't sink completely out of
sight as it did at the Capitol, because the
Dendy had no basement, but it was still very
impressive.
In the swinging sixties, a period when there
was much unnecessary destruction of
beautiful buildings around Melbourne, multi-
coloured lighting in cinemas was considered
“kitsch”, so the troughs at the Dendy were
turned off and all the flowers and flower pots
were re-lamped with flame coloured globes.
Mr Ward (always affectionately referred to as the organ was still there during the regular This may well have been when the Dendy was
“Bert”) didn't bother to widen the proscenium weekend screenings and Bert asked seventeen declared “plain and ordinary”.
when CinemaScope came along. Instead, he year old David Johnston ( now well known in
Horace Weber played the Wurlitzer at the
put in a screen that filled the entire stage musical circles) if he would play it. It was well
opening concert. He had played the organ for
opening and fitted adjustable top, bottom and received by the audiences and became a
the last time before it was removed from the
side masking. Pictures like North by regular thing.
Capitol, so it was a very emotional time for
Northwest in VistaVision and Gone with the
all. Famous organist, George Blackmore, also
Wind looked far better at the Dendy than in The Victorian division of the Theatre Organ
most other cinemas. Unfortunately, Society of Australia had purchased the came out to play the organ and he
CinemaScope had that letterbox look that we Wurlitzer pipe organ that had been in the recommended an American organist named
became so familiar with on television. famous Walter Burley-Griffin designed Lyn Larsen, who was subsequently brought to
Capitol theatre on Swanston Street when it Australia to play before the movies and
In the early sixties, when the fortunes of most was closed for re-development, and was present special concerts. He was a sensation.
cinemas were taking a turn for the worse, Bert looking for a suitable home for it. Bert had A gifted young man (only 23), his popularity
decided to look off-shore for films that might always wanted a proper theatre organ and, as attracted sell-out audiences from all over
interest the cinema-goers of Brighton. This they were about to install a new big screen and Melbourne and soon caught the attention of an
advertising agency. As a result, a television
resulted in highly successful seasons of such 70 mm projection equipment, which meant
films as The Pawnbroker and Fellini’s altering the stage, a deal was struck to install and cinema commercial for Viscount
Satyricon. But the Dendy was really put on the the Wurlitzer at the Dendy. The entire cigarettes was filmed in the theatre in colour,
map by a little black and white movie entitled proscenium was removed and the backstage featuring Larsen playing the jingle on the
Zorba the Greek. This now famous low area was modified to accommodate all the Wurlitzer.
budget film was released by Hoyts at the bells and whistles that are an integral part of
Athenaeum Theatre in Collins Street. It this complex instrument. All this was done There was no stopping them now. Live shows
struggled along for about three weeks to poor without closing the theatre. They ran 16 mm began appearing on stage as a prelude to the
attendances and many complaints from the surfing films projected onto a screen hung movie. A fourteen piece band led by Ivan
regulars who thought it was dreadful. It so from the ceiling in front of the balcony and Hutchinson regularly supported the artists.
Among them were British comedians Tommy
happened that one of Bert's sons, Robert, went flanked by the former screen curtains. As it
to see it and reported to his father that the was winter and the stage area was partly open Trinder and Tony Hancock. One night,
Dendy audience would love it. How right he
was. They booked it in, and it took off,
running for something like seventeen weeks,
which was unheard of in a suburban theatre
and quite possibly still stands as a record today.

Hoyts then re-released it in the city to more
poor attendances. When it returned to the
Dendy sometime later, history repeated itself.
No one in the industry has ever been able to
explain exactly why this happened, except to
say that “If it's on at the Dendy, it must be
good”.

The Dendy was often used for school speech
nights and the like, and Bert liked to have an
electronic organ playing to entertain his
audience beforehand. One one such occasion,

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