Page 18 - CR-93

cinemas operated jointly by Village Cinemas
and the Ward family. Cinema 1 was built
within the walls of the original auditorium,
with musk coloured drapes covering the
bricked up lighting troughs, and had a
suspended acoustic tile ceiling painted black.
Cinema 2 was built at right-angles, parallel to
the street and was similar, but smaller, with
the foyer in between. The cinemas had
separate projection rooms and were among the
first to be operated without assistant
projectionists, so each projection room was
provided with its own toilet.

After some years, Village and the Ward’s had
a disagreement of some kind and the cinemas
abruptly closed and were stripped of all
equipment and fittings virtually overnight.
Even the carpet was pulled up. The Theatre
Trinder (a non-drinker) fell down the knowledge of what happened next, but I can Organ Society of Australia took advantage of
backstage stairs and broke his leg, but still did guess that Bert accepted an offer that he would the situation and recorded some music while
his performances in a wheel-chair. One be foolish to refuse, and the Dendy closed. the acoustics were nearer their original state.
Saturday night, when Tony Hancock was The theatre was gutted and Bert's home and The dispute was eventually resolved and
unable to go on at the last minute, rather than several others were demolished to make way Village took sole control and re-fitted the
disappoint the audience (and refund their for the present Dendy Plaza which was to cinemas.
money), they ran the movie first and Bert include two new cinemas.
arranged for British singer Matt Monro and Currently operating under the Palace Cinemas
his support band to come out after their The developers were asked to try to save the banner, the Dendy has been expanded to five
engagement at Menzies Hotel on Collins cinema's ceiling but, as the roof line had to be screens without altering the original two. The
Street. The show is reported to have lasted raised to make room for the shopping plaza space for the additional screens was made
until 1.30 am. The new Dendy stage was not under the cinemas, the ceiling was available by re-building most of the office
very deep so, to accommodate these shows, an unceremoniously destroyed and the side walls development area.
extension was built out over some of the front were extended vertically.
rows of seats without first telling the ticket In 2000, when the new cinemas opened, the
lady to remove them from the seating plan. The Wurlitzer had been removed, of course, existing cinemas were refurbished with new
This led to some embarrassment when front and was re-installed in Cinema 1 (now re- sound systems, seating, carpets and glittering
row ticket holders discovered where their named Cinema 4) when the new building was screen curtains.
seats actually were. completed, but the acoustics had changed
dramatically due to the extensive use of The Wurlitzer is still in Cinema 4, and the
By 1980, the Dendy was looking a bit tired drapes on the walls, fabric covered seating and Theatre Organ Society of Australia has an
and was facing stiff competition from the wall-to-wall carpeting and the sound of it has excellent relationship with Palace, providing
burgeoning multiplex phenomenon. The never been the same. organists to play regularly between sessions
theatre and Bert's home were sitting on prime on Saturday nights, and for special events
Brighton real estate that must have attracted Around 1985-6, the new Dendy Shopping arranged by Palace. In return, the Organ
enormous council rates. I have no intimate Plaza opened with two bland stadium style Society is allowed to use the theatre for
occasional Sunday afternoon concerts.
The Dendy, c. 2015
At a time when all it took to impress me were
a few hundred coloured lights and some
imagined air jets, the Dendy, to me, was a true
Picture Palace. Even now, when I enter
Cinema 4, I see it as it was and remember how
much I loved it. People say you can’t go back,
but if thinking about them makes you smile,
why discard treasured memories of happier
times? ✶

Credits:
Bruce Hester and David Johnston of Theatre Organ
Society of Australia for their stories of the Dendy
around the time of the Wurlitzer installation.
Phillip Grace for his interior photos, taken during
the last few days before demolition.

Other Images from CATHS Archive.

18 CINEMARECORD # 93