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Liberty Theatre 499 Lygon Street, Brunswick, Vic

When the Liberty Theatre first opened in 1935 it was relatively isolated compared to other Brunswick theatres (Cunningham 1995:52). The theatre was associated with the Melbourne Theatre Company formed by Guy Page and George James Parker in 1934 who took over the defunct Broadway Dancing Palais (built in 1931) and converted it into a cinema (Cunningham 1995:52). The Dancing Palais had been a victim of the Great Depression. The Liberty Theatre nonetheless survived, undertaking renovations in 1938 including a ‘luxury carpet’ and ‘Egyptian motifs and extensive ornamental plasterwork’ (Sentinel 18 May 1938, cited in Cunningham 1995:53).

In the postwar era, when many cinemas began to suffer from the introduction of television entertainment, the Liberty prospered due to migrant demand for foreign language films, with a particular emphasis on Italian films from 1958-1963(Cunningham 1995:54).

Brunswick’s home of blue movies

Thereafter until the 1980s, the cinema became the Galaxy, ‘Brunswick’s home of blue movies [erotica]’ (Cunndingham 1995;54). From 1984, a number of community groups attempted to run the cinema, until the last screening on the 17 November

The interior of the Liberty was demolished to make way for its conversion into a clothing factory (Cunningham 1995:55). After the demise of the textile industry, the theatre was again converted, this time into an Italian Social Club.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -