Planet Cinema 1 High Street, Preston, VIC 3072 - Cover of Souvenir Program from 1955

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Planet Cinema 1 High Street, Preston, VIC 3072 - Cover of Souvenir Program from 1955

The Planet Theatre on the corner on High and Miller Streets opened on 30 March, 1939, again under the management of W. H. Edmonds and as part of the Star Theatre Company.

The architect was Mr. R. Le-Poer Terry and the builder Geo. Prentice Pty. Ltd., the theatre featuring “Dunlopillo” seats, deaf aids in both the stalls and dress circle, and a crying room’ at the back of the stalls with separate speakers and volume control”, the latter presumably for the soundtrack and not the crying child!.

Edmonds also suggested that a private car park would be available for patrons alongside the theatre as soon as building materials had been removed. The theatre seated around 900.

It was noted that the theatre had long-term contracts in place with both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Paramount Pictures; the opening night feature, Love Finds Andy Hardy, starring Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Judy Garland and Lana Turner.

The building after the theatre closed at the end of 1959 was used for some years as the office and showroom of K. G. Luke Pty. Ltd., a silver-plating company owned y Sir Kenneth Luke, the long-serving president of the Carlton Football Club an later the Victorian Football League.

It also was used for many years by Kevin Dennis Motors, and continued in later life as part of the Autobahn Automotive chain and up until 2010 as Ace Auto Accessories. The building was demolished in early 2012 for yet another multi-storey apartment block added to those now dominating the Junction - Contributed by Greg Lynch -