New Oxford Cinema 155 Oxford Street, Leederville, WA - 1927 Image from the opening souvenir program.

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New Oxford Cinema 155 Oxford Street, Leederville, WA - 1927 Image from the opening souvenir program.

The cinema occupies a prominent corner location. Whilst not designed as a corner building in the same manner as the Regal Theatre in Subiaco, it is of comparable size, period and function as a generator of activity in the town centre. In recent times the cinema activity has undergone a resurgence of fortune which has been largely responsible for much of the restoration of vitality in the town centre. The two storey facade is embellished with stucco decoration. Its façade is styled in Art Deco rather than the moderne used in theatres of a similar period such as the Astor, Cygnet and Regal.

The theatre dominates the intersection and anchors this corner. The original roofline has been raised and the original veranda has been replaced. The side and rear facades are functionalist in their character and the side façade contributes little to Vincent Street. Nil setbacks to both street frontages and corner truncation. Considerable particularly in the subdivision of the interior and ground floor frontage.

History - The New Oxford Theatre was designed by architect S.B. Rosenthal and constructed by E.A. Allwood. It was opened on 2 March 1927 by the Minister for Works, A. McCallum before a capacity audience of 1,286. The opening programme included vaudeville, music by the New Oxford Orchestra, a short play, some comedy, and a special appearance by Miss Australia, Beryl Mills. Its first managers were W. Bellion and Mr Cunningham Silent movies were shown to the accompaniment of a piano or organ, with the first piano being lent by the Billy Edwards Music Company.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -