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HISTORIC SNAPSHOT ~ Inside the Savoy Theatre, Katoomba, from the dress circle, c1940 - Supplied by Ask Roz Blue Mountains

Ask Roz Blue Mountains writes on Facebook - The site of the Savoy Theatre was originally opened on 25th December, 1911 as the Kings Theatre, a live theatre venue and one of the earliest theatres in NSW. By 1925 it had become a dancing venue known as Palais de Dance, and by 1929 a roller skating venue.

It closed in 1930 to become a shop and warehouse.A gala opening was held on December 18th 1936 with ‘Swing Time’ starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and later that month the Savoy showed ‘Sing Baby Sing’ starring Alice Faye and Adolphe Menjou.

In 1943, the former billiard hall in the basement was converted into a 500 seat theatre named the Trocadero Theatre. It closed around 1965.

The Savoy closed in the early 1960s, but later re-opened. Moving with the times, The Savoy staged Rock and Roll and Stomp shows throughout the ‘60s. The Savoy finally closed permanently in early 1977.

In 1999, a pyromaniac set fire to the building, which was subsequently demolished.

The Avalon Restaurant re-established itself the next year in the upstairs dress-circle of the historic Savoy Picture Theatre, just around the corner from the original site. The projection room became the kitchen and the old refreshment lounge became the Avalon Cocktail Bar. A large window was installed at the back of the space which opened up to views of Leura and the Jameson Valley.

The restaurant design took inspiration from old ocean liners of the 40’s & 50’s, while in keeping with the art deco style of the historic Picture Theatre and Lounge.

David Anderson writes on Facebook - Yes, I went there twice a week with my parents from about 1946 onwards and to the matinee in the afternoon with my mates. The Corne brothers owned it when I was a kid and they were always dressed up in black tie. The usherettes were often more beautiful than the actresses and wore green costumes. Around 1950 one kid would buy a ticket and go to the men’s toilet and open the huge fire doors to let about six other kids in for free. Mr. Corne caught me once at the incinerator at the back of the Savoy looking for cut out pieces of film which they often had there. He told me not to do it anymore and just call to see him now and again and he would keep them for me. I had a 1930s magic lantern my grandmother gave me and it was great to see Errol Flynn up on the wall in my bedroom. I wish I had asked for some of the huge film posters. They’d be worth a bit now.

In all the time I was at school in Katoomba. We only went on three excursions, one to see the Queen at Echo Point and the other two to the Savoy to see the movie, Richard III, and later the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. At the movies in the late ‘40s and into the ‘50s they would start at 8.00pm with the news bulletin. Then maybe a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Maybe the Three Stooges then a B movie, often from Britain, interval, and then the main feature. I still remember the clock on the right hand side would often be quarter past 11 when the movie finished and we headed home, You could always get coffee and toasted sandwiches at the Savoy coffee lounge next door.

In 1954 we moved to live in Lawson Golf Club. They used to run a bus from Lawson up to the movies and it would leave from Gearins after the movies, or pictures as we called them, were finished. We came back to Katoomba to live in 1959 and I went there often until it was closed down. I often dream that I’m in the movies there and catching the bus home to Lawson. It is a huge theater. I think it held about 900 people

Helene Orr writes on Facebook - I saw a Hard Days Night there starring the Beatles. I was very young, probably late 1964 early 1965. We went to the movies because there was a fire threat near us in North Katoomba & it was a heatwave.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -