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Brisbane’s Million-Pound Picture Palace 1929

Photo & notes OLD BRISBANE.

When the Regent Theatre opened on Queen Street in November 1929, Brisbane gained a cinema designed to make an ordinary night out feel extraordinary. Its lavish interior featured ornate decoration, chandeliers, luxurious carpets, and a Wurlitzer organ that could rise from beneath the stage. The theatre was built for an era when going to the pictures was becoming a major form of entertainment.

The Regent offered audiences an experience far removed from a simple screening room. Its grand entrance and richly decorated foyer made visitors feel as though they were entering a palace, while the arrival of talking pictures brought a new dimension to cinema.

As entertainment habits changed, the original theatre was remodelled during the 1970s. Later redevelopment sparked controversy, and much of the original cinema disappeared, although important elements of its historic foyer and staircase were preserved.

Should Brisbane have protected more of the Regent Theatre’s original interior, even if it meant limiting redevelopment?

Contributed by Greg Lynch -