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Photo - Another view 1960

The Forum Cinema was located in George Street, Sydney. The cinema opened to the public as the Lyric Theatre on Friday, 31st March, 1911. As a J.D. Williams Amusement Co. Ltd cinema (later merged with Amalgamated Pictures, West’s Limited and Spencer’s Pictures to form Union Theatres) The 3-tiered theatre comprised of stalls, dress circle and gallery.

The Lyric was slow to embrace CinemaScope and for a time promoted screenings “on the Giant Lustrous Wydascope Screen”– which basically involved the magnification of a cropped 35mm Academy Aperture image and a slightly larger screen opening.

The Lyric underwent extensive remodelling in 1960; closing on the 5th February for 20-weeks. The remodelling embraced the permanent closure of the gallery, erection of a false ceiling (which extended from the front of the gallery to the proscenium), the removal of side balconettes at the front of the dress circle, re-seating throughout the auditorium and installation of Cinemeccanica VictoriaX dual-gauge 70/35mm projectors and a 6-channel stereophonic sound system.

A new stage and pelmet were constructed in front of the existing proscenium, with near to “wall-to-wall” curtains

concealing a new screen with a 38-foot x 17-foot opening and adjustable masking.

The theatre reopened as the Greater Union Forum cinema on the 23rd June 1960. Its first attraction was Porgy and Bess – presented in Todd-AO 70mm and was followed by Spartacus (63-week season). The theatre became the venue for the screening of Samuel Bronston historical epics such as El Cid, 55 Days at Peking and The Fall of the Roman Empire. It also enjoyed considerable success with The Great Race and Earthquake; the latter screened in 70mm and Sensurround.

The Forum was closed by Greater Union on 30th April 1980, with Jesus as its last film. The Forum was then leased by independent exhibitors for revival and Chinese films. It was demolished in 1983.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -