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St. Kilda Bioscope Theatre - This was the first purpose-built picture-theatre in St. Kilda.

The builders were Millard Johnson and William Gibson, film-makers who, before the building had been completed had formed a partnership with J. & N. Tait to create Amalgamated Pictures.

“Australia’s first major film monopoly fully owned and controlled by Australians.” Amalgamated Pictures operated the theatre and made films in the studio until it was absorbed by Australasian Films in 1913.

Australasian Films was the production arm of Union Theatres, which later became the Greater Union Organisation in 1931, this made the St. Kilda (Bioscope) Theatre the first in the Greater Union chain.

The width of the theatre was 52 feet while the length was 130 feet; the hall being 90 feet from the dress circle to the stage, with the remaining consisting of the backstage and studio areas.

It became what was to be the first theatre in the newly formed Greater Union Theatres chain in 1913.

It was redecorated and renovated in 1915. By 1920 the lessees of the St. Kilda Theatre were Griffith and West - *Films continued to be exhibited at the Bioscope until 1933,

The building was re-named “Studio Number Three” to cater for the Cinesound company. Then in May 1939 Bert Matthews converted the Cinesound Studios into a venue called ‘The Barn’ - This new coffee-lounge was not successful as the building was gutted not long after and a block of flats built on the site in 1996 which remain today..

1921 - The St Kilda Bioscope is running “The Woman’s Place” this is a silent 1921 American romantic comedy film directed by Victor Fleming. It stars Constance Talmadge and Kenneth Harlan. It was produced by Talmadge’s brother-in-law, Joseph Schenck and distributed through Associated First National, later First National Pictures. It is a surviving film in the British Film Institute (BFI) in London

Contributed by Greg Lynch -