Hoyts Regent Fitzroy
84 Johnston Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3121
84 Johnston Street,
Melbourne,
VIC
3121
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Hoyts Theatres
Architects: Charles Neville Hollinshed
Styles: Gothic Revival
Nearby Theaters
Built on the site of the Solway Theatre (1911-1928). Fitzroy’s Regent Theatre was amongst the largest of Melbourne’s suburban cinemas and was opened on 30th March 1931 with Ronald Colman in “Two Lovers”. It was operated by Hoyts Theatres for most of its life. It featured a long foyer off Johnston Street, Fitzroy. The foyer possesed a barrel-vaulted ceiling painted and decorated in Gothic Revival style. The theatre’s auditorium featured crystal chandeliers, an orchestra pit, also a 21ft deep stage, two large dressing rooms and flytower for visiting singers and actors. The main house curtain was made of contured silk. Seating was provided for 2,247, with 1,443 in the stalls and 804 in the circle. The proscenium was 40ft wide.
The Hoyts Regent Fitzroy was an early casuality of television closing on 17th September, 1960 with James Stewart in “The Mountain Road”. The cinema was altered for a television studio for HSV 7. It was last used as a legit theatre in October 1975 for “The Rocky Horror Show”.
Although it was relatively intact, it was derelict for years and was demolished in 1983.
Contributed by
Ian Hanson
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
When Chanel 7 gave up their use aas a tele theatre, there was a proposal for use as a legit theatre by the small Last Laugh theatre nearby. The local coincil insisted on x number of parking spaces which the owners could not provide and the theatre was demolished.
OPENED MARCH 30, 1931
Did they film, Time for Terry, here in the 60’s?
The site is now 2 accountants offices(W. F. Ticthener & Co Pty Ltd), and (Fitzroy Accountancy & Taxation Services), and a dentist(Buckley-Hutton).