| Name of institution |
Metro Theatre |
| Type of institution |
Cinema |
| Street Address |
William Street |
| City |
Perth |
| State |
Western Australia |
| Postcode |
6000
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| Country |
Australia |
| Name of building |
Metro Theatre |
| Name of room |
Metro Theatre |
| Dates of the building |
1927 |
| Architect’s and builder’s names |
Bohringer, Taylor and Johnson |
| Special architectural features |
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| Special fittings |
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| Other location information |
On this site in William Street, Perth, the Queen’s Hall was built in 1899 for the owners, the Wesley Methodist Church. (opened 19 April, 1899) Among the early
artists to appear there were Dame Nellie Melba and Clara Butt. With the
advent of film, Queen's Hall became the venue for Vic's Pictures.
In 1927 Hoyts Theatres Ltd negotiated with the church to rebuild on the
site and lease it, transforming it into the Regent Theatre,
complete with chandeliers imported from Italy and a Wurlitzer
organ. The theatre was not as large nor as opulent as the Regent
theatres that were Hoyts flagships in the other Australian capitals.
The Perth Regent was designed by architects Bohringer, Taylor and
Johnson and opened on 9th September 1927. The opening film was "Three
Bad Men" with George O'Brien and Olive
Borden.
In 1938 Hoyts took over management of the larger Perth Ambassador’s Theatre
from Union Theatres Ltd,. the lease of the Regent was transferred to
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and it was thereafter known as the Perth Metro.
Under this management the theatre was refurbished both internally and
externally in modern art deco style designed by architects Baxter, Cox
& Leighton. The Metro management continued until 1970, Roadshow
taking over the lease until the theatre was closed in 1973 and was
demolished.
It remained one of Perth's most
stylish, comfortable and most-loved theatres until its demolition in
1973, its final film being a revival of "Gone With the Wind".
Under both Hoyts and Metro managements the theatre was used as a cinema
during the week, but continued to be used by Wesley Methodist Church on
Sundays, particularly in the summer months. (This use was similar to
that in force at the Lyceum theatre, Sydney, New South Wales under
arrangements between Union Theatres (later Greater Union) and the
Central Methodist Mission (later Wesley Mission.)
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| Name of contact |
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| Mailing Address |
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| Telephone |
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| Email |
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| Other contact information |
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| Date of previous organs |
None |
| Detail of previous organs |
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| Dates when key work has been undertaken |
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| Dates of any moves that have taken place |
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| Variations from original design of organ |
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| Information on previous organs |
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| Information about comparable instruments to previous
organs |
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| . |
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| Present organ |
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| Type of installation |
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| Case description |
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| Placement in room |
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| Builder's name |
WurliTzer Company, North Tonawanda, U.S.A.
|
| Opus number |
1728, Style F |
| Date of completion/installation |
1927 |
| Construction materials |
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| Number of manuals |
Two (2) |
| Key compasses |
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| Number of keys |
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| Key material |
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| Pedal compass |
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| Number of pedals |
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| Pedalboard type |
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| Pedalboard material |
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| Type of chests |
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| Type of key action |
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| Type of stop action |
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| Couplers |
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| Tremulants |
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| Accessories |
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| Console type |
Remote horse-shoe stopkey console |
| Stop label material |
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| Placement |
Left of stage on riser |
| General design |
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| Playing aids |
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| Divisions |
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| Wind pressures |
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Stop list
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| MAIN |
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| Tuba Horn |
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Original |
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| Open Diapason |
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Original |
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| Tibia Clausa |
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Original |
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| Clarinet |
|
Original |
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| Viole d’Orchestre |
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Original |
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| Celeste |
|
Original |
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| Flute |
|
Original |
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Vox Humana.
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|
Original |
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| Trumpet |
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| Kinura |
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| Orchestral Oboe |
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| Krumet |
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| Total number of stops |
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| Total number of ranks |
8 extended ranks, later enlarged to 12 ranks |
| Total number of pipes |
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| Dates when key work has been undertaken on current
organ |
Hoyts
had ordered a 2 manual 8 ranks Christie theatre organ for installation
in the new Regent theatre. Some commentators believe this installation
took place. (The organ was in fact stored backstage in the Rosemount
Theatre which is now a bowling alley – but never installed.)
WurliTzer theatre organ opus number 1728 (style F, 2 manuals 7 ranks)
had become available because it was realised that it was unsuitable for
the larger Regent theatre in Adelaide, South Australia. Hoyts had it
redirected to Perth and it was enlarged to 8 ranks. The Christie organ
in question went to the DeLuxe theatre in Melbourne, where it opened in
July 1929; by April 1930 it had been relocated again to the Plaza
theatre in Sydney. (For the ongoing history of this Christie organ see
the New South Wales section of this site under Savoy, Enfield.) The
WurliTzer organ was opened on 4th August 1928 by organist Roy Devaney.
Very shortly thereafter the organ had been further enlarged to 12
ranks. Other organists who performed there included Les Waldron, Percy
Burraston, Mignonne Jago, Bernie Randall, and Jack Laing, some
“doubling up” at the nearby Ambassador’s theatre. In
the era of the Metro when the proscenium was modified in the 1950s to
accommodate CinemaScope, the organ’s sound was strangled because
only narrow apertures were provided in front of the chambers.
The organ fell into disuse by 1948 except for occasional use by the
Wesley Church. In 1966 after trialling midweek use of the organ by John
Fuhrmann, he was employed by MGM as staff organist and the instrument
used on Friday and Saturday nights.
Some restoration work was done by organ builder Mick Dodd (who, with
his father, had done the original installation), and numbers of
concerts were held through the auspices of the Theatre Organ Society of
Australia.
In 1969 the chamber apertures were again opened up, providing a much
better sound. In the era of Roadshow management concerts were given by
noted organists Tony Fenelon and Eric Smith (from the east coast) and
Vic Hammett (from the U.K.) who played the final concert before the
organ was removed on 27th August 1973.
|
| Dates of any moves that have taken place to current
organ |
The organ was removed on 27th August 1973 when it was bought by John
Fuhrmann and Ray Clements and has since been rebuilt as a 3 manuals 21
ranks organ installed in the Karrinyup Community Centre.
The original 2
manual console has gone to the Theatre Organ Society of Australia,
A.C.T.division. |
| Information on current organ |
Presently installed in the Karrinyup Community Centre.
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| Comparable instruments to current
organ |
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| Current status |
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| Assessment of organ |
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| Other organs by this builder |
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| Photographs |
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| Technical documents |
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| General documents |
Information from Cinema Treasures
Information from Rod Blackmore
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| . |
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| Supporting information |
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| . |
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| Document control |
Original entries J R Elms, OAM, Gazetteer of Western Australian Pipe Organs, 1971, 1999,2003 and 2004.
This entry D B Duncan 07 January 2009.
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