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August 1957: The Anzac
Terrible sightlines. The rows are not curved to face stage center.
It’s hard to be sure, but there doesn’t seem to be an orchestra pit.
I assume the acoustical draperies could be opened and closed as necessary.
There is not a syllable about this in Cinema Treasures.
Interestingly, October 1956 saw the establishment of a nonprofit film society called the Sydney Cinema Group,
which put on screenings of older films.
When the Anzac House Auditorium — or Anzac House Cinema, it went by both names —
opened in April 1957, the Sydney Cinema Group moved its screenings there.
(The Anzac House was an
ugly modern building.
It was
demolished about 30 years later and replaced by an
even uglier skyrise.)
On
Wednesday, 28 August
1957,
this nonprofit club presented a single screening of Metropolis at the
Anzac House Cinema, 26 to 36 College Street.
Remember that name, Anzac. Anzac. Anzac. Say it over again. Anzac
(ANZAC=Australian and New Zealand Army Corps).
Curtain at 7:45. But when did the curtain close?
What was this?
Well, I just now received John Turner’s gigantic book,
The History of Australian Film Societies,
an enormous tome about the size of a house and a bit heavier.
I have only skimmed it so far, but if I am reading between the lines correctly,
the print of Metropolis this night was 16mm, borrowed from the BFI circulating library.
Who accompanied, if anybody, remains unknown, I think.
