Historical information

A rare program from the time when films were shown at the Athenaeum Theatre while Frank Talbot leased the theatre.
The program has a managerial announcement from Talbot announcing the new policy: "under which the theatre will be devoted exclusively to English and Australian pictures". The company supplying the British films was called British Dominion Films Ltd. Talbot also stated: "It will be part of the managerial policy to screen such Australian films as may be available". The films were preceded by "The Herald" news reel and "The Daily Dozen at the Zoo". The theatre orchestra, playing before and during interval was conducted by Mr J Kost. The music included "Tales of Vienna Woods by Johann Strauss and selections from Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance".

Significance

The program represents a time when films were shown at the Athenaeum Theatre. Records indicate that graphic entertainments started with magic lantern slides in the 1890s and continued with silent movies. The first full-feature film shown in Australia was "The Story of the Kelly Gang" in 1906 at the Athenaeum Theatre and the first talkie to be shown in Victoria, "The Jazz Singer" shown in 1928. Later when Hoyts took over the lease, Cinemascope films were exhibited completing a history of film shown at this one theatre.

Physical description

paper program; 10 pages; coloured front page.