Carlton Moviehouse was an Australian cinema in Melbourne, Victoria. It closed in 1999.
 Former site of the Carlton Moviehouse c2008 | |
 | |
| Former names | Carlton Picture Palace (1924-1979) |
|---|---|
| Address | 235 Faraday Street, Melbourne VIC 3053 Carlton Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°47′56″S 144°57′59″E / 37.798815°S 144.966294°E |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Closed | 1999 |
History
editThe building later occupied by Carlton Moviehouse was first opened in 1909 for Carlton Trades Club to use as a hall and meeting rooms. It was then used as a billiard hall before being left vacant until 1921 when Samuel Weisberg purchased the building for $2000. It was turned into a Jewish club until 1924 when it was opened as a cinema seating 616.[1]
The cinema was originally known as Carlton Picture Palace and screened silent films with an orchestra.[2] In 1979, the McClelland family stopped operating it and it was taken over and renamed Carlton Moviehouse,[1][3] though was known to patrons as the Bughouse.[2] It screened avant-garde films, became popular with university students,[2] and was at one time the home of the Melbourne University Film Society and used for the Melbourne International Film Festival.[4][5]
The cinema only seated 250 when it closed in 1999.[1] At the time, several new cinemas had opened, such as the nearby Cinema Nova that had five screens, while the Carlton Moviehouse had only one,[6] and was no longer profitable.[7]
Throughout its history, the cinema retained its original silent screen, thought to be the only one remaining in Melbourne when it closed in 1999. It was flanked by a mural painting featuring Native American motifs. The building, that occupies the entirety of its 292-square-metre site, retained its original 1909 facade, with minor changes made when it was converted into a cinema.[1]
Following the cinemas closure, the building became a travel agency.[8] In 2014, the building was sold for $3.5 million and "guttered" to become a retail space.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Semple, Peter (12 August 2000). "Credits roll for cinema's end". The Age. p. 9.
- ^ a b c "The unofficial history of Carlton Moviehouse". ABC listen. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ "'Moviehouse' in Carlton". Australian Jewish News. 17 August 1979. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Harris, Paul (1 May 1993). "Cinematheque goes national". Filmnews. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Streamline film test". Australian Jewish News. 23 April 1982. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Gibson, Rachel (22 July 1999). "Film: the megacomplex art of getting bums on seats". The Age. p. 3.
- ^ Ellingsen, Peter (26 June 1999). "Carlton fears for treasured haunts and icons". The Age. pp. 1, 16.
- ^ Rintoul, Stuart (26 September 2014). "Australia's last single-screen cinemas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ Lindsay, Nicole (4 November 2014). "Former Carlton Moviehouse gutted to make way for shops". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 January 2024.