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Uploaded on: April 30, 2025

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The FORUM THEATRE 1960 - Screened SPARTACUS in 70mm. The season ran from Dec 8, 1960 to Feb 22, 1962 a total of 63 weeks.

The cinema opened to the public as the Lyric Theatre on Friday, 31st March, 1911. As a J.D. Williams Amusement Co. Ltd cinema (later merged with Amalgamated Pictures, West’s Limited and Spencer’s Pictures to form Union Theatres), the 3-tiered theatre comprised of stalls, dress circle and gallery.

The Lyric was slow to embrace CinemaScope and for a time promoted screenings “on the Giant Lustrous Wydascope Screen”– which basically involved the magnification of a cropped 35mm Academy Aperture image and a slightly larger screen opening.

The Lyric underwent extensive remodelling in 1960; closing on the 5th February for 20-weeks. The remodelling embraced the permanent closure of the gallery, erection of a false ceiling (which extended from the front of the gallery to the proscenium), the removal of side balconettes at the front of the dress circle, re-seating throughout the auditorium

1960 saw the installation of Cinemeccanica VictoriaX dual-gauge 70/35mm projectors and a 6-channel stereophonic sound system.

A new stage and pelmet were constructed in front of the existing proscenium, with near to “wall-to-wall” curtains concealing a new screen with a 38-foot x 17-foot opening and adjustable masking.

SPARTACUS in 70mm - The theatre reopened as the Greater Union Forum cinema on the 23rd June 1960. Its first attraction was Porgy and Bess – presented in Todd-AO 70mm and was followed by Spartacus (63-week season).

(Photo Credit) - The State Library of NSW & the 1961 photo was by Victor Johnston, for ACP Magazines Ltd.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -