Broadway Theatre

Located in the south Melbourne district of Elwood. Application and plans to build a theatre were submitted in 1918 by Robert G. Macartney, builder & contractor, while the seating was supplied by Sadler Ridell & Co. The Broadway Theatre is effectively on one level, without a dress circle. The upstairs area taking the form of a large room for the playing of Billiards. The owners on the application are Robert G. Macartney/Robert Candy & Patrick Nestor. (The theatre opened on Thursday October 30, 1919 with full Health Department approval).

In 1927 the Broadway Theatre was leased and operated by Westgarth Theatre P/L. In 1930 it was decided to purchase talkie equipment from the locally established DeFoy compmpany. The DeFoy Sound System was an early sound-on-film method developed by Rupert Foyle and used in Australia in the 1920’s. The Age newspaper reported that a private viewing of the Paramount picture “The Vagabond King” was screened late last night with excellent results. The following day in was announced that the Broadway Theatre would be the first to install the new DeFoy Talking Sound System, producing sound from film and disc. All components would be constructed in Melbourne using British made valves and cells at the selling price of £1,100. In 1933 the Broadway Theatre changed hands and was taken over by the Candy family and was leased to the Victoria Picture Company of Richmond. At some time a dress cicle seating area had been added. Later taken over by Consolidated Theatres under the control of Graham S. Slobom. At this time, the upstairs windows were covered, and the Billiard room was converted into a lounge, with luxury seating for the use of dress-circle patrons. In 1954 Consolidated Theatres installed new Gaumont-Kalee projection equipment. In 1956 television arrived and theatres were emptying out right across Melbourne. Consolidated Theatres struggled to compete, finally closing the Broadway Theatre on August 9, 1958.

The Broadway Theatre was sold on August 11, 1958 to Mr. Leijb Zylberberg, owner of the La Scala Theatre, in the suburb of Footscray. Mr. Leijb renamed the Broadway Theatre to La Scala Theatre to complement his Footscray theatre and also reflect the European policy he favoured. Foreign films (mainly Israeli) were successfully shown until a fire damaged the stage and proscenium areas of the auditorium. In addition, competition from other theatres in St Kilda and Elsternwick, which had taken on a similar foreign films policy was substantial. The theatre operated as the La Scala Theatre from 1958 until closing in 1960.

In 1961 after being closed for almost 2 years, the building was re-sold to John Brownlow & Co and was converted into a nightclub named the Four Seasons Cabaret venue. In 1965 it was renamed Conti’s Receptions Rooms & Cabaret. In the 1980’s it became Elwood Receptions and in the 1990’s it had its final incarnation as the Dome Nightclub. The property was originally offered for auction and passed in at approximately $510,000. Later in 1995 it was redevelopened into apartments. According to the St Kilda agent “the Broadway is offering a "New York style” living experience". The revamped building has been named Broadway Theatre Apartments to celebrate the theatres' place in local history. Various aspects of the theatres' significance have been retained in the conversion into modern apartments.

Postscript & Significance: Formery the Broadway Theatre, this theatre has been a prominent social venue since it was first opened in c.1919. It has been rebuilt and redecorated in a number of stages. Architectuarally, it is most notable for its exquisite and elaborately detailed Neo-Classical plasterwork on its first-floor facade.

Source: Port Hillip Heritage Review, 1998. Primary Source: Robert Peck von Hartel Trethowan, St Kilda 20th Century Architectural Study Volume 3, 1992.

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