The Rockdale Odeon was one of those old picture theatres where, if a box of Jaffas was dropped, you would hear them rolling all the way down the sloping floor to the front.
Coca Cola bottles made a bigger noise, but were more likely to get caught on their journey.
Films were shown at the theatre at 566 Princes Highway, south of Bay Street, for about 60 years until it closed in 1977 after two fires in the space of three months.
It became an Odeon Theatre in 1947 but, by the time of the fires, the venue had been renamed Alfa Theatre.
The first fire broke out about 11.30pm on New Year’s Eve, 1976.
The Leader’s report said police described the blaze it as one of the worst cases of arson they had seen.
Cloths and paper, saturated with petrol, were planted to feed four fires.
Only for quick action by police and the fire brigade, the theatre would have been destroyed.
The proprietor said he was shocked by the fire.
The second fire occurred on April 4, 1977, with the stalls and dress circle extensively damaged.
A big police team began investigating. The outcome is unknown.
The Odeon, which had almost 1800 seats was an extremely popular venue, but, as with other theatres, struggled after the advent of television in Australia in 1956.
The history of the theatre was told by John Gleeson on the Cinema Treasures website:
”Films were shown at this address in 1915 and a proper theatre building was constructed in 1921, called the Acme Theatre.
“It was operated by Broadway Theatres Ltd, who also ran the Rockdale Rex Theatre.
“In 1945, the Acme Theatre was refurbished with new seats and the building brought up to code with additional exits.
“Greater Union took over in March, 1947, managing the theatre as a member of their Odeon circuit.
“The actual owners were Acme Theatres Ltd, who had ongoing clashes with GU over complaints about maintenance and safety matters affecting license renewals.
“By 1969, Acme Theatres was gone and the new operator was GU’s Odeon-Kings subsidiary.
“This lasted until late-1973 when GU closed the theatre.
“It was sold after a few years and reopened as the Alfa Theatre, only to be destroyed in a huge fire in April, 1977.”
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