THE KING'S THEATRES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 573, 30 July 1909, Page 8

THE KING'S THEATRES

ONE IN EACH CENTRE. ,

ROMANCE OF THE KINEMATOGRAPH

THE WELLINGTON BUILDING DESCRIBED

A few days ago it was announced in The Dominion' that the West's Pictures Proprietary had decided to establish tliemselvos permanently in New Zealand, and that steps wore- being taken'to secure suitable premises for tho display of tho finished productions in animated photography,' which have established so firm a hold on tho public, Among the many shows that have included kinomntograph pictures in their stock-in-trado, none is bettor known than that of Mr. T. J. West, tho originator of, West's.Pictures, and tho head of tho firm that has concluded arrangements to entor into the biggest theatre-build-ing scheme that has yet been put forward in Now Zealand. ■ v ■ ! ! Mr. West has been connected; with tho ; show business for 35 years past, having operated extensively in Great Britain beforo he ever contemplated sotting' up liis banner' under tho Southern Cross. Ho was at one ,time advertising for the great, Barnumand Bailey show; ho pijoted tho Sam 'Hague Minstrels through America; was at one, time lessee of St. James's Theatre..- Liverpool; and'was among 'the first to exploit tho kinematograph in Great Britain, having coni'monced six months, after Lumiero showed the first cioving pictures in Paris in 1893. Comes to Novj.iZealand.' His advent in New Zealand was attributed to. his wife, who lived for !sohio years in the

Dominion in heryoungerdays, and who still has .relatives in the Auckland district. She felt Maoriland a-callihg,. and: persuaded her iusband: touring: a . show, to New Zealand. That was early, in''l9o4, :ahd -tho show, was "West's Pictures and the Brcscians.';. The success '.achieved -.by. the, organisation, is -recorded in theatrical history. Beforo the first performance given at Easter,.l9o4, ■in'Dunedin,'Mr.',West, was advised that ho had been ill-advised to come, all the way from England •with'"- a picture '■ show,■';'arid\ that they "ought "to get back while the money lasted."; , A .packed Jiouse greeted;,thep.; and:!before tho Mr.' ■ West was Satisfied with New Zealand/': Tho : Duriedin .season was a "boom.',' , ;so,;'^-.aß':thp;:tour'of l 'New; Zealand-which followed:-,-,Tho "company, Ava's to, have', remained', fivev months, in; .the ■cbiihtry—it:stayed eight,, and. then had to leave onaccount of arrangements; inado with Mr/Edwin' Geach-'in "Australia;;,''- '~''; , ,;

How West's Crew. , . v- ' A'n Australian .tour followed' New; Zealand;. ■So !.great was its Success, that :at lcngth;,it was decided to!, set-up a,' permanent. show in Sydney, aiid the (Slaciarum (which seats between 3500 and, 4000 people) was ■ leased. Melbourne; followed. ; Wirth's Olympia, with a .seating capacity' of' 4000; .was secured: on a lease which expires-in September,' by which 'time West's ! now theatre -;.will,. be ready for 'occunatiou 'in- the .Victorian centre:!, Next came Perth,' Fremantle; _ Kalgoorlio; ; Bris-'bane,,-and. Newcastle, with' the attendant cirt'uits--Thdw'Ncw':Zealandl,; ,-'.

;Tho Welllngtbn;Theatre.-;v/; v v ; A week or two ago, Mr. H. Geo,, a member, of the firm, arrived from Sydney, and, with !'Mr/ A. ,-M.--Miller;-(another- member); went rclosely'-into'the'matter of a building scheme ! ;for the four' centres...; In' Wellington'they! found : the' Reya! Picture' Syndicate (Messrs. .lA.'.Linley- and T.;M. Doriovan)/firmly established,: so!-they.;'•negotiated," with the result that West's :,and the. syndicate entered .into an '■'■ agreement, the !result of, which was. tho! purchase of a-'valuable block of'landSat the- corner -of-.Dixon; Streot' east, and :Little Taranaki. .Place,' from Mr...' T. W. Young. |!At:prescrit the site, is- occupied by -Young's ;Chemical Works/ (iu Little .Taranaki; Place), three- wooden .houses, -'and; a,couple of .shops (facing-'Dixpu Street), all of which will bo demolished-within, a week or two to make way for: the /King's Theatre. •"" The section has a':frontago/tb Dixon. Street of 70ft.,'by a depth: of Ib'Oft. 7in.,: arid, with exception : of. a. lOf t.-. right-of/way. on. the eastern .side, :the : building will/occupy tho whole of the ■land. As tho! plan shoivs tho front elevation,while „not, overburdened with; architectural elaboration is decidedly attractive, and, when, finished,,;in, red pressed- brick,- with cement facings. --- : and, :panels, - . tho effect 'will ~pleasing., ■ Mr. •' James-.- ..Bennio who has designed the building, has provided for a central entrance 14ft.,by 17ft. which will lead to a'-10ft. stairway .opening on to', i the'dress circleioyor (52ft. bq 17ft. 6in;), off ■which :iviil.-.open. dressing rooins for.■■'-■ both sexes.; The entrance to'the body of the hall' • will be!from.the side. No fewer than'nine exits hare been provided, so that in case of 'emergency the hall can be emptied in less .than tw'o minutes. Thenew theatre, which .will seat 1597 people, will be provided ivith cast-iron tip-up .seats' of approved patterri,. .estimated to give a maximum degree of comfort to patrons,/whilst tho auditorium has boon: designed to give a clear view' of tho stage to everyone, occupying a seat. To do' this there will, be a pronounced'{'rake" in the floqi*—a valua'blo! adjunct to the modern picture palace. Messrs. Linley and Donovan, ,in conjunction with West's,' will manage the. new; playhouse, which is to bo ready for oc-! oupation ,by January 20—the' anniversary of the' establishment in Wellington' of theßoya-l Picture Syndicate. The-' land and building together, will cost £15,000.- , "' './•'•■.

In Other Centres. v 'Tenders are already '■ out for '■ tho now King's Thoatro in Christchurch:!' The site secured is next to tho old Theatre Royal:arid' opposite the new ono in Gloucester Streetrthe tlicatro quarter of the Cathedral City. The theatre, which with the land will cost £15,000, is being built .for, rather than by, West's, and will.be their homo in Christ-, chui'cli for.many years to come. The opening will take place about the end of' January. :, Central' Sites are being secured- in Duncdin and 'Aucklandj •' but' as negotiations are' riot so forward as in the other centres particulars cannot,be given. Tho .Dunedin, "King's Tlicatro"-has. been planned to;, seat' 1800 people and that of Auckland (to be erected on a site just/off Queen Streot) will seat 2000. -As ; it is possible that the. Auckland house will not bo ready to complete tho circuit/an arrangement has been entered into with Mr.; Harry.; Hayward/ (formerly ; of West's) to carry on in: the Royal Albert Hall, at present occupied by Mr. Hayward.' V/nb are ."West's.-"-'-/'';/ '■/_ -As a rumour has beer( circulated .to the lafloct tbit\Mi.,T. j; ; .Weat is.nio louaej-coii-.

nected with the firm, Messrs. Geeand Miller feci it incumbent on them to civo it the (latest contradiction. Mr. West found tha work too much for him to manage by himself, and found himself forced to..take:in partners. These are Messrs. T. J. West (director of supplies), Edwin Geach (director of tours), H. Goe ; (managor at Sydney), J. A. Miller (manager at Melbourne), and A.. M.' Miller, who (with Mr:' Gee), leaves for Australia to-day, to take charge at Brisbane. ':. It- is of interest to leain that an average of ,15,000 people attend West's shows in Australia nightly. The firm employs nearly 400 people permanently, and spends a sum approximating £20,000 a year on music—more than the annual outlay for., films. Several full programmes are every week, and in this connection it is interesting to noto that when the King's theatre is erected tho same programmo will be presented simultaneously at Sydney and Wellington. '"West's"'-'have the sole rifdit for. Pathe'a beautiful art films, and are negotiating for several more "sole rights" in other directions. ~-..■

The By-Laws. .. . Tho proposed new tjieatro was befo;t| tho City Council last evening, v/hen tlio By-laws Committee recommended an application on behalf of Messrs.: Linley. and Donovan and tho West Picture Proprietary that tlio conditions of Clauso 294 of the by-laws,be dispensed with hi connection with the riew theatre This clause provides that' theatres seating 1000 persons shall front a street GOft. in width. The City Engineer favoured the application, on the rrround that-no corresponding benefit would be gained by tho community by insisting upon full compliance Councillor Ba'Uinger pointed out that tho building, would bo on a corner with aOaiio up ono side. It Was proposed to form another right-of-way'on the other sideband the council had the power to pass the plans. It was decided to grant tho permission sought. .