Unlocking the Past: The majestic Regent Theatre

From children watching a weekly serial to young people on a date, or adults enjoying a night out - including catching up on current events via the Cinesound news reel - the local cinema was much-loved by all.

Today all these cinemas are gone (except for the drive-in at Heddon Greta) and almost all the impressive buildings which once housed them have been demolished. Two notable exceptions are the Olympia Theatre in Weston and the Regent Theatre in Cessnock.

On Vincent Street the grandeur of the old Regent Theatre makes a stunning visual impact on the streetscape, with its double brick walls, timber floor and iron roof still substantially intact. Built on the site of an earlier theatre, the Strand Picture Palace, it opened in January 1926 and was originally to have been called 'The Princess'.

The Regent could seat 1000 people on the floor and another 160 in an upstairs gallery. Films were shown six times per week. The theatre had three wings on either side and two dressing rooms, enabling the Regent to be used for live performances and musicals, including two appearances by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The theatre's entrance was unusual in that it had almost no foyer space and a ticket box facing directly onto the street.

A substantial investment to bring the new technology of 'CinemaScope' to the Regent in 1956 proved to be terrible timing. That year television also came to Australia, a technological breakthrough which had a devastating impact on local cinemas. Three years later the Regent closed its doors.

Local author Betty Hodges-Linton has a delightful memory of the Regent Theatre in its glorious heyday which appears in her book Pit-tops and Prams available to borrow, or to purchase, from Cessnock Library. With a child's wonder she describes:

"The magic of the Saturday afternoon movies began as the Regent Theatre's heavy gold curtains parted. Each of the pair was emblazoned with a large scrolled oval outlined in blue, in the centre was 'R' for Regent.... Projected firstly upon that screen was the large image of King George VI, then the program sprang to life."

We acknowledge the substantial research done by cinema historian Les Tod on the Regent Theatre, some of which has been used in this article. We appreciate him making this available to us.