Cygnet Cinema
Encyclopedia
Cygnet Cinema is located at 16 Preston Street, Como
, Western Australia
. It was the first purpose built sound cinema
in the suburbs immediately south of the city in the inter-war period. The Cygnet Cinema opened in 1938 and was built by local identity and film entrepreneur James Stiles. It is an excellent example of the art deco style of architect William Leighton
and is included on the State’s Heritage Register.
Company, was originally named the Como Theatre. Formerly a real estate agent, Stiles moved into the cinema industry to save one of his assets, Grand Theatre, which faced ruin in the wake of the stock market crash in 1929. With the boom in cheap entertainment, the Grand Theatre Company soon became a very successful company. In 1938, Stiles managed to secure a ten year lease on Piccadilly Theatre
, modernised his existing cinemas and built Como Theatre.
In the late 1930s South Perth had developed as a desirable, respectable riverside suburb. Como Beach was a popular recreation area for families, and a ferry
service to the city left from the Como jetty at the bottom end of Preston Street.
The 1930s were also a boom period for entertainment. Attending the cinema was a popular pastime and an escape from the poverty of the Depression. A number of cinemas were built, not only in the city centres of Perth
or Fremantle
, but also in the suburbs. The Cygnet Theatre was not the first cinema in the South Perth area. It was preceded by the picture shows held twice weekly at the Swan Street Hall (1922), the Gaiety Picture Theatre on the corner of Coode and Angelo Streets (1926) and the Hurlingham Picture Theatre on Canning Highway
(1933). The Gaiety and Hurlingham were still in operation when the Como Theatre opened in 1938 as the most modern and up-to-date-cinema in the district, screening "talkies
" for the first time.
The Como Theatre was officially opened on 4 March 1938, by the Chairman of the South Perth Road Board, G.V. Abjornson. It was designed by William T. Leighton
, the well known Inter-War architect, and built by W H Ralph and Sons. In the late 1930s Leighton secured a reputation as a leading cinema designer for his work on several Perth cinemas, including the Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade
, the Windsor Theatre
in Nedlands
, and the Astor Theatre
in Mount Lawley
. He was also behind the refurbishment of the Royal Theatre and Grand Theatre. Como Theatre originally had both an indoor auditorium and an outdoor picture garden, which was serviced by one mechanised ‘bio box’. The tram
and ferry services brought people from outside the area to the Cinema.
The theatre was renamed the Cygnet Theatre in the 1960s to associate it with the Festival of Perth’s black swan
logo. Despite the name change, the original Broadway face type lettering stating The Como Theatre around the 'bio box' still exists. Although no longer a Festival of Perth venue, the Cygnet Cinema continues to successfully operate as a suburban cinema.
The entrance and foyer of the cinema were rearranged in 1964, with the entry doors shifted west of the original entrance, and the original entrance area was converted into part of the confectionery counter. Air conditioning was installed in the cinema in October 1968 to combat the threat of television
, but patronage continued to drop and the picture garden was demolished within a year. In 1981 alterations were made to the auditorium
, with the seats in the front stalls removed and the other seating realigned.
The Cygnet Cinema is an example of the Inter-War Functionalist style. Characteristics of this style are the asymmetrical massing of smooth geometric elements, and emphasis on exterior form reflecting internal function. The prominent central tower housed the ‘bio box’, which serviced both the indoor auditorium and the outdoor picture garden. Film canisters were hauled up to the ‘bio box’ balcony from the street. The tower extends out in a fashionable streamlined curve and features a cantilever
ed balcony
with steel railings, resembling the form of a modern ocean liner. The ‘liner’ theme is reinforced by the three ‘port hole’ windows on the exterior of the building. The stylistic influence of Le Corbusier
, a functional Modernist architect, is evident in these forms and detail.
provided a $4,500 grant to prepare a conservation plan for the Cinema. The theatre is currently leased by independent operators from the owner, Colin Stiles, the son of the original owner, James Stiles.
Como, Western Australia
Como is a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of South Perth. The suburb has a population of 12,423. Canning Highway divides the suburb.-History:...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It was the first purpose built sound cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
in the suburbs immediately south of the city in the inter-war period. The Cygnet Cinema opened in 1938 and was built by local identity and film entrepreneur James Stiles. It is an excellent example of the art deco style of architect William Leighton
William T. Leighton
William Thomas Leighton was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings....
and is included on the State’s Heritage Register.
History
The Cygnet Theatre, built in 1938 for James Stiles of the Grand TheatreThe Movie Masters Cinema Group
Grand Cinemas and Ace Cinemas are a Western Australian chain of cinema multiplexes. They are operated by The Movie Masters cinema group.-History:...
Company, was originally named the Como Theatre. Formerly a real estate agent, Stiles moved into the cinema industry to save one of his assets, Grand Theatre, which faced ruin in the wake of the stock market crash in 1929. With the boom in cheap entertainment, the Grand Theatre Company soon became a very successful company. In 1938, Stiles managed to secure a ten year lease on Piccadilly Theatre
Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade
The Piccadilly Cinema Centre and Piccadilly Arcade are located at 700-704 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It is an art deco style cinema and shopping arcade, designed by architect William T. Leighton for mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales...
, modernised his existing cinemas and built Como Theatre.
In the late 1930s South Perth had developed as a desirable, respectable riverside suburb. Como Beach was a popular recreation area for families, and a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service to the city left from the Como jetty at the bottom end of Preston Street.
The 1930s were also a boom period for entertainment. Attending the cinema was a popular pastime and an escape from the poverty of the Depression. A number of cinemas were built, not only in the city centres of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
or Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
, but also in the suburbs. The Cygnet Theatre was not the first cinema in the South Perth area. It was preceded by the picture shows held twice weekly at the Swan Street Hall (1922), the Gaiety Picture Theatre on the corner of Coode and Angelo Streets (1926) and the Hurlingham Picture Theatre on Canning Highway
Canning Highway
Canning Highway is a mostly 4 lane single carriageway major arterial road in Perth, Western Australia. The speed limit is 60 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Perth with Fremantle, running between The Causeway in Victoria Park and Queen Victoria Street in...
(1933). The Gaiety and Hurlingham were still in operation when the Como Theatre opened in 1938 as the most modern and up-to-date-cinema in the district, screening "talkies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
" for the first time.
The Como Theatre was officially opened on 4 March 1938, by the Chairman of the South Perth Road Board, G.V. Abjornson. It was designed by William T. Leighton
William T. Leighton
William Thomas Leighton was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings....
, the well known Inter-War architect, and built by W H Ralph and Sons. In the late 1930s Leighton secured a reputation as a leading cinema designer for his work on several Perth cinemas, including the Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade
Piccadilly Theatre and Arcade
The Piccadilly Cinema Centre and Piccadilly Arcade are located at 700-704 Hay Street, Perth, Western Australia. It is an art deco style cinema and shopping arcade, designed by architect William T. Leighton for mining entrepreneur Claude de Bernales...
, the Windsor Theatre
Windsor Cinema
The Windsor Cinema is located at 98 Stirling Highway, Nedlands, Western Australia. It is an Art Deco cinema designed by the architect William T. Leighton and constructed in 1937...
in Nedlands
Nedlands, Western Australia
The City of Nedlands is a Local Government Area in the inner western suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about west of Perth's central business district...
, and the Astor Theatre
Astor Cinema
Astor Cinema is located at 659 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley, Western Australia. It comprises a single, two and three-storey masonry Inter-war Art Deco style theatre and retail building.-History:...
in Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Mount Lawley is an inner suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Most of the suburb lies within the Local Government Area of the City of Stirling and small portions are in the City of Vincent and City of Bayswater...
. He was also behind the refurbishment of the Royal Theatre and Grand Theatre. Como Theatre originally had both an indoor auditorium and an outdoor picture garden, which was serviced by one mechanised ‘bio box’. The tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
and ferry services brought people from outside the area to the Cinema.
The theatre was renamed the Cygnet Theatre in the 1960s to associate it with the Festival of Perth’s black swan
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
logo. Despite the name change, the original Broadway face type lettering stating The Como Theatre around the 'bio box' still exists. Although no longer a Festival of Perth venue, the Cygnet Cinema continues to successfully operate as a suburban cinema.
The entrance and foyer of the cinema were rearranged in 1964, with the entry doors shifted west of the original entrance, and the original entrance area was converted into part of the confectionery counter. Air conditioning was installed in the cinema in October 1968 to combat the threat of television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, but patronage continued to drop and the picture garden was demolished within a year. In 1981 alterations were made to the auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, with the seats in the front stalls removed and the other seating realigned.
Architectural character
The theatre reflects the architectural style popular in the inter-war period, using nautical motifs such as wavy lines, smooth flat curves and tubular handrails, with an architectural emphasis on both the horizontal and vertical aspects of the building.The Cygnet Cinema is an example of the Inter-War Functionalist style. Characteristics of this style are the asymmetrical massing of smooth geometric elements, and emphasis on exterior form reflecting internal function. The prominent central tower housed the ‘bio box’, which serviced both the indoor auditorium and the outdoor picture garden. Film canisters were hauled up to the ‘bio box’ balcony from the street. The tower extends out in a fashionable streamlined curve and features a cantilever
Cantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
with steel railings, resembling the form of a modern ocean liner. The ‘liner’ theme is reinforced by the three ‘port hole’ windows on the exterior of the building. The stylistic influence of Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
, a functional Modernist architect, is evident in these forms and detail.
Current uses
In August 2004, the Heritage Council of Western AustraliaHeritage Council of Western Australia
The Heritage Council of Western Australia is the Government of Western Australia agency created to identify, conserve and promote places of cultural heritage significance in the state.It was created under the Heritage of Western Australia Act...
provided a $4,500 grant to prepare a conservation plan for the Cinema. The theatre is currently leased by independent operators from the owner, Colin Stiles, the son of the original owner, James Stiles.
Heritage value
The Cygnet Theatre was entered into the Register of the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commission on 27 October 1998 and was classified by the National Trust (WA) on 2 May 1988. The building is also included on the City of South Perth's Municipal Inventory and was permanently listed on the State Register of Heritage Places on 30 June 1995.Further reading
- A Pictorial Guide to Identifying Australian Architecture: Styles and Terms from 1788 to the Present Apperly, R., Irving, R. and Reynolds (1989) North Ryde, Angus and Robertson
- Perth: A Cinema History Bell, M.D (1986) Sussex, Book Guild
- Westralian Suburb: The History of South Perth Crowley, F. K. (1962) Rigby, Perth
- Essays on Art and Architecture in Western Australia Geneve, V. `William Thomas LeightonWilliam T. LeightonWilliam Thomas Leighton was a Western Australian architect, well known for his Art Deco and Inter-War Functionalist style of civic, commercial and domestic buildings....
: Cinema Architect of the 1930s` in Bromfield, D. (ed.) 1988, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands - Across Perth Water: Reminiscences of South Perth Gothard, J. (1988) South Perth City Council