54-576: The Capitol is a theatre on Swanston Street in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. Opened in 1924 as part of the Capitol House building, the theatre was designed by American husband and wife architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin . It is the oldest of Melbourne's large picture palaces and is known for its extravagant decor and abstract motifs, including an intricate geometric ceiling containing thousands of coloured lights designed to evoke
108-779: A cinema chain , and Val Morgan , which sells advertising on cinema screens and digital billboards . The company was established by dentist Arthur Russell in Melbourne , Victoria in 1908, showing films in a hired hall. After expansion into other states and several changes of ownership, the majority of HOYTS was acquired by a Chinese conglomerate, the Wanda Group , in 2015. Presently, HOYTS owns and operates 60 cinemas across Australia and New Zealand, including its newest cinema in Ipswich, with 503 screens and more than 59,000 seats, making it one of Australia's largest movie exhibitors. At
162-407: A central point to produce different effects, used on their own and in conjunction with the original orchestral scores in the early silent film era to add drama for the spectator. The Capitol was also the home of the first large Wurlitzer Organ to come to Australia. The Wurlitzer was used to provide music and sound effects for the films, when the orchestra was not used. After "sound" films took over it
216-424: A company called HOYTS Pictures Pty Ltd. The old hall was rebuilt and renamed "HOYTS De Luxe". By the end of World War I , HOYTS had expanded into the suburbs of Melbourne and into Sydney . The shows included vaudeville acts, as was common practice in those days. In 1926, HOYTS and two other companies, Electric Theatres Pty. Ltd. and Associated Theatres Pty. Ltd., merged to become HOYTS Theatres Limited. In 1930,
270-518: A controlling stake in Wanda Film, to China Ruyi in December 2023 put any potential sale of Hoyts up in the air. As of 2024 , HOYTS owns and operates 60 cinemas across Australia and New Zealand, with 503 screens and more than 59,000 seats, making it one of Australia's largest movie exhibitors. Features available at many HOYTS Cinemas include reclining chairs, large high-resolution screens under
324-408: A festival and arts based centre. In 1999, RMIT University acquired the space in part to preserve the heritage of the building, but also to use it as a large CBD-based lecture theatre. They elected to keep ‘Six Degrees’ as the project architects, and conservation architect Michael Taylor. Their purchase included the blocked off dress circle lobbies as well as the main auditorium and the 1960s foyer, and
378-418: A joint venture with PolyGram , HOYTS PolyGram Video; this label concentrated primarily on sell-through material, including PolyGram's music video library. In 2004, the revived HOYTS Distribution partnered with MGM Home Entertainment and Universal Studios Home Entertainment to launch its own home video arm. In 2012, HOYTS Distribution was sold to French production and distribution company StudioCanal and
432-482: A large volume of private car traffic, mostly transiting through the city. In 1992, the street was made partially car-free, with limited exemptions for small freight, buses and private cars during certain times of the day. After that, proposals for the street to become entirely car-free gained momentum. On 27 January 2010, it was announced that the entire length of Swanston Street would become car free. The $ 25.6 million proposal included plans for several city squares along
486-521: A plethora of discount stores, fast food outlets, sex shops and strip joints. As part of Victoria's 150th birthday celebrations, Swanston Street was closed to traffic, turfed and treed between Flinders Street and Lonsdale Street for a Summer street-party on February 9-10, 1985. The conversation then began around the permanent transformation of Swanston Street. In March 1992, the street was closed to daytime private through-traffic between Flinders and La Trobe Streets , roughly half its length. This section
540-653: A shopping arcade. RMIT University purchased The Capitol in 1999 for use as a lecture theatre, and in 2014 it was closed to undergo an extensive five-year restoration and upgrade. The Capitol reopened in 2019 and has since hosted various film festival screenings, theatrical performances, live music and other events. The Capitol is registered with the Australian Heritage Council , the National Trust of Australia and Heritage Victoria , which describes its avant-garde design as "extremely unusual in
594-653: Is also a major route for commuting cyclists to and through the city, with bike lanes from the northern suburbs and from St Kilda Road in the south, and the Capital City Trail on the Southbank of the Yarra River . The parking of tour buses along the street caused controversy in September 2008 when a young cyclist was killed by a bus as it turned out of a parking spot. There had previously been calls to
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#1732772835298648-667: Is attributed to American husband and wife architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin , known for her work on interiors. Lucas had worked previously with the Griffins on the development of both the Vienna Cafe in 1916 and then his own property Yamala in Frankston , and the Phillips’ had worked with them on the interior of St Kilda's Palais de Danse . Marino Lucas , brother of J. J. Lucas, had previously built
702-549: Is known as Swanston Street Walk . Swanston Street was redeveloped in 1992 with a number of public sculptures being established through the Percent for Art Program. The most famous of these statues is of a small bronze dog called Larry La Trobe by Melbourne artist, Pamela Irving . By the turn of the 21st century, the street carried nine tram routes , with the frequency of trams being the highest in Melbourne. In November 2008,
756-607: The Australian Securities Exchange : HOYTS Media and HOYTS Entertainment. However, the company that owned the cinemas, HOYTS Cinemas, was not floated until 1996. The years between 1987 and 1996 saw HOYTS expand in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. In 1988, HOYTS bought out Interstate Theaters, which made its expansion into the United States market. Following Leon Fink's death in 1993,
810-542: The Halifax f.p. television series is shown living in an apartment at 339 Swanston Street (Jensen House; now converted into a UniLodge ) opposite the State Library. [REDACTED] Australian roads portal [REDACTED] Media related to Swanston Street at Wikimedia Commons Hoyts Stephen Watson (Group CFO) The HOYTS Group of companies in Australia and New Zealand includes HOYTS Cinemas ,
864-844: The Majestic Theatre in Launceston , which at the heights of the Great War became the most profitable cinema in Tasmania. Centrally located within the Launceston tramway network on a main street, the Majestic's phenomenal success may have influenced Lucas' decision to construct a centrally positioned theatre in Melbourne. The official plans for the Capitol were submitted for approval on 21 November 1921, with approval granted on 9 February 1923, and construction completed in 1924. It
918-778: The Public Transport Corporation . Swanston Street was the shooting location for the 1976 video for AC/DC 's song " It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) ". It led to a nearby street being renamed ACDC Lane in honour of the music video. It is also referenced in The Distillers ' song "Dismantle Me", as singer Brody Dalle is originally from Melbourne, as well as TISM 's song "Get Thee in My Behind Satan" and Courtney Barnett 's "Elevator Operator". Jane Halifax ( Rebecca Gibney ) of
972-573: The Xtremescreen brand, and dine-in menus under the HOYTS Lux brand. Seats that move and vibrate in synchronisation with on-screen action have been introduced at some cinemas using D-Box technology . HOYTS Cinema Technology Group (CTG) was established in 2008 and helps other exhibitors such as Palace Cinemas install and operate digital cinema. HOYTS CTG also supports one-off screenings such as festivals or corporate events. Val Morgan
1026-495: The 19th century. By the end of the 19th century it also accommodated one of the major tram lines through the city. With the advent of the automobile in the early 20th century, the street became a major thoroughfare, carrying car traffic between areas north of the city and St Kilda Road throughout most of the 20th century. In the latter half of the 20th century, the southern half of the street had problems with heavy traffic and its associated pollution, homelessness , loitering , and
1080-549: The Capitol Arcade, whilst retaining the ceiling and upper half of the auditorium to create a single-level cinema seating 600. The stage was raised within the proscenium by about 6m, with the balcony seating extended down to this new level, and a new foyer created above the arcade, under a void that was part of the dress circle foyers which originally opened to the rear stalls. The dress circle foyers were retained but subdivided off and given over to new uses. The Wurlitzer organ
1134-598: The Fox Film Corporation (now 20th Century Studios ) acquired a majority of shares in HOYTS Theatres Ltd. In 1982, 20th Century Fox sold HOYTS to Stardawn Investments, a group of four Melbourne businessmen. In 1985, the Fink family subsequently bought out the other partners to become the sole owner. In 1987, the corporation was restructured and two of the companies in the corporation were listed on
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#17327728352981188-479: The HOYTS organisation was sold to Hellman & Friedman and Lendlease . The company eventually went public in 1995. In 1997, HOYTS expanded to Chile with the opening of its first movie theatre there . In 1999, Hoyts celebrated its 90th anniversary and was ranked the seventh largest cinema exhibitor in the world. In the same year, the late Kerry Packer 's private family company, Consolidated Press Holdings , bought
1242-449: The arcade in a complementary fashion, completed in May 2019. This was to be the first full restoration of the iconic venue, with new services, upgraded access including a disabled lift, new seating, and state of the art projection equipment for all media. All the decorative plaster in the auditorium and foyers was cleaned, repaired and repainted, carpets recreated based on original samples, and
1296-484: The chain for $ 620 million. After that, HOYTS began to sell off international cinemas except for some New Zealand cinemas. In 2003, HOYTS sold all of its US chains to Regal Entertainment Group . In 2004, HOYTS joined forces with Village Roadshow and Amalgamated Holdings Limited to bail out Val Morgan Cinema Advertising, eventually taking their stake to 100% in 2005. In December that year, Publishing & Broadcasting Limited and West Australian Newspapers purchased
1350-616: The company from Consolidated Press. In 2007, HOYTS was sold to Sydney-based private equity firm Pacific Equity Partners . The sale valued the company at A$ 440 million. In 2010, HOYTS sold off its Chilean operations to Chilefilms [ es ] . In the same year, HOYTS acquired Australian Multiplex Cinemas in Queensland and the Berkeley Cinema Group in New Zealand. HOYTS Stream, a video streaming service,
1404-614: The council to relocate the large buses from the street where there was little space between buses and trams. Swanston Street was previously served by bus services to Gardenvale and Middle Brighton . When Melbourne-Brighton Bus Lines ' licence periodically came up for review, the Melbourne City Council and Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board always opposed. Finally the buses were removed from Swanston Street in October 1989, by which time they were operated by
1458-536: The daring cantilever of the concrete street verandah, but it is the geometric plaster ceiling of the theatre auditorium that is the most outstanding feature. Composed of angular crystalline forms in molded plaster, it was based on organic design principles from 'the natural world' and are composed in a way which is both evocative of a glittering cave, while it is also distinctly modern. The ceiling plasterwork incorporated hidden lighting of about 4000 coloured globes in red, yellow, blue and green, which could be controlled from
1512-406: The decision was made to replace the hard to maintain coloured globe lighting of the main auditorium with LED lighting, able to be programmed in an infinite variety of configurations and sequences. The restored theatre opened on 3 June 2019 to great fanfare. After 54 years the original Wurlitzer organ, named "Eliza" was returned to The Capitol from Dendy Cinemas Brighton in 2021. RMIT University and
1566-441: The distribution rights to Cannon Films , Carolco and Nelson Entertainment films in Australia and New Zealand. The distribution unit was originally founded by Jim Shakespeare, the national sales manager of the company and Bill Gavin, general manager of films and marketing of the company. The company's first films include The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith , The Stud , The Boys from Brazil , Dawn! and Long Weekend . It
1620-439: The early 1960s Hoyts Theatres let their lease expire. Contemporary architecture was sweeping through Australian cities and many older buildings, then considered passé, were demolished in an attempt to "modernise" the city centre–this move, considered a "self-conscious" attempt to impress international visitors, would attract much criticism in later decades. The result was that the theatre had to close. Almost immediately there
1674-591: The group sold its subsidiary. In Argentina HOYTS was acquired by Cinemark , in Chile by Cinépolis , and in Uruguay by Life Cinemas. In December 2022, HOYTS acquired three cinemas in WA from Grand Cinemas after the company went into administration. In April 2023, they acquired an additional cinema from Grand. That month, Wanda Film also began seeking buyers for Hoyts. The sale of Beijing Wanda Investment, which had
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1728-410: The main label, the company also held rights to Cannon and other releases via HOYTS , and starting in 1990, Orion Pictures releases via that company's worldwide distribution deal with Columbia. RCA/Columbia/Hoyts (later renamed to Columbia TriStar/HOYTS Home Video) also released product through two alternative labels, First Release Home Entertainment and Video Box Office. HOYTS also had, beginning in 1988
1782-633: The newly elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle proposed returning private vehicle traffic to the street. The move attracted opposition from the Public Transport Users Association , Australian Greens and Bicycle Victoria . The idea was rejected and, by January 2010, plans to make the entire length of Swanston Street in the city car-free were announced by the Lord Mayor himself, a complete reversal of his previous stance. Many marches, rallies and protests involve
1836-487: The opening of the Village Cinema Centre in nearby Bourke Street in 1988, Village relinquished their lease. Through the 1990s the cinema was in use by sporadically for films festivals, art house screenings, and Chinese and Indian language films. In 1998 Melbourne city council hired Melbourne architecture firm 'Six Degrees’ to undertake a study that would explore the possibility for the theatre to be used as
1890-638: The organ’s owner, the Theatre Organ Society of Australia, are raising $ 500,000 to fund its reinstallation. The Capitol is registered with the Australian Heritage Commission, the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Heritage Victoria. Swanston Street Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the Melbourne central business district , Victoria, Australia . It was laid out in 1837 as part of
1944-401: The original Hoddle Grid . The street vertically bisects Melbourne's city centre and is famous as the world's busiest tram corridor , for its heritage buildings and as a shopping strip. Swanston Street runs roughly north–south in-between Russell Street to the east and Elizabeth Street to the west. To the south it becomes St Kilda Road after the intersection with Flinders Street , whilst
1998-612: The realm of theatres and cinemas worldwide" and "a technical triumph". The Capitol Theatre was commissioned by a group of Melbourne businessmen, including the Greek Consul-General Antony J. Lucas and the American-born Phillips brothers, who had previously developed Luna Park and the adjacent Palais Theatre in St Kilda . The architects were WB Griffin with Peck & Kemter, but the design
2052-460: The renovation plans sought to re-connect all the foyer areas (including demolishing a concrete floor that subdivided the dress circle lobby in two), as well as giving the building an overall safety upgrade, and disabled access. The budget for this work was $ 2,200,000 and included audio visual installations and theatre lighting systems, some restitution of the coloured lighting of the ceiling and new lift and disabled access. In 2005, RMIT announced that
2106-441: The road's northern end is in the suburb of Carlton at Melbourne Cemetery . This northern section was originally named Madeline Street. The street is named after merchant, banker and politician Charles Swanston . Swanston Street was one of the main north–south streets originally laid out as part of the 1837 Hoddle Grid . Originally carrying pedestrians and horse-drawn traffic, the street resembled many typical European avenues of
2160-610: The start of the 20th century, Melbourne dentist and cornet player Arthur Russell bought a share in a small touring American circus that visited Melbourne, called HOYTS Circus. Russell toured with the circus as a magician , but it did not prove to be a financial success. In 1908, he started presenting moving pictures at St George's Hall in Bourke Street , accompanying the silent films with his small family band: his wife on piano, son on drums, and Russell on cornet. On 18 September 1909 he opened HOYTS Picture Palace, and formed
2214-641: The street and several large tram stops. Aside from trams, the only motorised vehicular access was for emergency vehicles and small-scale freight at certain times. The modifications to the street commenced in late 2011 and were completed in late 2012. Many of Melbourne's most noteworthy precincts and prominent buildings face Swanston Street as the city's historic main avenue, including: Both the University of Melbourne and RMIT University also have campus buildings fronting Swanston Street. Tram routes 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 16 , 64 , 67 and 72 currently run along
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2268-453: The street, with the frequency of trams making Swanston Street the world's busiest tram corridor. Two of the busiest railway stations in Melbourne are located near the street, with the hub Flinders Street station at its southern end and, further north, the underground Melbourne Central station at the intersection of La Trobe Street. The Metro Tunnel is being constructed under Swanston Street, and should be completed in 2025. Swanston Street
2322-442: The theatre a A$ 190,000 grant towards further repairs to the crystalline ceiling. Free public tours were held from 2000 to 2010, ending due to dwindling participants. In 2014, the work needed to restore The Capitol Theatre became so substantial that the building closed to the public. In 2017, an appeal was launched by RMIT to reactivate the landmark. At the same time, the owners of the arcade decided to employ Six Degrees to refurbish
2376-655: The use of Swanston Street, resulting in planned and unplanned road closures. The street is the venue for many annual events, including the Moomba parade, the AFL Grand Final parade and Melbourne Cup parade. It is also the major route for the Anzac Day parade because Swanston Street leads into St Kilda Road , the site of the Shrine of Remembrance . Swanston Street was one of the busiest roads in Melbourne, carrying
2430-470: The walls of a crystalline cave. Proposals in the early 1960s to demolish the theatre sparked one of Australia's first major heritage conservation campaigns, co-led by architect and critic Robin Boyd , who called the Capitol "the best cinema that was ever built or is ever likely to be built". While the cinema was saved, its seating capacity was reduced and parts of the original ground level foyer were replaced by
2484-410: Was a campaign waged to 'save the Capitol' by the National Trust and a group of prominent architects, notably Robin Boyd , who called the Capitol "the best cinema that was ever built or is ever likely to be built". A compromise was soon reached: after closing for extensive renovations on 17 November 1963, the street foyer and stalls area were demolished to make way for a shopping arcade, now known as
2538-403: Was created by Valentine (Val) Morgan and specialises in advertising on cinema screens. Val Morgan's sister company, Val Morgan Outdoor (VMO), operates advertising screens in shopping centres, gyms, service stations and office towers, as well as outdoor digital billboards. HOYTS Distribution was the film distribution arm of the group which existed in its own right from 1979 to 1994; it possessed
2592-416: Was immediately considered an architectural masterpiece, and quite unique. It is no use trying to describe it. A hundred visits would be necessary to study every feature of this wonder building, and by then you would have to start all over again. On the first night people simply stared. The building is noted for its unusual mixed uses, and for the structural design that allowed them to co-exist, as well as for
2646-406: Was later merged with the distribution operations of Columbia TriStar Film Distributors and 20th Century Fox , forming HOYTS -Fox-Columbia TriStar Films (later Fox-Columbia TriStar Films after HOYTS dropped out of the venture). In 1993, the entertainment branch of HOYTS was spun off to Television and Media Services, with the unit being renamed to TMS Distribution. The company's original film library
2700-410: Was officially opened on 7 November 1924. The theatre was part of a larger a mixed-use complex, known as Capitol House, incorporating shops at ground level, a basement cafe, a 10 storey office tower perched above the lobbies, with the main part of the auditorium projecting out behind. The office tower is described as Chicagoesque style, with vertical proportions and a prominent cornice. The theatre itself
2754-574: Was removed and relocated to the Dendy Cinema in Brighton in 1967. The reconfigured Capitol Theatre reopened on 16 December 1965 under the control of Village Cinemas . The opening film after the renovation was The Great Race , which had a run of two years. Other long running engagements over the years included the films Ryan's Daughter (1970), The Towering Inferno (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) and Superman: The Movie in 1978. With
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#17327728352982808-461: Was set to launch during 2013, but after being delayed, it was cancelled in 2014. Damian Keogh was appointed chief executive officer, and HOYTS was bought by Chinese billionaire Sun Xishuang through his investment company ID Leisure Ventures in December 2014. In June 2015, Wanda Cinema Line, a subsidiary of Dalian Wanda Group, purchased HOYTS from ID Leisure Ventures. In 2018, HOYTS Kiosk DVD vending machines were rebranded as Video Ezy after
2862-432: Was sold off to Becker Entertainment in 1999. In 2001, the company was revived under the leadership of Kerry Packer, distributing primarily films produced by Nine Films and Television and major independent studios such as Lions Gate Entertainment . HOYTS also operated a home video arm in concert with Sony, beginning in 1983 as RCA/Columbia/Hoyts Video Pty. Ltd. In addition to Columbia Pictures and TriStar fare through
2916-485: Was used for musical entertainment in between shows. It was frequently broadcast on the ABC and remained in regular use until the mid 1950s. Originally seating 2137 (stalls 1306, balcony 633, loges and boxes 198), it was altered during the 1930s, with the seating capacity reduced to 2115 people, and a wider proscenium. After the advent of television in the late 1950s, cinema audience numbers everywhere dwindled dramatically and in
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