The end of an era…

October 17th, 2007 | by Robert Fletcher |

I remember when I was a kid in 1980, I went to Perth for school holidays – and the biggest thing to happen in the city had just been unveiled. Cinema City was Perth’s first multiplex cinema – with 4 screens, a deep red carpet and a classy mirrored exterior.

Cinema City was opened on the 7th of November 1980, and films on show were The Blues Brothers, The Black Stallion, Rough Cut and Flying High. At the time there were eight cinemas in the city and I remember how the glamour and luxury of the complex took Perth by storm. They even had a night parade through the city streets complete with a huge King Kong float – and the whole thing was telecast live on Channel 7.

Sadly, after 27 years, the complex is due to close to make way for a 29-storey tower of apartments and offices. This leaves The Piccadilly as the only cinema left in the CBD.

It’s quite sad news for the people of Perth – given that the CBD used to be the destination for film lovers all over the city – with the Academy Twin, Ambassadors, Britannia, Capitol, Cinecentre, Hoyts Cinema 1 in City Arcade & Cinemas 2-4 in Hay Street, The Grand, The Liberty, The Capri, The Plaza, The Metro, The Royal, The Savoy and The Town Cinemas (as well as a few others) all closed.

I guess with the increasing popularity of suburban cinemas that offer a larger number of cinemas (and therefore more choice of films), combined with the lack of convenient parking and quality restaurants in the City has been a contributing factor for the demise of the cinemas in the Perth CBD. Also, Cinema City is rather run down – a sad reminder of what happens to a cinema when enough people don’t go and see films there.

It seems ironic that Cinema City is being closed to make way for even more city apartments, and these people now have only one cinema (and a very old and run-down one at that) to go and see the latest Hollywood releases. Hopefully someone will take the lead and create a city cinema that will bring people back to the movies.

8 Responses to “The end of an era…”

  1. By Alex on Oct 19, 2007

    Ahhh… yet another icon gone and passed on to the land of nostalgia. Just like Foy and Gibson, Boans, Coles Cafeteria (the home of the jelly cup) and the old Perth International Airport, with the wall of clocks, black swan gardens and deep purple cafeteria.

  2. By Indra on Oct 21, 2007

    I’ll miss that old place, i too went there on the last day to pay my respects..

  3. By Deb on Oct 22, 2007

    Hi Although I agree with you about it being sad that Perth’s CBD has been reduced to only 1 cinema, referring to the PICCADILLY as ‘old & run down’ is a little unfair. The Piccadilly (unlike Cinema City) is one of Perth’s oldest ‘grande dam…

  4. By Periwinkle on Nov 8, 2007

    That’s progress. Meanwhile high rents also see the imminent closure of Ace Cinemas in Subi (along with the Pavillion, half of Station St and Lords). Not much left for those craving the inner city lifestyle.

  5. By Shane Miller on Jan 4, 2008

    my first time at CC was with my dad and sister to see ET. We lived in Port Hedland at the time and it was a big deal to go to this Space Age Building. Mind you it was also the first time i had Macdonalds and the girl behind the counter insisted on giving me a cheeseburger WITH the mustard as that…

  6. By terry Allen on Mar 3, 2008

    It is a great shame to see yet another city cinema disappear but inevitable. With all the cinema’s springing up in the suburbs and the drama of parking and the volume of traffic in the city it is no real surprise.

  7. By Tim Cracknell on Jul 13, 2008

    I’m saddened to see Cinema City close as it was always my choice of cinema to see the latest blockbusters. Nothing compared to it. I particularly liked the whole architecture with it’s futuristic space age flare that was in vogue in the late seventies and eighties due to the films of the era. The auditorium acoustics were also excellent not to mention the blood red carpets that lined the floors, walls and the elevator in the foyer. I remember as a kid going to the McDonalds next to the foyer and staring out through the octagonal windows into the foyer and being mesmerized by the red stripes and mirrors. Sadly, Cinema City is currently under demolition and is about half way demolished with the two end auditoriums completely gone exposing some of the beams that contained the seating rostrums and the elevator shaft in the foyer is now exposed with the red carpet torn but intact. “Take a picture, nothing lasts forever”

  8. By andrew on Oct 20, 2008

    Really is a crying shame that CC is gone. Like many here, my partner & I went to pay last respects before the curtain dropped. Such a pity and I’d say with this whole 80s comeback thing that appears to be happening at present that CC was on the verge of being so tacky that it had become chic cool again (the carpet with the stripes rocked!). Really hoping that the old Cinecentre (this was actually Perth’s first multiplex) that is currently a bridal shop (named the bridal theatre! -lol)doesn’t get knocked down. With all the development in the city its a great opportunity for someone to put it back to its former use. Fingers crossed that they keep selling bridal gowns for long enough to avoid the wrecking ball and the demand for the inner city cinema to return. In the interim its off to the god awful suburban multiplexes and even these are empty of late.

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