Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Art deco movie theater in Cremorne, Sydney, Australia
The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace is a heritage-listed cinema at 380 Military Road in Cremorne, designed by George Newton Kenworthy and built in 1935 by F. T. Eastment and Sons. Its six screens include the main auditorium with Art Deco detailing and a 1925 Wurlitzer pipe organ installed during the 1987 restoration.
The Italian-Australian Virgona family commissioned the cinema in 1934, and it opened on 3 October 1935 as the Cremorne Orpheum Theatre, built by F. T. Eastment and Sons at a cost of over £45,000. It closed in 1979, was restored for $2.5 million in 1987 for owner Mike Walsh, and reopened on 9 December 1987 as the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace.
The 1925 Wurlitzer pipe organ in the auditorium came from the Wilson Theatre in Fresno, California, where it played until 1973; it was installed here during the 1987 restoration and is played at selected screenings. Film critic David Stratton has long favoured the cinema, which marked its 80th birthday in 2015.
The cinema stands at 380 Military Road in Cremorne. It is served by buses running along Military Road, and parking is available behind the building and at the nearby Cremorne Town Centre. The six screens fill quickly for popular sessions, so arriving early helps secure a good seat.
The 1925 Wurlitzer pipe organ, played at selected screenings, came from the Wilson Theatre in Fresno, California, where it was installed until 1973. Film critic David Stratton has long favoured the cinema, which marked its 80th birthday in 2015.
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