Roxy Theatre, Art Deco cinema in Parramatta, Australia
The Roxy Theatre at 65–69 George Street, Parramatta, was designed by Moore & Dyer with Herbert & Wilson in a Spanish style, with an arcaded forecourt, a two-storey foyer and a quasi-Spanish Mission tower. Its auditorium had a ceiling dome with sunburst lighting, mock windows and blind arcading. It opened in 1930 with 1,923 seats.
The Roxy opened on 6 February 1930, built for Roxy Theatres Ltd on land assembled from 59–69 George Street; the dedication was performed by the Mayor before a packed house. Hoyts bought the site in 1946 and in 1976 tripled the cinema, removing the original proscenium and splay walls and cutting off the dress circle. Village Cinemas bought it in 1979, and the cinema closed for the last time in March 2002.
The name honours the American showman Samuel L. Rothafel, known as "Roxy", whose New York cinema lent its nickname to this theatre and to the chain Roxy Theatres Ltd planned around it. The opening night on 6 February 1930 drew a packed house and thousands in George Street, with Paramount film stars greeting Parramatta audiences from the screen.
The cinema sits in central Parramatta and is easy to reach by public transport, with bus stops and a nearby train station close by. Moving through the building is straightforward, with stairs connecting the different levels to help you find your way around.
The Christie theatre organ was reputedly one of the largest and finest in New South Wales, and the venue opened with the "Talkies" in 1930. The organ was sold in the 1950s, so it no longer survives in the building. The Roxy was the second cinema in NSW, after the State Theatre in Sydney, placed on the National Trust register.
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