This, friends, is the Astor Theatre.
Now, those of my readers who live in Melbourne may already know and love the Astor, but please indulge me for the benefit of those who haven’t yet succumbed to the charms of this cinematic oasis.
Since 1936, the Astor Theatre has operated as a cinema in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda, changing ownership a few times in the intervening decades. Most recently it was leased by a bloke called George Florence, who instigated the cinema’s wildly eclectic programming mix of classics, block office titans and the offbeat cult film. Indeed, I don’t think there’s a share household between St Kilda and Altona that doesn’t have the six-monthly poster program stuck somewhere, usually behind a toilet door, listing a terrific variety of films to see.
Over the last two decades, I’ve been a regular visitor to the Astor.
This is partly because the Astor used to charge ten dollars for a double feature, It’s now fifteen dollars, but that’s still incredibly competitive when placed against the small mortgage one needs to take out to see a film in one of the chains. Back in my student days, it was a godsend to a hungry cinephile like me.
However, I always keep coming back to the Astor for the charm and the atmosphere. When you got to see a film at the Astor, it’s an event. The place reeks charm and class. The decor, the screen’s gold curtains, the chandeliers – it all puts me in the mind to drink in some cinema.
It was also a great place to take a date, despite the somewhat lumpen quality of the chairs. It seems the old world feel of the place and a certain quality of the light allows young hearts to run free. In that regard, I have a lot to thank the Astor for.
The snack bar ain’t too shabby either. In addition to the regular cinema grub you’ll find cakes, coffee, amazing choc tops and a lot of good stuff to sustain you through a film.
If all this weren’t enough, Marzipan the Cat also frequents the foyer and loves it when you give her a pat.
Now, why am I plugging the place?
Well, St Michael’s Grammar School took over the property a few years ago, when property market pressures meant the cinema was in danger of being shut down and demolished. They’ve been a good landlord until recently, when they have hinted they do not wish to renew the lease and instead turn the cinema into a full-time school hall and uniform shop.
This is a reversal of the previously stated arrangement, which had St Michael’s using the space during the day and for special functions. It seemed to be a co-habiting situation that would work well for both parties. Obviously, for some reason, the school no longer thinks this is the case.
Losing the Astor would be a blow to Melbourne’s cinema lovers, who increasingly find themselves confined to impersonal, cold, uncomfortable and over-expensive multiplexes. It would be a blow to the areas’s heritage, as the Astor is a magnificent example of art-deco architecture and furnishing, in excellent condition and relatively unchanged by the decades.
What can we do about this? Well, the key thing is to let St Michael’s know that the theatre can remain open to the public AND be used by the school. You can do this in a few ways.
Join Friends of the Astor Theatre on Facebook.
You can follow their updates on Twitter.
Both social media streams will have details of upcoming events you can take part in.
Most importantly, you can sign the petition to St Michael’s, urging them not to close the Astor.
Your signatures could make a real difference in keeping a golden slice of Melbourne’s history alive! Let’s get to it!
