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Wonderview Theatre, Victor Harbour
Photo: Brian Pearson
The Wonderview Theatre at Victor Harbour opened at 8:00 p.m., on 22 December, 1923. It was built for National Pictures Ltd., which controlled The National, Prospect, National Pictures, North Adelaide and the Parkside Picture Pavilion ["The Victor Harbour Times", 21 December, 1923, p.3]. As the theatre's advertising put it:
"So sit in comfort amidst artistic surroundings, fanned by sea breezes, listening to the best music, viewing the world's best picture.."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 21 December, 1923, p.3]
It may have been the world's best picture, but its specific identity was concealed in the billing:"Special Picture Programme."
"Special attention has also been given to music, which feature is supplied by the latest model Duo Concerto Instrument (Gold Branson) [sic] rendering the very best and latest music."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 21 December, 1923, p.3]
However, not all went according to plan, and the Duo Concerto was not delivered in time for the grand opening show. It was not until Tuesday, 8 January, 1924, that the instrument arrived. The theatre advertisement stated that:
"Our Duo Concerto Instrument, with Combination Orchestra Effects, has just arrived from New York, insuring our patrons additional enjoyment in the Best and Latest music. It is the First Instrument of its kind in the State."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 11 January, 1924, p.1]
The instrument created enough interest for the local press to describe its features:
"Music Hath Charms
The Duo Concerto Music Player which should have been installed at the Wonderview Theatre for the opening performance arrived ex-S.S. Macumba from New York on Tuesday.
The instrument, which is the first of its kind to be used in South Australia, is contained in a massive mission oak case and has been specially manufactured for picture and dance purposes by the Gilbransen Dickenson Co. of New York.
The instrument was used for the first time on Tuesday night and the audience were loud in their praise of the tone and the various incidental mechanical effects, which added so considerably to the picture, together with correct and up-to-date music."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 11 January, 1924, p.3]
At the time of the theatre's opening, it was stated that the building would be used for dances, and it can be presumed that the Duo Concerto would have contributed to those occasions as well. The operator's name was not given, but on Valentine's Day, 1924, there was a special show:
"Thurs February 14
For One Special Night of Nights a return Screening of
'The Covered Wagon'
Supported by Special Adelaide Orchestra
In addition you will hear Jack Fewster and Tom King (Adelaide's Greatest
And Popular Song Writers) render musical items and sing their latest successes"
["The Victor Harbour Times", 8 February, 1924, p.1]
Tom King played pianos and photoplayers in a number of Adelaide picture theatres during the silent film days, and it can reasonably be assumed he would have made good use of the Duo Concerto for that special show.
The Duo
Concerto was a
photoplayer
marketed
through E F
Wilks & Co. of
317-321 Pitt St.,
Sydney. How
many different
models were
available is not
known, but an
advertisement
showed a piano
with a double
roll-player with a
case attached to
its treble end, of
about the same
size as the
piano, which
would suggest
that it had probably just two or maybe three ranks of pipes and a complement of percussions and
effects. The text of the advertisement claimed that it "will give you the efficiency of an 8-piece
orchestra, and is driven by a slow-speed motor, which margin of current any Picture Show in the
suburbs and country can supply." ["Everyone's", Sydney, 14 December, 1921] The instrument was rather
grandly entitled "The Duo-Concerto Pipe Organ Orchestra Player Piano Combined", a rather
pretentious name for such a small organ. Only one other Duo-Concerto is known to have been
installed in Australia, at Moss' Pictures , Ballina, in northern New South Wales, in 1922. ["Everyone's",
Sydney, 22 February, 1922].
The Wonderview, along with the Victor Theatre, Victor Harbour, and the other theatres operated by National Pictures Limited, was taken over by Ozone Amusements Limited on 31 January, 1928. A press announcement stated:
"No great changes will be made of a while as far as Victor Harbour is concerned, but for the coming season the Victor Theatre will be thoroughly renovated throughout and a dress circle put in, giving accommodation to 350 more people. The theatre will then hold about 1000 persons."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 3 February, 1928, p.1]
It was not long before the Victor Theatre supplanted the Wonderview as the major cinema venue in Victor Harbour, for it was announced that:
"On and after Saturday, June 2nd , there will be no show at the Wonderview Theatre during winter months."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 1 June, 1928]
Notes by cinema historian John Thiele indicate that the Wonderview was closed for films until 6 October, 1928, when it opened for one Saturday night. It then opened again from Saturday, 8 December, 1928, to Saturday 6 April, 1929. [John Thiele, Adelaide, correspondence to writer, 27 July, 1999]
On 14 January, 1931, there was a serious fire at the rear end of the Victor Theatre, which led to that theatre being closed for most of the remainder of that year while it was rebuilt [John Thiele, "The Victa Theatre", Kino Quarterly, Autumn, 1999, p.6]. Films shows were transferred to the Wonderview, and as sound (Western Electric)equipment had been installed in the Victor in November, 1930, at a cost of £3000 [ibid.], it is presumed that this was moved to the Wonderview for that period.
By Christmas, 1931, the Victor Theatre was back in business, and the Wonderview was operating as a dance hall:
"Wonderview Palais - Opens sharp at midnight Friday, Dec. 25. Music by the Six Wonderview Merrymakers. All dances open to the General Public."
["The Victor Harbour Times", 25 December,1931, p.1]
For the next decade the Wonderview saw only occasional use, mainly as an assembly hall for the high school [John Thiele, "The Victa Theatre", Kino Quarterly, Autumn, 1999, p.6].
During World War 2, an influx of service personnel brought so much business to the Victor Theatre that the management installed new projection equipment in the Wonderview and reopened it to accommodate the overflow crowds [Ibid.].
That was its last fling as a picture theatre, but it was not until the 1980s that the building was finally demolished [John Thiele, Adelaide, correspondence to writer, 27 July, 1999].
When the photoplayer was removed and what its fate was are not known.