THEATRE'S ROMANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20562, 13 May 1930, Page 13

THEATRE'S ROMANCE.

NATIONAL BECOMES "TALKIE"

ONCE A HORSE MART.

CHANGES IN AUCKLAND.

ihe last silent picture house in Queen Street is to become a "talkie" theatre. The National Theatre, tho second oldest picture theatre in AucklanJ, has been leased for five years to J. C. Williamson Films (New Zealand), Limited, and full talking picture equipment will bo installed before tho end of next month.

The only picture theatre j n (jio now showing silent films is the Lyric, in Symonds Street, and of the 50 picture theatres in the city and suburbs all are exhibiting talking pictures with tho exception of some five or six. • "Everybody is being forced to take 'talkies,' simply because the silent films are not to bo had," said a local exhibitor. "America is not making silent films now, and those that happen to bo in the Dominion at the present moment cannot be had because there arc not enough silent houses left to pay the required film rents. There are a good many silent films in bond that will never be shown because it is not worth paying customs duty on thorn. For an average film tho duty amounts to £50."

Mr. R. L. Cleland, manager of the National Theatre, recalled yesterday that a horse mart once occupied the site on which the theatre now stands. Draught and saddlo horses were sold in a long building that ran in from Durham Street. "The auctioneer's stand used to be where tho theatre doors are now, anil tho horse-boxes ran along both sides of the building," he said. "They used to gallop the horses down the middle, where the people now sit and try out tho draught animals in carts filled with heavy weights.

"It was the nearest horse mart to Queen Street," said Mr. Cleland. "When the expansion cf the city and the introduction of the motor-car led to tho removal of the mart the old building gave "way to a theatre. That was the' old King George Theatre, built in 1912, soon after tho Queen's, Queen Street's oldest picturo theatre. It was built by a syndicate, anil I bought it from them soon after it was put up. It was a funny old place, full of iron pillars supporting the circle, but proved to be an excellent business proposition. Wo bad two evening sessions, the first from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., and the second from then until 10 o'clock, and wo used to pack the people in at 3d and 6d, children and adults alike."

In 1918 tho old theatre was pulled down and the present structure erected. Two years ago £6OOO was spent on improving the accommodation and enlarging the stage. There was an interval of three months during which variety programmes were presented, but except for that break the theatro has been a picture house for the past 13 years.