BRIGHTER BUILDINGS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1934, Page 2

BRIGHTER BUILDINGS

REGENT THEATRE ALTERATIONS. New Plymouth has had more brightening of its business quarter recently ii» the way. Of renovation and alteration of existing structures and the erection of fresh buildings than it has experienced for some years. Not the least of these refreshing touches of the builders and decorators’ art on the town “face” has been the work at The Regent Theatre—the largest picture theatre in Taranaki. The former unpretentious front has given place to a facade of the latest design fronted by six double plate-glass doors with an effective design of silverplated bars on the inner sides. These open into a neat "oyer, with inlaid linoleum having as its base the new cellotex material for the prevention of noise. Graceful fems stand in the corners and a soft diffused light is shed over the foyer by a ultra-modern design in shades. The walls are pannelled in rimu. There are still two more double doors of the same type as the outer doors but swung on air checks for noiseless closing. It was necessary to remove some seats from the stalls to effect these improvements, a major object of which is the prevention of the sound of persons entering the theatre disturbing those already inside. A new ceiling in the latest design has been placed on the verandah outside the theatre, there being nearly 40 multicoloured lamps across the front of tha arch aldne, with many others on the two sides. The entrance walls to the circle have been recoated and tasteful frames hold pictures of to-day’s motion picture stars. It is the intention of the company, a reporter was informed, to carry out improvements on up-to-date lines to -the dress circle portion of the theatre shortly. The effect provided by £175 worth of lighting is effective-hi its operation on a background of massive grilles at each side of the stage. In the operating box a device has been attached to the projecting machines preventing the possibility of serious fire. In the remote event of a fire a special fuse—six times as fast as film—is immediately set off which confines the fire to the interior of the projector, where it is easily coped with. All the work was done by local artisans.