Tracking Shots
Close Ups on NZ Film History
Picture Palaces
“The Greatest Event in the Dominion's History of the Motion Picture Industry” was celebrated in 1929 when the Civic Theatre opened in Auckland.
Seating 3,500, it was the largest theatre in the country. From the “ancient Indian-style” foyer to the “ancient Persian-style” auditorium, the Civic was a magnificent palace of dreams.
Picture palaces were built throughout New Zealand and their names still evoke the magic of that era – the De Luxe, the Rialto, the Majestic.
Theatre-goers were awed by the opulence of marble and mosaics, thrilled by swelling organ music and served by teams of smartly uniformed staff. A new sophistication for just a few pennies.
- [Civic Theatre Construction, Auckland] (1,400kb)
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