Paris Theatre, Sydney


The Paris Theatre was a cinema and theatre located on the corner of Wentworth Avenue and Liverpool Street in Sydney that was a venue for movies, vaudeville, cabaret and plays. The theatre changed names several times, beginning as the Australia Picture Palace, and later the Tatler Theatre, Park Theatre and Paris Theatre, before being demolished in 1981.
In May 1978, the theatre hosted a film festival that inspired the first Sydney Gay Mardi Gras. The theatre was also the home of the Sydney-based Paris Theatre Company, a Sydney based theatre company.

Building

Located at 205-207 Liverpool Street, on the corner of Wentworth Avenue, the architect was Walter Burley Griffin The theatre was a reinforced concrete building with relief stucco paneling. It was demolished in 1981.

History

Australian Picture Palace (1915-1935)

The Australia Picture Palace, designed by Walter Burley Griffin, was built in 1915 for Hoyt’s Theatres Ltd and opened on 7 January 1916.

Tatler Theatre (1935-1950)

In 1935, the venue was renovated and renamed the Tatler Theatre. On 5 August 1943, Austral American Productions began showing first-run Warner Brothers films in an exclusive arrangement. The first movie to be screened was “They Died with their Boots On” featuring Errol Flynn.

Park Theatre (1952-1954)

In 1952, Hoyts purchased the theatre and renamed it the Park Theatre.

Paris Theatre (1954-1981)

After being renovated again in 1954, the venue was renamed the Paris Theatre, and was dedicated to showing "continental" films. Coffee was to be served to patrons during intervals.
From 21–27 May 1978, 900 people attended Sydney's first gay film festival at the Paris Theatre. One of the films, Word is Out'','' inspired Ron Austin, a member of CAMP, with the idea of a street party, which became the first Mardi Gras in June of that year.
Some notable performances at the theatre included

Paris Theatre Company

The Paris Company, formed in March 1978 by Jim Sharman and Rex Cramphorn, staged two new Australian plays at the theatre: Dorothy Hewett's musical play Pandora's Cross, which opened in June 1978, and Louis Nowra's Visions, which opened in August 1978.