The Hayden Orpheum at Cremorne began life as The Orpheum on October 3, 1935. It was, at the time, a much grander movie theatre than most suburban movie houses, and for many years made the clumsily-worded boast of being “Sydney’s only suburban city movie theatre”. The justification for this claim was that it was built as a theatre, and could screen films or live cast musicals for its 1735 seats, over two levels.
Backstage there were dressing rooms, an orchestra pit, and a functioning fly-tower to store and ‘fly’ scenery. It was a proper ‘legit’ stage and played host to the Australian ballet.
The theatre remained intact, albeit very run down, until it was bought by commercial property developers. Despite the protests of some theatre supporters, it was savagely ripped apart, and a second-rate shopping arcade and a health gymnasium installed. A concrete slab was installed horizontally, and the only part of the theatre that remained above it was the decaying art deco ceiling and parts of the proscenium.
In December, 1986, Mike Walsh O.B.E bought The Orpheum for his Hayden Group of Companies. Together with noted Theatre Historian and designer, John Love, he embarked on his plans to restore it. A spectacularly restored Hayden Orpheum opened on December 9, 1987. Today The Hayden Orpheum has six screens, all state of the art equipment. But the looks of each cinema are a tribute to an individual Art Deco/Modern style. The main and largest auditorium is The Orpheum, and the others all bear names of popular cinemas from The Golden Age. Digital projection and sound, plus the ability to show all film gauges, round out the technical aspects. There is also ‘stage lighting’ in two cinemas to cover the frequently staged concerts and cine/variety programmes that are a staple feature.
The Hayden Orpheum Cremorne is unique in the world and will now entertain many more generations.
