Save the Regent

Trevor, an expat now living in London, writes:

I read the article about the Regent Theatre with great interest. Last time I was in Brisbane, back in 2005, I made time to have a snoop around the still existant foyer but I couldn’t bring myself to use any of the multi-cinemas inside. But just the foyer by itself brought the old memories tumbling out. I remember on at least two occasions sitting in one of the faux baronial chairs by the bottom of the stairs doing my damndest to finish the book of the film I was just about to see. Desiree was one, The Egyptian was another. And of course the night when that lovely old red velvet curtain flew for the first time to reveal the huge CinemaScope screen and the opening scene of The Robe, the film that almost made me a believer. That didn’t last, of course.
I do wish you well for your campaign but I should imagine that the developers will only be persuaded to create a new theatre to attach to the old foyer if it can be regarded as a viable scheme - in other words, would there be any money in it for them? I assume when you say theatre you mean a live auditorium rather than a cinema. Anyway, let us know how it all works out.
On the subject of demolished picture palaces, though I loved the Regent, my personal favourite was the Metro, mainly because it was a Loew’s house and showed exclusively MGM pictures, which meant a good menu of musicals, including my favourite four, all beginning with S. On my last visit I was saddened to see that even the multiplex that replaced it had been demolished and in its place was a hole in the ground. I was also taken aback by the size of the hole - it was Much Too Small! How could so small a space have accommodated that sleek old cinema with its capacity of, I think, 1600 and where I first saw San Francisco, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Showboat and of course Singin’ in the Rain!