CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The original School of Arts building was the site of the first demonstration of moving pictures in Berry. The show was presented by the Edison Cinematographe and Concert Company on the 13th April 1987. Parkinson provides evidence of subsequent screenings in the old School of Arts building prior to its demolition in 1906 (Parkinson 2005, p. 5).

In 1906 the School of Arts was rebuilt at a new location on the corner of Alexandra and Princess Streets. Although there is record of the occasional visit from travelling picture show companies a permanent cinema does not appear to have been established until 1921. At that date local motor car repair shop proprietor Jack Juleff began exhibiting regularly trading under the name of “Berry Picture Palace.” The lease was sold to Gordon Boyd and Les Turner in 1924 and again to Gordon McIntyre in 1928. McIntyre immediately changed the name of the business to “Berry Cinema” and in 1931 installed sound projection equipment. (Parkinson 2005, p.5) In 1939 the seating capacity was reduced to 420 due to the deterioration of the gallery floor. The necessary repairs were made by Mr L Hunt who took over the lease in 1940 and held it until 1950. Additional improvements attributed to Hunt include the addition of a ticket box; the erection of an awning at the front of the building, the erection of neon sign spelling out “Berry Cinema”; the modernisation of the proscenium; the re-flooring the projection box and the raising of the stage floor (Parkinson 2005, p. 7).

In 1942 the name of the cinema was changed to the “Lyric Theatre”. Hunt made a bid for permission to relocate the business to a proposed purpose-built cinema however permission was denied. He continued running the “Lyric: out of the School of Arts until 1955 when the lease transferred back to former exhibitor Les Turner. In 1955 Harry Waghorn, proprietor of the Berry and Warrawong cinemas, took over the lease but retained Turner as projectionist. Waghorn adapted the cinema for widescreen in 1957and Cinemascope was introduced. The cinema was closed in 1966, according to Parkinson because of the deteriorating condition of the hall in conjunction with falling patron numbers due to the advent of television (Parkinson, p. 7). The Berry School of Arts Hall was renovated extensively in 1971 with no provision being made for the screening of film.

References:
“Film Weekly Motion Picture Directory”, Film Weekly, Sydney, 1936 – 1971.

Parkinson, R. J 2005, Silver Screen in the Shoalhaven, Robert James Parkinson, Sydney.