Hollywood Cinema (New Zealand theatre) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hollywood Cinema |
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Hollywood Cinema in 2025
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| Former names |
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| Alternative names | The Hollywood, Avondale |
| General information | |
| Type |
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| Address | 20 St Georges Road, Avondale, Auckland |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Auditorium with a single screen and dolby digital sound |
| Other information | |
| Seating capacity | Up to 400 (Up to 600 standing) |
The Hollywood Cinema, also known as The Hollywood or Hollywood Avondale, is a popular cinema and performing arts venue. It is located in the Avondale area of Auckland, New Zealand. This building has a long history, changing names and owners many times. It started as the Avondale Public Hall in 1867.
Over the years, it became a place where people watched movies. In 1915, it got a new look and was called the Avondale Town Hall. Movies became a regular feature there. In 1923, the original building was moved, and a new, bigger hall was built. Many people managed the cinema, including the family of famous filmmaker Rudall Hayward.
In 1966, Jan Grefstad bought the business and named it the Hollywood Cinema. During his time, the cinema became famous for showing Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight. It also got a special Wurlitzer Organ. After Jan Grefstad passed away in 2001, his family ran the cinema. It was sold in 2015. Today, in 2025, The Hollywood Cinema still shows classic movies, special film events, and hosts concerts.
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The Cinema's Beginnings
The very first building on this site was called the Whau Public Hall. It opened on November 13, 1867. For a short time, it was even a primary school and a library. By 1870, the community used it for fun events and to raise money.
Movies were shown there even before it was a proper cinema. In 1900, a company called Edison Kinematograph Co. visited Avondale. They showed a two-hour movie program about the Boer War. Another movie in 1901 showed pictures of a royal visit to Rotorua. It also had "comic trick and illusion films" that made the audience laugh. In 1910, Hope's Picture Company showed a "wonderful variety" of films with "catchy music."
In January 1915, the building was given to the Avondale Road Board. The old wooden hall was upgraded and renamed the Avondale Town Hall. It got a fancy new brick front with tall columns, wide stairs, and a dome on the roof.
A local man named Harry Empson started showing movies there on Christmas Day, 1915. In 1916, he installed new lights and leased the hall. He showed movies every Tuesday and Saturday evening. From then on, movies were a regular part of the Town Hall's schedule.
In 1923, the original wooden Town Hall was moved to a nearby plot of land. A new, larger hall was built in its place. When the new hall opened on October 31, 1924, it was described as a "handsome and capricious hall." It could hold 500 people. Harry Empson continued to show movies until August 1927. He then sold his business to Frederick William Meikle.
However, Meikle faced challenges. A new cinema opened nearby in 1929, and "talkies" (movies with sound) became popular. It was hard for him to make enough money. He tried to sell the business back to Empson in 1930, but the deal didn't happen. On July 1, Meikle's contract ended, and Henry Hayward took over on August 15.
The Hayward Family Years
Henry Hayward, who was from Scotland, came to New Zealand in 1905. He started a company called Hayward's Enterprises. In 1929, his company joined with another to form Fuller-Hayward Corporation. This company took over the lease for the Avondale Picture Theatre.
By Christmas 1930, "talkies" were playing in Avondale. The Town Hall was renamed Hayward's Picture House & Cabaret. It was managed by Hilda Hayward, who was married to Henry Hayward's nephew, the filmmaker Rudall Hayward.
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Fuller-Hayward faced difficulties during the Great Depression. Because of this, Henry Hayward started a new company called Auckland Cinemas Ltd. This company held the lease until 1966. A fire broke out in the cinema on June 3, 1939. It was thought to be caused by old, flammable film catching fire. This happened while Rudall Hayward was editing the sound version of his film Rewi's Last Stand. Hilda Hayward managed the theatre during World War II, from 1939 to 1945.
In 1946, the hall became the Grosvenor Avondale. A new company, Grosvenor Theatre Ltd, was formed in 1947. Auckland Cinemas Ltd owned half of the shares, and Rudall and Hilda Hayward owned the other half. In 1952, Auckland Cinemas Ltd told the Council they were having trouble making a profit. This was partly because of other cinemas nearby in New Lynn, Mt Albert, and Point Chevalier.
The lease was renewed in 1954. The Auckland City Council, who owned the building, repainted the inside and fixed the roof. They also improved the entrance and put new cushions on the seats. In November 1955, the manager, Brian Somerville, announced that the cinema was now a modern theatre. It had a freshly painted ceiling, a new stage, comfy chairs, new carpet, and a redesigned front entrance.
Jan Grefstad's Time
In early 1966, Jan Grefstad and Ray Melrose formed a company called Metropolitan Films. They made a deal to take over the Grosvenor Theatre. The agreement was confirmed, and Metropolitan Films could start showing movies on March 1, 1966. The cinema was renamed 'Hollywood'. It got a new paint job, new carpets, and new lights in the lobby. The first movie shown as the Hollywood was 55 Days at Peking on March 11, 1966.
Auckland Cinemas officially gave up the lease in December 1966. In February 1967, Metropolitan Films got permission to show movies from Paramount Films. The building became privately owned for the first time on September 2, 1992, when Jan Grefstad bought it from the council.
In 1993, Jan Grefstad looked back at the cinema's history. He said that when he took over in 1966, he needed to show more new movies. But he also held "talent contests, quiz shows and housie for the children." He even offered free coffee and once had a chimpanzee visit from a traveling circus!
Between 1978 and 1988, the Hollywood showed Rocky Horror Picture Show every Friday and Saturday night. These shows started at 11:30 pm. A special Wurlitzer organ, which had been damaged, found a new home at the Hollywood in 1978. After four years of hard work to fix it, the organ officially opened with a concert on November 6, 1982. The original part of the Wurlitzer was replaced in 1998 after money was raised. A magazine called Metro described the theatre in 1991: "The Hollywood has the wonderful Wurlitzer organ which fills the auditorium with sound and nostalgia and then descends, coffin-like, organist and all into a circular pit to the left of the stage."
Jan Grefstad was worried in 1993 that the theatre might have to close. He felt that movie distributors were making it hard for him to get films.
In March 2001, a local newspaper shared the upcoming movies at the Hollywood. It mentioned classics like Charlie Chaplin in The Tramp, Sherlock Junior starring Buster Keaton, and the "legendary Douglas Fairbanks in one of his best swashbuckling roles as The Black Pirate (1926)."
Jan Grefstad passed away on September 8, 2001. Many people attended his funeral. One person said it was a "moving tribute to a man who has done so much for the cinema." His nephew, Mark Matheson, took over running the cinema in 2005.
Mark Matheson (Owner 2002–2015)
In 2010, the Wurlitzer Organ Trust of Auckland shared news about three important shows at the Hollywood Cinema. In 2013, someone described the Wurlitzer organ as a "beast of a thing." They said it could make "all sorts of fantastic sounds – from bells to drum rolls" when played with Charlie Chaplin's silent film, The Gold Rush.
The Hollywood also hosted events to raise money for good causes. In 2010, a local resident named Cathy Pope raised money for an orphanage in India. She showed the movie Firaaq, which was about families affected by the 2002 Gujarat riots. The movie told the story of an orphan named Mohsin. Many artists helped with the event, and Madeleine Sami was the host.
Mark Matheson decided to sell the cinema in 2015. After it was sold, he said it was great news that the new owner planned to keep it as a cinema. Local people had even held a rally to support this. A local council member, Ross Clow, said it was "wonderful to see that landmark historical features such as the Hollywood Cinema are set to remain key features of the urban landscape."
However, the Wurlitzer Organ Trust of Auckland was told that the organ was not part of the sale. It needed to be moved by September 15, 2015. The Trust hoped the new owner would give them a year to find a new home for the organ. They worried it would get damaged if put into storage. The organ was eventually moved to the Glen Playhouse Theatre in 2017.
Matt Timpson (from 2015)
Matt Timpson took over the Hollywood Cinema in 2015. He said he wanted to keep it as a theatre. The first event he planned was a 24-hour Movie Marathon from November 21 to November 22.
In 2017, the Hollywood Cinema became a venue for the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) for the first time. Timpson was excited, saying he saw the cinema as a "haven for film and music lovers of Auckland." He wanted it to preserve the cinema experience and be a place for inspiration and community. He also noted that the Hollywood had hosted many great New Zealand musicians, including Tiny Ruins, Lawrence Arabia, Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, and Jean-Paul Sartre Experience.
The Hollywood became known as a music venue that kept a cinema feel. Live performances were made even better with visuals from a 35mm movie projector. Billy Bragg played three nights there in 2018. One reviewer said it was fitting for an artist like Billy Bragg to perform at a historic venue like the Hollywood Theatre.
In 2019, the Hollywood had a special showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Richard O'Brien, who created the show, hosted the event and answered questions after the movie.
In 2020, the Hollywood hosted a screening of Cats with a special theme. The cinema aimed to create a safe, fun, and communal experience for fans of the film. Timpson explained that it was a "cult thing to do" and they wanted to provide a safe space for people. He also said they would help people find drivers afterward.
Throughout October 2020, the Hollywood turned into "Horrorwood." It had a month-long program of over 30 horror films. This included new movies like A24's Saint Maud, classic films like the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and some very unusual ones like Blood Freak.
In a 2021 article, Matt Timpson talked about the future of independent cinemas in Auckland after the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that "Cinema has always saved us from our troubles. It's why Hollywood still exists — the idea of Hollywood, the idea of a collective dream. It's all up there — projected for us all to connect to."
In 2021, the cinema underwent restorations costing $200,000. This included fixing the roofs of both buildings, repairing internal gutters, and painting the outside. A local newsletter commented that it was "amazing how Matthew and the team have brought this venue back to life as a vibrant location for live events and film showings."
Matt Timpson has said that the Hollywood Cinema has been able to stay open by also hosting musical acts.
