Ritz Cinema, Randwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ritz Cinema |
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The Ritz Cinema, pictured in 2009
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| Location | 43 St Pauls Street, Randwick, City of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Aaron Bolot |
| Architectural style(s) | Inter-war Art Deco |
| Official name: Ritz Theatre; Ritz Cinema | |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 348 |
| Type | Cinema |
| Category | Recreation and Entertainment |
| Builders | C. & B. J. Williams |
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The Ritz Cinema, also known as the Ritz Theatre, is a special old movie theatre in Randwick, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It was designed by a famous architect named Aaron Bolot and built in 1937. The Ritz is known for its cool Art Deco style, which was popular for buildings in the 1930s. It's so important that it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999, meaning it's protected because of its history and unique design.
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History of the Ritz Cinema and Randwick
First People of the Land
Long before the Ritz Cinema was built, the land where Randwick now stands was home to Aboriginal people. They lived here for at least 20,000 years. The local group, called the Cadigal people, used the area for fishing and cultural activities. You can still find signs of their presence, like rock engravings and middens (old shell heaps).
How Randwick Grew
In the early 1800s, European settlers started to arrive. The area got its name, Randwick, from a town in England. Two brothers, Simeon and James Pearce, helped develop the area. Simeon bought land and named his property "Randwick." He worked hard to get a road built from Sydney to Coogee and helped Randwick become an official town in 1859.
At first, Randwick was a bit isolated. Getting to Sydney was tough because of swamps and sandhills. But things changed when the Randwick Racecourse was built in 1863. This made Randwick a busy and exciting place. Trams soon connected the suburb to Sydney, making it much easier for people to travel. Today, Randwick is a lively area with homes, businesses, and students from the nearby University of NSW and Prince of Wales Hospital.
Building the Ritz Theatre
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The architect who designed the Ritz Cinema was Aaron Bolot. He was born in 1900 and moved to Australia from Crimea in 1911. He studied architecture and became very good at designing buildings, especially in the Art Deco style. Before designing the Ritz, Bolot worked on other important buildings and even helped design incinerators with another famous architect, Walter Burley Griffin.
In 1937, Bolot designed the Randwick Ritz. He also designed other theatres around New South Wales. After serving in the army during World War II, he continued to design many important buildings, including large apartment blocks in Sydney.
Over the years, the Ritz Cinema has had different owners, including the Hoyts cinema group. In the late 1980s, there were plans to knock down the cinema and build something new. But the local council and the government stepped in to protect it. They made sure the Ritz building was saved in 1993. The current owners then updated the building in the late 1990s, adding more cinema screens so it could compete with bigger movie theatres. This helped the Ritz stay open and continue showing movies.
What the Ritz Cinema Looks Like
The Ritz Theatre is made of brick with a metal roof. It can seat about 900 people. The building's design is a great example of the Inter-war Art Deco style.
The front of the building has strong vertical lines and a stepped roofline, which makes it look tall and impressive. Even the awning over the entrance has a cool stepped design. If you look closely at the underside of the awning, you'll see original metal patterns with classic Art Deco shapes.
Inside, the Art Deco style continues with curved walls in the foyer and lounge areas. The main movie theatre is special with its Art Deco lights on the walls and unique lighting around the ceiling. The plaster decorations on the walls and ceiling have geometric patterns. The detailed speaker boxes next to the screen are also beautifully designed.
Australian Film Walk of Fame
Outside the Ritz Cinema, you can find the Australian Film Walk of Fame. This was started in 2008 by the local council. It has special plaques on the ground that honor important people from the Australian film industry. It's a fun way to celebrate Australian movie stars and filmmakers!
Condition and Changes
The Ritz Cinema is in good physical condition. Over the years, some changes have been made. For example, in 1954, it was changed to fit a wider movie screen, and the inside was redecorated around 1963.
Why the Ritz Cinema is Special
The Randwick Ritz is a great example of a smaller, suburban movie theatre from the 1930s. It's one of the few cinemas from that time that are still standing and being used today. The 1930s were a very creative time for cinema design in Australia, and the Ritz shows off many beautiful Art Deco details.
The Ritz Theatre helps us understand what movie-going was like in the 1930s. It shows how important cinemas were to people's lives back then. It's also the last known surviving theatre designed by the architect A.M. Bolot. Because most other old movie theatres have been torn down or changed, the Ritz is a very rare and important building.
The Ritz Cinema is important for several reasons:
- It shows the history of cinema design in Australia, especially how theatres changed from the grand "picture palaces" of the 1920s to the Art Deco styles of the 1930s.
- Both the outside and inside of the Ritz have amazing Art Deco details and original features that show the craftsmanship of the 1930s.
- It's a great example of Aaron Bolot's work and helps us understand how cinema design developed in Australia.
- The Ritz Theatre is a record of how people enjoyed movies in the 1930s. It helps us see what people hoped for and how important cinema was to society.
- It's a rare building because it's one of the very few 1930s cinemas in Sydney that are still mostly original and in use.
See also
- Australian non-residential architectural styles
