CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

Harry Gyles operated the theatre in its first few years, and then leased to Union Theatres at a time when Union and Hoyts Pictures company were dominating the suburbs. "Union Theatres installed Mr J C Langley as manager and the company ran the theatre until the depression years of the early thirties. The lease was then acquired by another huge combine, General Theatres Corporation. This company was actually a merger of Hoyts, Union, Snider and Dean, and several other companies, which commenced in 1932 but ended in 1937. This resulted in several independent theatres returning to their own managements and thus Moonee Ponds came under the control of Harry Gyles and his family once more." (Hanson, p. 5)

Alterations on the original building were carried out in 1939 with the major change made to the exterior which was modernised in cream brick and cement render. (Hanson, p.6)

J. C. Langley is listed as manager in Everyones, February 11, 1927.

Photograph of theatre circa 1912 appears in Community and real estate news, October 27, 1981, p.15- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Moonee Ponds (unpublished research).

References
Cinema & Theatre Historical Society 1997, Cinema index : Melbourne cinemas, suburban cinemas, Victorian drive-ins. CATHS, Victoria.

Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1964/65

Hanson, I 1986, "Moonee Ponds Theatre", Kino: journal of the Australian Theatre Historical Society, no. 15, p. 5.

1923, 'Moonee Ponds Theatre Company', December 23- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Moonee Ponds (unpublished research).
1916, 'New Theatre for Moonee Ponds' October 5- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Moonee Ponds (unpublished research).
1921, 'Moonee Ponds Theatre', February 21, p.4.- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Moonee Ponds (unpublished research).
1973, 'Cinema talk revived memories', Gazette, December 19, p.8.- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Moonee Ponds (unpublished research).