CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

Also known as the Guildford (Film Weekly motion picture directory 1946/47)??

This was the third and last local film venue in Surrey Hills. First venue was at the Surrey Gardens where the bioscope operated from a tin shed. (Hall, p. 20) The second was the Rex, Surrey Hills established in the Surrey Hall and closed just before the Surrey Theatre opened.

Owners of the Surrey Theatre included: Dimmick, Long, L. Rossiter and R. Mitchell (1939-50); Victoria Theatres / Consolidated Theatres (1950-60). Mr Rossiter and co sold the theatre in October 1950 to Victoria Theatres (located in the Village Toorak building).

The Surrey made a switch from Suburban Entertainment column to regional theatres on March 6 1958. During this time Victoria Theatres became Consolidated Theatres.

Film Weekly records the following changes in capacity:
1946/7-1951/2 = 794
1952/3 = 760
1954/5 = 762
-in June 1955 seating was reduced to 762 to accommodate a Cinema-Scope screen. (Hall, p. 22)
1956/7-1959/60 = 760

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

Hall, C 2002 'The Surrey Theatre' CinemaRecord, Cinema and Theatre Historical Society, no. 40, pp. 20-23

Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory Film Weekly, Sydney, 1946/7-1958/59