Former cyclorama/ice rink as Adelaide's first fixed picture theatre, West's Olympia, in Hindley Street, 1908
West Olympia Picture Theatre in Hindley Street, Adelaide, with 1936 interior (top right) before it was revamped into art deco style in 1939. Orchestras, such as Bill Cade's at the Wondergraph, also in Hindley Street in 1912, were a popular part of Adelaide's silent film era. The orchestra was – Back: Les Digma,; Stan Baines, Chas Alison, Bill May, Bill Sterm, Gus Gooley, Alf Amoi. Front: James Buckley (pianist), Seymour Pank, Bill Cade (conductor); Janz Hackendorf (father of Carmel Hackendorf), Elford Mack.
Images courtesy State Library of South Australia
Adelaide city's first permanent cinema was in Hindley Street on the site of the former cyclorama and the Olympia ice skating rink. Cinema chain owner T. J. West bought the site and revamped it as West’s Olympia Picture Theatre. It opened in December 1908.
West's Olympia Cinema had a seating capacity of 3,000 on one raked level, with a small fly tower and stage. It was one of several large theatres built in Australian cities by silent film entrepreneur West.
It was closed in the early 1930s as a result of the great depression and was demolished in 1938, with only the stage area retained in a new West's art deco cinema.
The original West's Olympia cinema had a popular orchestra. Orchestras became a part of the silent film era in theatres such as the Wondergraph, also in Hindley Street. Its orchestra leader was William Cade, who would later became conductor of the new Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 1936 to 1948. West's cinema in Hindley Street would later become home to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as the Grainger Studio – named after Percy Grainger.
By 1912, several silent movie picture theatres were built in Adelaide city, mainly around Hindley Street.
The Empire Theatre opened alongside the newly-built 1901 Central Market in Grote Street. The style of picture theatre buildings was influenced by the American cinema industry. They were often ornate and the most flamboyant building in the streetscape.
Two former cinema buildings survived as substantial shops along Rundle Mall. One was the five-storey Lotteries Commission building at 23-25 Rundle Mall which was the former Grand Picture Theatre built for sole proprietor Alfred Drake. He held a grand opening in November 1916 for the city’s mayor and other dignitaries before it was premiered to the public the next day with The Fool's Revenge. It closed in 1976, having also been known at different times as the Mayfair and Sturt cinemas.