Pete Smith - Luna Park and Palais Memories
Interview with Pete Smith OAM
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Harold Herman Leon |
Some Background to this Interview and the Phillips
Brothers Herman, Leon and Harold Phillips were leading showmen in the Australian entertainment industry from the Edwardian era through to the 1950s. Their diverse interests included cinemas, amusement parks and dance halls. Beginning their conquest of Oceania in Sydney, their commercial activities eventually extended nationwide as well as across the Tasman to New Zealand. However, they quickly shifted their headquarters to Melbourne and specifically to the bayside suburb of St.Kilda where they owned Luna Park, the Palais Pictures (now the Palais Theatre) and the Palais de Danse ballroom. They also played a key role in the development of the Capitol Theatre and office building (known as "Capitol House") in the Melbourne CBD (downtown area). Later, they established other fun fairs interstate. As music promoters, they imported a number of popular jazz and big band artists from America to perform at their venues. But their career commenced way back at the dawn of the cinema age and the birth of the movies when at least one of them was involved in the operation of nickelodeons, kinetoscope parlours and penny arcades in their hometown of Spokane, Washington and Vancouver, Canada. The story as to how and why they ended up "Down Under" will be outlined in another, more detailed blog about their work which I am currently preparing.
The Phillips had a slightly unusual attitude to the spotlight. They were very successful publicists when it came to the promotion of their attractions; news of which regularly appeared in daily papers and they were close to the rich and famous. Leon, for instance, learned the tricks of the stage and screen from a dynamic travelling picture showman; a former carnival huckster, vaudeville roustabout and master of illusion who went on to become one of the most powerful studio chiefs in Hollywood. However, despite their own talent for creating thrills and excitement to enthral the public, something separated the brothers from their more ego-driven contemporaries (such as F.W.Thring) - namely their indifference to personal publicity. It seems that the "selfie" / microphone - grabbing / lampshade on the head routine never floated their River Caves boat and they preferred to maintain a comparatively low profile. Indeed, they remained somewhat mysterious figures who usually employed others to "meet the press". But a select few did get to know the men who made the magic. One was Pete Smith OAM and in this interview he reflected on that special friendship
(Above photo: Palais at Dusk (2020) - Red Stiletto: Flickr)
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Bruce: Pete, thanks for making yourself available to have a chat about old St Kilda, the Phillips brothers and the early days of your broadcasting career
Pete: My pleasure Bruce
Bruce: Are you from St Kilda originally?
Pete: Yes, indeed....I started life in Longmore Street and I was down there until the '50s when we relocated to Kew
Bruce: So, all of those iconic foreshore attractions such as Luna Park, the Palais and the Palais de Danse provided a backdrop to your youth?
Pete: They did. But they were much more than just a backdrop, particularly on Saturdays when I made a “b-line” for the Palais Theatre, or the Palais “Pictures” as it was originally called. That place was the centre of both my social life and my fantasy world... as it was for many people.
Bruce: The Palais was your “big deal”?
Pete: Absolutely, mainly because I was mad about the movies and it was a real picture palace in the grand American style. It was unusual to have a theatre like that in the suburbs and we were lucky that it was so close to home. Luna Park was magic in the old days as well.
Bruce: What about the Palais de Danse?
Pete: That was a bit racy, strictly for the “dancing crowd” as the flappers and their beaus were called back in the '20s
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78453720@N06/albums/72177720324969426/
Palais de Danse, St Kilda - Wikipedia
(not at the Palais de Danse.. just an example of the type of
band that would have appeared there..... )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa9x0PnW0OQ
The Black Bottom (1927) - YouTube
1920s dances featuring the Charleston, the Peabody, Turkey Trot and more - YouTube
demonstrating the Charleston on television station HSV7
in Melbourne, Australia in the 1960s)
and the Palais de Danse (right) on the Lower Esplanade at St.Kilda
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Same attractions from the Lower Esplanade (1930s?) (SKHS) |
Bruce: In her autobiography, Helen Reddy, who came from Camberwell, said that she always envied her cousins who lived in St.Kilda. She described it as being the most exciting and cosmopolitan suburb in Melbourne, at a time when those qualities were a bit thin on the ground in this city. Would you agree with those thoughts?
Pete: Yes, I would. There was, definitely, an international, or, more specifically, a fairly Americanized ambience about the area, certainly around the amusement precinct with the Canary Island palm trees, Spanish Mission architecture etc. I think that might have been deliberate or maybe it was simply due to the influence of important local Americans such as the Phillips. It looked like Santa Monica as we used to see it in Hollywood movies
Bruce: At the Palais of course?
Pete: Of course.
Bruce: Sounds like you’ve given all this a bit of thought
Pete: I have actually. I’ve got some very vivid and happy memories of those years that I spent in St.Kilda
Bruce: Like to paint a couple of word pictures?
Pete: Well, for example, I can remember, as a young boy, walking around to the Palais from Longmore Street with my parents on balmy summer nights, riding on my dad’s shoulders, past the Catani Gardens and the pier. I can still feel the gentle breezes blowing and rustling through the wispy branches of the palm trees, the splashing and laughter of the swimmers in the twilight air and the myriad colored lights from the forsehore attractions streaking the roads and the beach...
Bruce: And the Palais rose up behind all this..
Pete: Indeed, it was a prominent landmark at the top of the bay. Still is.....
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Bruce: When and how did you come to know the Phillips brothers?
Pete: I probably met them around 1954 or ’55. I knew Harold and Leon but not Herman, the eldest brother, who had long since passed away. In fact, they used to take me to dinner every Saturday at a terrific Chinese restaurant in the Village Belle. It all came about through my friendship with Albert Wright who was the projectionist at the Palais. As a teenager, my ambition was to work in the bio box down there. Anyway, I was just a local kid with stars in my eyes but Albert befriended me, when he realized that I was serious about a career in the business. So, I started to spend almost every waking hour at the theatre. All of them encouraged my interest in the entertainment industry
Pete: Not really, I stayed on at school and, unfortunately, by the time I was ready to join the workforce, Harold and Leon had both died and the Palais had been sold. However, what they did do was allow me to have some involvement and a whole lot of fun at the place as a stepping stone. I mean, they were big operators and that theatre was a hot spot of show business, particularly from the ‘50s onwards when all those American stars like Bob Hope appeared there.
Bruce: What was the involvement you had?
Pete: I ran the Palais Junior Film Club and the comic "swap shop". Harald Vike, who, as I recall, was the scenic artist, built a brilliant type of "shop" theatre set in the foyer where kids used to exchange their comics.
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Biography - Harald Vike - Australian Dictionary of Biography (anu.edu.au)
Harald Vike Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Harald Vike Art Value Price Guide (invaluable.com
Bruce: Did you get to work on stage and front an audience at the Palais?
Pete: I did. That was where the film club came in. I used to host little presentations. I would introduce the movies, run competitions and mime Top 40 records. That was a peculiar fad in the ‘50s which became enormously popular on television when Channel 7 launched their show called the Hit Parade. That was right at the beginning when they commenced transmission in '56. Miming was all the rage for a while.
Bruce: .... and as I understand, it was in the second half of the '50s that you started in broadcasting. Is that correct?
30.Pete: Correct
Bruce: Now, as we go back a long way, I know that you have a separate and very interesting story to tell about your days as a radio DJ. You were also a pioneer of pop music shows on television and, of course, you became a household name via the nightly variety programs at GTV Channel 9 with the likes of Graham Kennedy, Bert Newton, Ernie Sigley, Don Lane and others and we'll discuss all of that in some detail a bit later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6bvBFNYhLM&t=132s
(Pete presenting a movie related segment on the "Don Lane Show")
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Lane
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=don+lane+show
(Note: After we concluded the interview, it was decided that this period of Pete's career warranted more space than could be allocated to it within the confines of our main, chat regarding the Phillips. With that being the case, this part of our conversation was expanded with additional questions and photos and it has now been presented separately as an extension to this post - see below)
Pete: From my viewpoint, they were just thoroughly nice blokes and very generous, as evidenced by the fact that they took me to dinner every week. In regard to their style, I do remember that they always wore great suits...... even on the weekends. I suppose, they bought a lot of their clothes back from the States. However, in some ways they didn’t fit the standard image of showbiz moguls. They weren’t particularly flamboyant in themselves. Actually, they were quite reserved and conservative.
Bruce: I know that they drove Cadillacs. Indeed, they must have been driving them for years because I found a news item in a film industry magazine from the 1930s that was about them buying such a car. They had a relative in the California who owned a Cadillac dealership so I assume that they used to buy current models when they were over there.
A 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood similar to the one
that was owned by the Phillips in their final years (BC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1gTN6DX2XE
Pete: Right
Bruce: Did they remain emphatically American, despite all the years that they had been in Australia?
Pete: Oh yes. They always looked, sounded and thought, like Americans. In fact, I think they remained strictly US citizens.
Pete: They were both in South Yarra
Bruce: Did one of them seem to be the overall boss?
Pete: No, from what I saw, they were an equal partnership. They had managers who did most of the day to day hiring and firing
Bruce: They owned several film exchanges in Australia and elsewhere prior to WWI and I have heard that they were, possibly, a distributor for Paramount Pictures. Do you know anything about that?
Pete: Not sure. But it's possible. As I understand, Paramount leased the Capitol for several years so there may have been some sort of wider tie-up between them
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(Above) The Capitol Theatre in Swanston Street, Melbourne when it was being leased by Paramount in the 1930s (Simon Brand photo) (lower Image) The Capitol's famous "Ceiling of Lights" (Flickr) The Capitol, Melbourne - Wikipedia Capitol Theatre - Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Flickr Capitol Theatre, Melbourne, Australia - YouTube |
Pete: Sadly, I don’t have any photos. However, there would have to be some in existence because they were important figures in the Australian cinema industry. But they weren't interested in personal publicity.
Pete: Yes, as I understand, all of their attractions were taken over by a group of their business associates.
children William and Helen Kemter (Brighton, Victoria, 1950s)
(Photo courtesy of Helen)
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Phillips brothers grave at St.Kilda cemetery (Bruce Corneil) |
Bruce: How would you sum up your memories of the Phillips brothers and the time that you spent with them?
Pete: They were extremely happy days indeed. The Phillips did everything on a grand scale and with great style. They made a huge contribution to the local entertainment scene and they deserve more recognition.
Bruce: Let’s hope that they get it. Thanks again Peter.
Pete: Thanks Bruce.
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INTERVIEW EXTENSION
Bruce: Pete, you went on to become a famous identity on the commercial side of the industry, most notably with the Nine Network in Melbourne and Adelaide where you did your own tonight show. You were also at radio stations 3AK and 3UZ and I remember you being on air with Bert Newton at UZ, years after this period that we're discussing at the moment. But a lot of people may not be aware that you got the ball rolling at the ABC. What was your first job at "'Auntie", as the national broadcaster is affectionately known?
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Pete and Bert (Pete Smith Collection) Frankenstein attacks Bert on Channel Nine's New Faces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxhfXyAIlzE |
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) Trailer #1
(Example of a 20th Century Fox movie preview trailer)
Bruce: ....and we should explain, that, in those days, long before the new Southbank centre was built (A Tour of ABC Melbourne’s New Headquarters - Officelovin'), the ABC in Melbourne was set up somewhat differently. Where was it located when you joined the staff?
Pete: In that era, it was called the Australian Broadcasting Commission rather than the Corporation as it is today and it was based at "Broadcast House" in Lonsdale Street
Bruce: ... and which stations were operating from there?
Pete: There was 3LO which was known as the "home service", 3AR, Radio Australia and the news services for the network's Victorian regionals such as Ballarat, Bendigo etc. also beamed out of that building as well.
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| Broadcast House on the corner of Lonsdale and William Streets in the Melbourne CBD. (1950s) (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php/?story_fbid=4408439385908586&id=120943481324886 |
Bruce: So, you got started in the office. Then you ended up on air. How did that come about?
Pete: I managed to pass one of the auditions that were open to the public on a regular basis. I was still in my teens when I joined the announcing staff
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| ABC Melbourne announcers in the '50s (left to right) Pete Smith, Jocelyn Terry and John Sloan (Pete Smith collection) |
Bruce: What sort of programs did you present at Lonsdale Street?
Pete: Initially, I just did minor jobs which included occasional news reading. However, I found a niche for myself as host of the ABC's Hit Parade that was broadcast nationally. That was a weekly countdown of the country's Top 10 records. I also did a version on Radio Australia that was beamed overseas via short wave to North America, the British Isles and Asia. In addition to all that, I conducted another teenage program that featured the ABC Melbourne Dance Band and singers such as Gaynor Bunning, Heather Horwood and Frankie Davidson, all of whom did cover versions in the studio of some of the big songs of the day
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| Off to Work he Goes: DJ Pete Smith clutching a stack of 45s heads into Broadcast House to do his weekly "Hit Parade" |
to Australia in the early '60s when (left to right) American pop stars
Del Shannon, Chubby Checker and Bobby Rydell
meet Melbourne DJs Geoff "The Hound" Haynes (3UZ),
Mike Walsh (3XY?) Pete Smith (ABC), Ernie
Sigley (3DB) and Stan "The Man" Rofe (3KZ)(Pete Smith Collection)
Bruce: There was a lot going on from your viewpoint...
Pete: Indeed. But there was yet another activity happening via Broadcast House and that was FM broadcasting.
Bruce: How fascinating. Tell me more ...
Pete: They had a transmitter on Jolimont Hill above the MCG. However, only enthusiasts who had the relevant, specialized reception equipment could hear it as an FM signal. It was quite revolutionary, being done many years before any commercial FM stations arrived in Melbourne.
Bruce: Very revolutionary. And I should mention that I found an article in the ABC Weekly magazine from 1942 that includes a photo of Leon Phillips who is pictured at the Radio Australia studios with a group of American servicemen who were apparently broadcasting to US troops in the South Pacific. According to the caption, Leon was Recreational Supervisor for the American military.
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ABC Weekly, August 29, 1942 |
Pete: Oh, right... interesting
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| ABV2 in Gordon Street, Ripponlea around 1960 (ABC News) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rkv6g6pG5I https://tvtonight.com.au/2024/12/demolition-underway-at-former-abc-ripponlea-studios.html |
Pete: Indeed, it was an unusual format. But that was way back in the early days of TV when people would watch almost anything LOL !!. It was all new and exciting. Anyway, that show came about simply because the management said, "we want you to do the Hit Parade down at Channel 2".
Bruce: However, the obvious question would have been ....what was going appear on the screen while you played the records"? Of course, unlike running the countdown on radio, there had to be something visual to support the audio
Pete: Clearly, and that was the first thing that I asked them. So, they told me that, because it would be going to air on a Saturday afternoon, they would put sporting results on the screen that were typed on what's known as the "credit crawl" that rolls down in front of the camera. They were, in fact, on toilet paper because it was absorbent and it didn't shine back into the lens. The lady who typed the results was very skilled because she had to miss the perforations in the paper!
Bruce: Tricky..... Was there a studio audience?
Pete: No. It was never done before a live audience
Bruce: Was there anything else happening, visually, apart from the sports results? For example, did you conduct interviews ? Were there any promotional films to go with the hits such as the one that was used to sell Crash Craddock's chart-topper "Boom, Boom Baby" - perhaps the first production of its type ever to be shown on Australian television https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5KAMWnCByM
Pete: I would say that probably was the first. But there weren't many of those at that stage. Although, they did start to crop up as the ' 60s moved on. Of course, they were the forerunner of what became known, much later, as "music videos".
(Note: Pete is being modest about all this by not mentioning the fact that, as he recalled in a television interview some years ago, he "starred" in what was, quite possibly, the first pop music promo film to be shot in Australia...see first link under 'Sportsview Hit Parade" photos below - Bruce)
I didn't do any interviews. It was pretty much just a case of playing the music. However, I quickly got tired of having nothing but sports results so I cut out photos of the stars, stuck them onto pieces of cardboard and flipped them over manually in front of the camera. So, if, for example, Elvis was singing, I would have photos of his face and sometimes action shots that I would flip… Hence what became known as "flip cards". The cut-outs came from magazines like the Women's Weekly or anywhere else I could find them… Never mind the copyright! In the end, over half the records were supported by photos. However, nobody complained about the sporting results being on the screen while, some teen idol was singing because the audience didn't know any better. Anyway, despite its low budget look, it was a popular program that ran for about five years.
(Promotional Films, Music Videos and TV show inserts shot at Phillips - owned attractions...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyW0SLrXWVE
(Judy Stone "4,003, 221" - Luna Park, Sydney, 1964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYxG_4tGZ0E
(Johnny O'Keefe "Shout" - Luna Park, Sydney 1960s)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XljmO_KPQaM
(Skyhook's "Horror Movie" - Luna Park, Melbourne, 1975
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq9moPpTFZE
(INXS "Listen like Thieves" - Palais Theatre, Melbourne, 1985)
Bruce: And, even more significantly, having a quick glance through the archives, it seems that it was the first youth-orientated pop music show to be produced at Ripponlea, years before "Countdown" and there were quite a few, other, similar programs in between. Looking back, have you ever reflected on your status as being a pioneer for the ABC in that regard? Were you conscious at the time that you were blazing a trail for them?
Pete: No. As already mentioned, everything was being done for the first time and there was a lot of experimenting going on
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 Presenting his Sports View Hit Parade show on ABV2 (1960) with Paul Anka's song "Lonely Boy" making it to No.1 (Pete Smith Collection) |
Bruce: Did you do any other on-air work at ABV? You said that you occasionally read the news on radio. Did you ever present the Channel 2 news?
Pete: No, I never made it into news reading on television. Although, I did a brief stint as a reporter, years later at GTV Channel 9. I was, however, an on-camera "continuity announcer" at Ripponlea where I filled in for the likes of Corinne Kirby and Jocelyn Terri. Basically, the job involved sitting there linking the shows which only ran 24 minutes. So, the extra six minutes that was needed to make up a half-hour block had to be filled with community service announcements etc. That was before videotaped program promotions became a reality. I also hosted several variety shows, most notably one called "Fancy Free" which was a six-part series featuring the ABC Melbourne dance band and local singers just like we had on radio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJg0ty1Qib0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laEwOj5qXNo
Bruce: When and how did you make the move to commercial broadcasting?
Pete: In 1964 I was offered an interesting, multi-faceted role at GTV. It involved booth announcing, doing comedy sketches and live commercials on Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight and also presenting my own DJ show on radio station 3AK. Channel 9, or more specifically the Packer family, had purchased AK and relocated it from St Kilda to what was known as "Television City" in Bendigo Street, Richmond where Nine was based. In fact, the first 3AK shows from there were broadcast from a caravan that was parked in the courtyard because a state-of-the-art studio complex had not yet been built
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS-7FzpLjnw&t=40s
(3AK program from 1963)
https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20021021033616/http://www.long.com.au/3ak_complete.htm
Bruce: That was another hectic work roster for you...
Pete: Well, most of those duties where shared with others. There were nine booth announcers and quite a few people doing the comedy sketches and commercials on IMT. The booth was very busy in those days. It was not only used to promote upcoming shows but also for a lot of commercials because so much was done live to air. Later, with videotape, the commercials were being fully prerecorded. In the beginning, however, they were, either, shot on 16 mm black-and-white film or done as live reads from the booth with slides being changed to support the script. But I did the AK program by myself.
Bruce: You were a member of the legendary line-up of "Good Guy" DJs at AK along with the likes of Lionel Yorke, Grantly Dee, Bill Howie etc and you did a program called "Pete Smith's Penthouse Party" which, as I understand, became a real favourite with Melbourne teenagers.... according to my chemist who once told me that he was a regular listener
Pete: Yes, it had quite a following. It was basically just a straightforward shift but I used to include a lot of recorded messages from visiting music stars who were in Melbourne....for example... "This is Roy Orbison... you're listening to Pete Smith's Penthouse Party on 3AK" etc. I would go out and record them, usually wherever they were staying in town.
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| (Left to right) Sammy Davis Jr, Roy Orbison and the Bee Gees (Pete Smith Collection) |
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| Publicity pic for 3AK's "Penthouse Party" show (Peter Smith Collection) |
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| Pete doing his own production at AK in the '60s (Pete Smith Collection) |
Pete: No, not really. But I certainly wasn't unhappy there because I enjoyed what I was doing. However, I felt that being able to do variety, five nights a week, on Melbourne's most popular show - namely In Melbourne Tonight - was a step forward. In the end, the offer to join such a wonderful company of players was just too appealing to knock back and I accepted.
Bruce: ... and you were ideally suited to that sort of program in terms of your skill set. We spoke earlier, for example, about miming records. But I doubt that many people are aware that you're a competent singer in your own right. You can definitely "hold a tune". Indeed, there's a video doing the rounds which features you performing quite a complex production number with considerable panache .......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOiUuCWJa18&t=3s
Pete: The thing was you had to be able to do just about everything on those big variety shows. We did comedy sketches, live commercials, a bit of singing and dancing, occasional interviews... once I even stepped in to host the program. It was a great training ground for all of us.
(1.42 minute mark) in this 1968 line up of GTV9 personalities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkkYfvg1YAM
Bruce: Well... we have barely touched on the initial part of what turned out to be a very long and successful career - one that has continued, unbroken, all the way from the 1950s right up to the present day. You worked, not only with Graham and Bert, but also Ernie Sigley, Denise Drysdale and Don Lane. Then, you reached a whole new audience with radio and television programs such as the D-Generation, Micallef Tonight, Martin and Molloy, Frontline and the Late Show. And, even today, when most of your contemporaries have put up their feet to enjoy retirement, you're back on air, with D-Gen alumni, Tony Martin, as part of a monthly podcast called "'From the Hideout" which is getting rave reviews... and I will provide a link at the end of all this....
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| (Left to right) Pete, Ernie Sigley and Denise Drysdale doing a special "Snow Show" for GTV9 (1974) (Pete Smith collection)  which included the hit single "Hey, Paula" - a duet that he recorded with his television co-host Denise Drysdale (yours truly was one of Ernie's many program producers way back when) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvhZVuPAUNw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZVSQoIOqZA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Sigley ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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| Stars of "From the Hideout" (Left to right) Tony Martin, Djovan Caro and Pete Smith (Herald Sun photo) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iS14IfMBVY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Martin_(comedian) https://www.djovancaro.com/ |
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Pete....Still making the news! (Herald Sun, April 2025) |
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| With Peter Ustinov (Pete Smith Collection) |
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| Sharing a joke with Hollywood horror star Vincent Price (left)... . and Pete in the clutches of another legendary movie bad guy - The Mummy (right) (Pete Smith Collection) |
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| Enjoying the view with Australian television personality Cheryl Rixon at Luna Park, St.Kilda in the '70s (Peter Smith collection) Cheryl Rixon - Wikipedia And... for a truly BIG finish.............. Pete sings... "Dude Looks like a Lady" on the Late Show 1993....... |
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