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The Phillips final, major project in Melbourne was another solo endeavor that reached its glittering climax in 1927 with the completion of the "New" Palais Pictures (now the Palais Theatre). Situated between Luna Park and the Palais de Danse on the St Kilda foreshore and with a seating capacity of nearly 3,000, it was described as being the largest venue of its type in Australia when it opened and that may still be the case. Certainly, it would be our largest suburban cinema. The present structure was the fourth movie theatre to be built by the brothers on the same site with each one bigger and better than its predecessor. It all began when the original Palais de Danse was converted to a "picture show" in 1915. Then, five years later, a second cinema was constructed.
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The story begins....the first Palais de Danse ballroom becomes the Palais de Danse "Pictures"(1915) |
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| Herald, November 11, 1927 Rising from the ashes, the cathedral-like "New" Palais Pictures became the fourth theatre to occupy the same site and it remains an imposing landmark at the top of the bay |
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(Melbournalia) |
https://melbournalia.com.au/products/harperandcharliepalaistheatrepostcard
However, before we go any further, let's pause for a moment to take a wider look at the period in question; a time when Herman, Leon and others were pioneering the film business in St Kilda. We will briefly review what else they were doing and meet a few of the identities with whom they were associated.
The February 10, 1921 edition of Table Talk reported that Herman and fellow showman W.A.Gibson were about to visit America.
Like the Phillips, Englishman William Alfred Gibson had been involved in the "flickers" from the get-go. A former chemist, he produced two of our most important films. The first was The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) which told the tale of the notorious bushranger (outlaw) Ned Kelly and his band of thieves. His second venture, For the Term of His Natural Life (1927) was based on Marcus Clarke's novel about Australia's convict era. But Gibson's main interests were exhibition and distribution and he chose to concentrate on his role as Joint Managing Director of Union Theatres (eventually known as Greater Union)
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| Gibson's St Kilda Bioscope Theatre at 145 Fitzroy Street : the suburb's first purpose-built cinema (Greg Lynch photo) https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/52876  ...and the same location today. The Banff flats built in 1940 https://storeyofmelbourne.org/2020/05/07/banff-flats-fitzroy-street-st-kilda-1940/ Home of the popular Banff Cafe.. until recently.... https://www.facebook.com/banffcafestkilda/ |
Constantly planning newsworthy events, the Phillips became astute publicists and Hollywood stars occasionally made personal appearances at the Capitol and/or Palais. Louise Lovely was one of them.
Born Nellie Louise Carbasse (Car-Bass-ee?) into a Sydney showbusiness family in 1895, Lovely debuted as an ingenue in local theatre and films. In 1914 she sailed for the US to have a crack at Tinsel Town and she soon caught the eye of Carl Laemmle, the boss of Universal Pictures, who gave her a contract and changed her name to Louise Lovely. Although almost forgotten today, Lovely was one of the first Australian "photo players" to make a notable impression in the movie capitol where she appeared in dozens of films. Cast opposite Lon Chaney in the Gilded Spider (1916), she received good reviews. In 1918, she joined Fox where she co-starred in Westerns with William Farnum. By the early, '20s, however, her Stateside career had peaked, and she returned to this country. But her stint in Hollywood had supercharged her celebrity status back home.
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But although it generated some "buzz" when it premiered in Melbourne, production costs exceeded box office receipts, and it turned out to be Louise's swan song as both a producer and actress.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Theatre,_Melbourne
https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4507
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" The Phillips Reality Co Melbourne (Herman Phillips) was going to construct...."a studio in Tasmania". A producer was to be "brought from America" and "all of Marie Bjelke Petersen's books had been "secured for picturization" (Everyone's, May 19, 1926)
Presumably, this scheme was prompted by the recent filming of Petersen's Jewelled Nights on the Apple Isle. Although, other things were going on down there as well. For example, Phillips' associate W.A.Gibson was about to shoot For the Term of his Natural Life at Port Arthur. So, perhaps, Herman's plans were connected to Gibson's activities and, maybe, the "American producer" was going to be Norman Dawn? Whatever the case may have been, it seems that Phillips was merely staking a claim and taking an option - one that he never pursued. Indeed, showing no further enthusiasm for production, he later expressed the view that our movies could not compete with the American product. Appearing as a witness before the 1927 Royal Commission on the Moving Picture industry in Australia (at which Louise Lovely also gave evidence), he said that the introduction of a proposed quota for the showing of Australian and English films would be undesirable for exhibitors as such offerings usually (but not always) bombed at the box office. Did the failure of Jewelled Nights lead to the change of mind and the realization that the making of local features was too risky and not worth the effort? Presumably, there were easier and more reliable ways in which Herman and Leon could rake in a lot more cash.
But back to the Palais....
With everything going great guns at the Phillips St Kilda movie house, they upgraded, yet again, with a new venue (1926) that was designed by the Griffins. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire during its construction. In the process of rising from the ashes, however, a second decision was, apparently, made to "floor the gas pedal" from an extravagance viewpoint in regard to a replacement
As Walter and Marion had relocated to Sydney and were fully committed to other assignments, the Phillips approached New Zealand-born architect Henry Eli White to come up with a more palatial and imposing structure. This was to be the brothers ultimate display of showmanship so it had to wow the fans as they had never been wowed before. It had to be colossal- an absolute palace for pictures. Billed as "Australia's Wonder Theatre", it was, like everything else they owned, totally unique. There were, of course, other impressive cinemas in Melbourne such as the State on Flinders Street and the Regent on Collins (both opened in 1929). However, the creators of the Capitol and the Palais offered something different. Although, the Phillips' latest addition to the Lower Esplanade incorporated their local trademark design feature of matching towers on each side of the facade which, as previously mentioned, gave the theatre a cathedral-like appearance (include small collage of all three buildings)
The Palais was conceived as a dual-purpose movie theatre and live performance venue and it has a large stage. Also fitted with an extensive range of production equipment and behind the scenes facilities, it presented weekly musical variety shows that ran prior to the main film and were part of a wider program that included newsreels, shorts and trailers.
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| Palais staging equipment (left) Main stage and proscenium (centre) Lighting / projection room (right) |
British maestro Harry Jacobs (formerly of the Alhambra Theatre, London) was appointed to lead the orchestra and, under his baton, they established a reputation for excellence.
| Enjoying his on-going success as a showman, Leon treated himself to a new Marmon 78 sedan in 1929. Advertised as "'America's Mechanical Masterpiece", the mighty Marmons were, indeed, one of the world's finest automakers back in the day. Apparently, Leon couldn't get enough of them! (Cars from the UK photos) |
The "New" Palais Pictures was officially opened at a private function on the evening of Friday, November 11, 1927 with the VIP audience being treated to a premiere screening of Seventh Heaven starring Janet Gaynor along with a selection of favorites from the orchestra. The following night, the public was admitted to see Monte Blue in Across the Pacific and Clara Bow in Rough House Rosie while Jacobs and Co perfumed the air with a melange (may-lon-ju) of melodies that were designed to delight even the most particular patron (phew... I'm exhausted... in fact, I'll have to stand up for a while)
John Michael Howson remembered an after dark visit to the 'Wonder Theatre" as being a glamorous social event to which you wore your very best clothes because......
".... the Palais had class and style. A mammoth place with Luna Park on one side and the Palais de Danse on the other, it was a vast mix of Versailles, St Peter's and Reich Chancellery.
As soon as the Paramount newsreel was over, the curtains would close, the lights would dim and, after an expectant pause, a spotlight would follow the conductor, Mr Harry Jacobs, as he entered the pit. Mr Jacobs, resplendent in white tie and tails, was greeted with more applause than Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Malcom Sargent, Sir John Barbirolli or Arturo Toscanini...
The curtains would rise and, voila! we were transported to a world of chocolate box sets, satin drapes, Roman pillars, huge baskets of flowers, statues and fountains. Nymphs played by ex-Tivoli and J.C.Williamson chorus girls, augmented by eager pupils from a dancing school were never a threat to the Rockettes. Willowy young men known as " dancing boys", pirouetted around the stage in tights and boleros, wearing enough makeup to cover the entire outside of the Palais.
The production was a combination of beauty and culture - that is, ballet tutus, pink lights and falling blossoms set to Swan Lake or Les Sylphides (Lay Silveed?) (or as legend has it, one would-be culture vulture, informed an usher that....'ee and the Missus woz lookin' forward to catchin' Lezz Siff-Luss -BC). A tenor would sing "Danny Boy". Romance was supplied by a local Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy in period costume warbling "I Love you Truly". Patriotism was always a good way to end and I'll never forget the entire company dressed in uniform, standing against the flags of our allies singing 'Wish me Good Luck as You Wave me Goodbye" as a ship sailed off the stage. So realistic was the effect that I believed it had gone through the wings of the Palais, across the Esplanade and the beach, carrying the chorus girls and the gaily-waving dancing boys to some combat zone where their performance would have the Hun on the run and give the Nip the pip"
Ester Wyatt was a front of house attendant at the theatre, starting in 1938 who became the Phillips' secretary....
"My job was to sell tickets and take bookings for the Palais [Pictures] and the Palais de Danse and also to answer the phone...The place would be full on Friday and Saturday... nights for a newsreel, two films and a 20-minute live show on Saturday. There were eight girls in the ticket boxes and a proportion of the stalls and the Lounge were permanently booked...the Commissionaire, in his long grey coat and cap with red band would stand outside to [greet] patrons while, inside, before the show, ushers would stand to attention for inspection. They had to be six feet tall.They wore cream pants with a black stripe, a white shirt, grey vest and grey Eton jacket with red lapels and the letter "P" embossed on it together with a red bowtie (p.52 St Kilda: The Show Goes On)
With so many regular visitors, new shows had to be produced at a furious rate of knots so Harry Jacobs, Rupert Browne (the supervising scenic artist) and the rest of the team were kept busy. Remarkably, the standard remained high as confirmed by contemporary reviews. Indeed, some years ago I got to see photos of the sets that were used at the Palais in the 1930s and '40s and they looked they had come straight off an MGM sound stage.
Alfred 'Al" Daff (Greg Lynch book) was in charge of Universal's Victorian office. By the '60s he was Vice President at their Hollywood headquarters. During his time in Melbourne, he forged an on-going working relationship with the Phillips and booked the Palais for special screenings such the one that took place in February, 1937. An all-day event with catered lunch, three movies were presented, one of which was the "screwball" comedy My Man Godfrey starring William Powell and Carole Lombard. Two of the guests in attendance were Bert and Nellie Cowan (AKA Louise Lovely)
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Al Daff and secretary (Greg Lynch photo) https://www.theybuiltanempire.com/al-daff |
Like most suburban cinemas, the Palais offered Saturday afternoon "cliff hanger" serials.
Primarily intended for kids, these productions were, generally, low budget, fast-paced affairs that had to be made quickly and efficiently as there was rarely enough money to do things more than once. They started back in the silent era, reached their peak in the 1930s and '40s and came to an end in the '50s when they were replaced by television. Over 200 were churned out with an average of 14 episodes each. They had scripts, of course. However, they tended to be (dare I say it?) paper thin with most of the story lines being taken from the comic books through which their super hero characters had initially become famous. With each episode (AKA "chapter") running just 20 minutes, there was no time for romance. In fact, dialogue was kept to a minimum. The serials were mainly about non-stop action. That's what the brats wanted and that's what they got.... one big, continuous, frantic, deafening barrage of gun fights, fist fights, horse, car, motorcycle, boat and even plane chases mixed with lots of explosions and all of it set against a background of equally loud and nerve-shattering musical scores. For the hearing- sensitive it was a nightmare of screaming tires, screaming heroines and screaming movie patrons.
But despite their somewhat bargain basement feel, these minor classics took their young viewers on a dazzling tour of the world or, more accurately, "a" world; one that had been largely created by Hollywood special effects men with an emphasis firmly fixed on fantasy rather than reality.
With their studio guides leading the way, the youngsters were taken from the plush boulevards of Beverley Hills to the dusty streets of the Old West... from the jungles of darkest Africa to the pirates of the Caribbean... from castles in Spain to the pyramids of anceint Egypt and from the temples of the Far East to the war in the Pacific. They went diving down to mysterious kingdoms at the bottom of the sea and blasting off to gaze in wonder at mind-boggling, high-tech futures on distant planets. And, through it all, there was the eternal, never- ending battle between the good guys and the bad guys; the white hats and the black hats.
That master of snappy text, John Michael Howson recalled some of the fascinating and surreal twilight zone characters who kept the kids of St Kilda glued to their silver screens as........
"....a legion of villains threatened the world with all sorts of dire inventions and evil machinations.
There was The Wasp, The Scorpion, The Cobra, The Cyclops, The Gargoyle...The Lightning, The Phantom Rider, The Mysterious Mr.M...The Iron Claw, The Wizard and The Ape. [We had] the Black Widow, The Black Dragon, The Black Shadow, The Black Hangman, The Black Ace and, for a change of color, The Crimson Ghost and The Purple Monster [not that it really mattered all that much bearing in mind that everything was filmed in black and white - BC).
Heroes got into deep water with The Tiger Shark, tangled with The Octopus, listened to The Rattler, were haunted by The Ghost, swooped on by The Eagle, got the treatment from Dr Vulcan, the needle from Dr Satan and had to decide who was behind The Mask. They were menaced by The Whispering Shadow, told were to get off by The Voice, chased (but not very quickly) by The Lame One, pounced on by the Panther Girl and possessed by The Devil Woman. In space, you had to fight off The Flying Disc Man from Mars and The Radar Men from the Moon. If you survived all of these, you still had to contend with "Ming the Merciless"
John tell us that he was......
".... a serial addict and lived from Saturday to Saturday to find out how the hero or heroine had survived the calamity that had befallen them in the previous episode. Oh, the agony I endured to discover if The Green Hornet, Dick Tracy, The Desert Hawk, Nyoka, Brenda Starr Girl Reporter or Hop Harrigan had survived the deadly perils of the previous week"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYGb6dsezQM&list=RDTYGb6dsezQM&start_radio=1
Some interesting characters cropped up in these productions. For example, baby boomers will soon discover that stars of TV's long-running series the ''Adventures of Superman" - namely George Reeves (Superman), Phyllis Coates (the first Lois Lane) , Noel Neill (Lois No 2) and John Hamilton (Perry White) all "did time" in the serials. Mickey Dolenz of the '60s supergroup the Monkees came from a showbusiness family. His father , George Dolenz ( although not as well known as his famous son), was a prolific actor who appeared in many feature films as well as the serial The Royal Mounteds Ride Again . Later, he attracted more attention as star of TV's "Count of Monte Cristo" . Then there was Carla Laemmle (Lemley?), niece of Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Studios. Even a few Australians such as Lotus Thompson, C.Montague Shaw, Constance Worth, Snub Pollard and Gil Perkins did their bit to keep the kids entertained. Having taken a career nosedive, Melbourne- born Pollard had previously been a hugely popular funny-man during Hollywood's silent era, with his 1923 comedy short It's a Gift now considered to be a classic by movie historians.
One of the first serials to thrill the homework brigade on the Lower Esplanade was Universal's Air Mail Mystery (1933) (Sid Bracey) and Al Daff was most impressed with the ideas that the Phillips and their right-hand man, Garnet Curwen came up with to publicize the production.
At one point the overall manager of Luna Park, the Palais Pictures and the Palais de Danse, Curwen was instrumental in the success of the brother's St Kilda attractions from the '20s through to the '50s.
Arrangements were made for him to visit California to see what was "hot" at some of the State's amusement parks, movie theatres and music venues. Armed with a list of contacts which had been provided to him by Leon and Herman as well as Herc McIntyre, Ralph Clarke and others, Curwen was warmly welcomed by the sun-tanned cigar chompers across the way. Covering a lot of territory, his observations were published in 'Everyone's". Of particular interest was the progress being made by "personality band leader" Phil Harris who, as mentioned earlier (Part 5), had done a stint at the Palais de Danse and, by the time of Curwen's junket, was performing at the Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles, hosting a radio program and had just finished a movie for RKO. Later, in the '50s, Harris rose to prominence on network television.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7xxvH6pmho
The opening of the 'New" Palais Pictures also seemed to coincide with the arrival of Harold Phillips in Australia.
08 Jan 1927 - NOT NECK TO KNEE - Trove (nla.gov.au)
Although described in the press as being the theatre's "House Manager", his talents went far beyond merely cracking a satin ribbon over the ushers, "candy girls" and ticket sellers and he was soon producing big budget shows that the critics raved about.
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The Phillips attractions were adversely affected by the severe economic downturn that began when the Great Depression kicked in. Record levels of unemployment dramatically reduced the spending power of the public. But the situation gradually improved and it wasn't all doom and gloom in the '30s. By that point, the brothers had a solid reputation as leading showmen and savvy investors. Due to their early partnership with J.D.Williams, they were acknowledged as having been been important trail blazers in the field of cinema exhibition and they contributed opinion pieces to various publications They also demonstrated forward-thinking in another area of the industry by introducing a training scheme which allowed promising employees of their theatres to gain work experience in the United States (crop bit from Herman/Capitol interview). These placements were probably made possible via Williams. The Phillips enjoyed a cordial relationship with US consuls in Melbourne and Sydney and were well-liked members of a social group that was made up of locally- based American businessmen, one of whom was Toorak resident Harry.C.Cornforth - CEO of Vacuum Oil.
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Although the Phillips had little desire to be the centre of attention, Herman certainly conformed to the classic image of a movie mogul. There was the ever-present cigar, the Homburg hat, very expensive suits and, while visiting an LA car showroom, he purchased a Cadillac - the ultimate status symbol (see Pete Smith interview - following at the end of this piece fo pics and info). And, indeed, the brothers regularly updated their Cadillacs (plural). In fact, they had a family connection to the prestigious auto maker (details to follow). So, obviously, the gray clouds were drifting away and blue skies were reappearing.
But just when things were returning to normal, another challenge came along when Australia went back to war in September, 1939 and St Kilda was plunged into semi darkness as "brown out" lighting conditions were enforced. Two years later, after Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked, the United States commenced hostilities with Japan and the conflict accelerated at break-neck speed as the Land of the Rising Sun stormed ferociously southwards, finally bombing Darwin. When General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific, was ordered by the Pentagon to direct his campaign from Australia, thousands of American military personnel surged into the country. The US HQ was set up in Melbourne and Leon Phillips was hired as Recreational Supervisor. His job was to "organize entertainment" for the GIs (no comment) who were on leave and, presumably, to stop them from being shot at even more than they had been by the Japanese (think Battle of Brisbane)
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ABC Weekly, August 29, 1942 The always-stylish Leon Phillips goes about his military duties in a Brook Brothers suit and ''armed" with a long cigarette holder (possibly inspired by the famous Corn Cobb pipe of his Commander-in-Chief) https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1269587699/view?sectionId=nla.obj-1329113253&searchTerm=Doughboys+Down+Under&partId=nla.obj-1269768026  General Douglas MacArthur (Lorenzo Folli) |
Luna Park and the Palais Pictures became favorite destinations for "dough boys" who were stationed at Camp Pell in Parkville. Also, well patronized was "Candy Corner"; a large "state of the art" milk bar on the Upper Esplanade, opposite Luna Park which John Michael remembered as being the place that he went to when he was....
".... in the money... which meant that I had a shilling (dime) to splurge. This "Moderne" architectural monument featured illuminated counter rails, multi-colored tiles, upholstered "cocktail" stools, abstract light fittings and a jukebox that looked like the front of a 1947 Studebaker. Nothing to our way of thinking could ever surpass Candy Corner for sheer pizzazz. Drinks and Sundaes were dispensed with flair and imagination. The glasses and containers matched the modernity of its style and were never seen anywhere else but in MGM's version of Manhattan cocktail bars. My favorite concoction was something called a chocolate frappe (frap-pay) . It featured mock cream (what else?), thick chocolate and some mysterious white substance that added tang"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_bar
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| "'Candy Corner" (marked in red) circa 1930s |
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| Seen at the 3.29 mark of this classic music video - Daddy Cool "Eagle Rock" |
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| The same location today at 30 The Esplanade St Kilda (Kay & Burton) |
In the '50s, the Palais became sought after by promoters as a venue for top overseas artists. Indeed, it was Herman's foresight to create a dual-purpose cinema and theatre that ensured its survival when television arrived and many of the picture palaces went broke.
Sydney-based American entrepreneur Lee Gordon imported a galaxy of headliners from the States including Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Johnnie Ray with both Hope and Ray appearing at the Palais. Later, the "British Invasion" in the form of the Rolling Stoned(s) and Tom Jones took over the stage. Broadway musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar and La Cage Aux Follles as well as the Bolsho and Kirov ballets were also presented at the theatre.
Gordon was another interesting transpacific identity with whom the Phillips were associated.
During his ten years in Australia, he, was, like Williams, extremely productive. The many acts he brought to this country represented almost every genre of music from modern jazz to country, folk, pop and rock. There were brilliant young comedians such as Stan Freberg and the controversial Lenny Bruce. He launched a successful record company, Leedon, gave singers Johnny O'Keefe and the Bee Gees their break and pioneered the use of boxing stadiums for concerts. In fact, he was largely responsible for igniting the entire rock scene Down Under. He also handled Stateside concert promotions for Elvis Presley and Sinatra, built our first-ever drive-thru hamburger restaurant and operated trendy nightclubs.
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As with the Phillips, however, details of Gordon's formative years are a touch hazy and contradictory. In his autobiography, Some Days are Diamonds (New Holland, 2003), Max Moore, Lee's tour manager and personal assistant, wrote that the impresario was born Leon Lazar Gevorshner in Coral Gables, Florida in 1917. Other sources say that he entered the world in Detroit, Michigan circa 1923. Also, according to Moore, Gordon had a business degree from the University of Miami where he booked bands for campus concerts. Climbing up the ladder, he put American acts into the swank (and allegedly mob-controlled) Tropicana gambling resort in Havana, Cuba and it was probably there that he became chummy with (a comparatively young) 'Ol blue eyes. The only glitch in their friendship occurred in 1957 when "Mr" Sinatra chucked a tantrum in Hawaii on his way over to do a tour of the "Lucky Country" for "Mr" Gordon. And a word of explanation may be needed here
Frank went through a period, later in the '70s, when he insisted that everyone (including his mother and especially journalists), had to address him as "Mr" Sinatra 24/7. There would definitely be no more of that "Cranky Frankie" jazz as used way too often by reporters (or "slime people" as Frank called them). It was all to do with r-e-s-p-e-c-t and what it meant to Frank. It was a "'Scillian thing" . The capo di tutti Frankie had spoken. Be nice, follow the protocol or.... BOOM...capeesh? Francis Albert was an older, more dignified, very rich, very powerful and very polite gentleman (cough) by then. And he expected to be "treated nice" (and easy)... just like he treated the "ladies and gentlemen of the media".. which is what he called them... once... only... before the wheels immediately fell off the whole charade. Frequently stopping midway through concerts, the "chairman of the board" would take aim at his arch enemies the "scandal bums" (i.e tabloid journalists who favoured sensationalism). No longer "ladies and gentlemen", they were now being abused as "God damned liars", "parasites".... lepers..filth...vermin....whatever. In July, '74, he "explained"..."nicely" to a capacity audience at Melbourne's Festival Hall that the "broads of the press " were all "hookers" and that he might have given them a "buck and a HAFF". He also mentioned, for the benefit of those who weren't aware, that all of the male reporters were "pimps and fags". Unfortunately, Frank had done a grand job of handing his detractors plenty of ammunition to fire right back at him. Put simply, "Mr" Sin had more skeletons in his closet than the UCLA medical school, all of which were dragged out and paraded before the public whenever Frankie did, indeed, get cranky.
But the fireworks were just a sideshow. At the end of the night and day (pow - track) Frank was THE "one".....
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=sinatra%20night%20and%20day
All that really mattered was the man and his music and, in the late 1980s, I got a front row seat to experience the magic of Sinatra in person. Although well and truly getting on by then, enough of " The Voice" and all of the incredible charisma was still there (see my post about his 1974 Australian tour via this link https://backinthedayblogspot.blogspot.com/2025/01/ol-black-is-back-sinatras-july-74.html .
Anyway, back to Hu-wuh-ee.....
Displeased with the travel arrangements, 'Ol blue ice pulled the plug on the trip. Lee lost a bundle on the deal and sued. However, a settlement was reached and the agreement gave Gordon the right to promote some US concert dates for Sinatra. But the entire silly ruckus was a storm in a shot glass. Frank returned to Australia for Lee in '59 and '61. When Gordon was married in Acapulco, Sinatra was best man (clips?)
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Frank's shows always did well. However, Johnnie Ray was, perhaps, Gordon's most consistently profitable import. Exploding onto the international music scene with his first major hit titled "Cry", the versatile singer, songwriter and pianist went on to become one of the highest -selling Top 40 stars of the '50s. Racking up a string of hits, his notoriously wild, high-energy performances caused his teenage fans to riot. Indeed, the chaos was stopped by the police on several occasions. Considered by some to be the true father of rock 'n roll, Ray was the Elton John(nie) of his day. Widely known as the "Cry Guy" because of his emotionally-charged performances during which he often broke down in tears, he toured Australia five times for Gordon invariably playing to packed houses. In 1955, he drew a record-busting 250,000 fans to the Sydney stadium over the space of ten days when the city's population was barely a million. He also did shows at the Palais during that visit.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZK3U6jr2Iw&list=RDTZK3U6jr2Iw&start_radio=1
(Johnnie Ray 1958 Dutch television performance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuBcw4oOWMo&t=162s
(1966 Chicago show)
"If you Belive" in the movie There's No Business like Showbusiness...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6iEfLiXQJ8
(Top Left to right) Sydney media reception.
Review of Hope's Palais show. Poster for the
Bob Hope Bing Crosby movie Road to Bali (1952) and a scene from the same picture. (Lower image) Co-incidentally, the film had not only screened at the Palais but its opening sequence was set in Melbourne,
Somewhat ironically, although he was Australia's top rock promoter, presenting such big names as Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, Gordon preferred listening to modern jazz and middle of road music at home. The sound of Frankie swingin' easy out front of the Red Norvo Quinette was much more Lee's cup of tea. In fact, Gordon was a minor recording artist having cut a satirical ode to beatnikville titled "She's the Ginchiest". And it seems that the smooth-voiced, ultra cool hipster 'oom "does his bit on the disc" was, like, pretty much the real Lee Gordon. Remembered by his colleagues as being a somewhat eccentric but genial, low-key character, it's been reported that he had, what turned out to be, a premonition of his own death which became an obsession. So intense was his concern that he kept a white coffin that was lined in pink satin at his plush Point Piper apartment. On really bad nights, he slept in it. Only in his forties when he died, the story of his exploits came to the small screen in the 1998 telemovie titled The Singer and the Swinger that starred Ben Mendelsohn (try to find it.... Ben gave an absolutely outstanding performance)
As we near the end of this summary of the Phillips film activities, it should be mentioned that there may have been other connections. Specifically, several historians have stated that the brothers owned movie theatres in Los Angeles as well as the Memorial Hall cinema in Acland Street, St Kilda and the Globe in Richmond. At the time of writing, however, I am yet to confirm any of this information. The Memorial was built by an R.L.Phillips. But it seems that he wasn't related to the "Palais Phillips". The brothers were certainly linked to a business in LA but it had nothing to do with entertainment . It was a new car dealership - Lumley's Cadillac; owned by Leslie.R.Lumley, husband of Aileen Lumley (nee Berry) - niece of Herman, Leon and Harold. Perhaps someone can shine an usher's (or usherette's) "flashlight" on all this?
Both the Palais and Luna Park have been featured in numerous movies, videos and TV programs. They have also been depicted on canvas by renowned painters. Films such as Death of a Soldier (1986), OZ (1976), Hercules Returns (1993) and Dead Silence (2007) were partly shot at the Palais or included images of the theatre and it can be seen in television shows including "The Secret Life of Us" and "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries". In 1962, it became a venue for film festivals and Los Angeles Times movie reviewer Kevin Thomas was a special guest at one of those events.
In the '70s, Michael Nesmith, former member of the American supergroup the Monkees, recorded an album at the Palais and in the '80s acclaimed Australian band INXS produced a video for their song "Listen Like Thieves" down there.
Currently leased by Live Nation of California, the Palais, like the Capitol, is undergoing restoration and it remains a popular concert venue.
Over at Luna Park, another Aussie group, Skyhooks, shot a film for their chart-topper "Horror Movie" while the artist Sidney Nolan, who spent his childhood not far away from the Lower Esplanade, portrayed St Kilda's fun air as being a slightly sinister place in his paintings titled Luna Park and Giggle Palace. Nolan revealed during an interview that the latter creation was inspired by the attraction's distorting mirrors....
" Luna Park in Melbourne was my kitsch heaven as a boy. After I left the army, I tried to recapture things....I guess it's about reorientation and soldiers know how impossible it becomes. It's all distorted. So those mirrors at Luna Park have a double meaning. Maybe the world, when you look at it exactly, comes out distorted" (p.146 Longmire
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Stepping out at Luna circa 1970s: (Left) Freeze frame from a TV commercial for Wardrop's Men's Wear shot at Luna Park and (right) a couple of stylish gents possibly clad in "gear" that was sourced from the aforementioned store https://www.cbdnews.com.au/whos-tailor-sat-at-elizabeth-st-my-tailor/ |
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A 1934 St Kilda tourism brochure conjured up an enchanting image of the beach area which the author dubbed "the Lido of the South" and, with the following text, it provides a perfect note on which to conclude this part of our story...
" The bejewelled edifices devoted to the most ancient and most modern of popular diversions; dancing and the talkies, blaze forth in cascades of colour. The air is clamant with the voices and laughter of youth on pleasure bent, the clatter of the Scenic Railway swinging around its dizzying track, the ecstatic screams of thrilled damsels swept from breath-taking heights to fearsome depths in the crazy careen of the demonic Big Dipper. In minor key, the pipes of the Merry-Go-Round play an unending loop of mechanical melodies and, across the darkening sea, soft lights on the pier promenade alluringly" (p.147 Longmire) (photo compilation of artists who have appeared at the Palais)
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