Cinemas/roxy.html
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Roxy Theatre Maylands
Guildford Road cnr Falkirk Street, Maylands
Roxy Picture Gardens, 240 Guildford Road, cnr Falkirk Avenue (1933-1962). We were here every Friday night no matter what the film was, sitting on the hard wooden benches in front of the more expensive area which had deckchairs. One memory: Herb Robinson, the owner, had an actual policeman patrolling inside when there was potential for trouble, like screening Rock around the Clock (1956). I actually got thrown out by the cop for clapping to Bill Haley's music. The film advertised in the poster in the image above seems to be She Married a Cop, which was released in 1939, but I doubt the photo is as old as that, judging by the bus.
Herb Robinson also owned the Lyric Theatre (1923-1961) in Eighth Avenue. We used to go to the Lyric on Saturday afternoons before we graduated to the Roxy on Friday nights.
Greg Lynch is the historian of the Lyric Theatre, writing this @ 17 August 2019:
... The Lyric Maylands is significant for its association with Herb Robinson who operated a number of companies and cinemas in Maylands, and who will be remembered as one of the Fathers of the West Australian Cinema Industry. The story of Herb Robinson is one of achievement. Born in Perth April 9, 1909 to Mary Ellen and Richard Herbert Robinson. His father was killed in action in France when he was only eight years old. in April 1918 Robinson attended St Patrick’s Boys School, and after leaving school worked as a clerk for the W A Government Railways. In 1933 he and his sister opened the Roxy Gardens, Maylands. The following year they took over the nearby Lyric Theatre, also in Maylands. Uniquely remaining owners of both theatres until their eventual closure in the early 1960s because of the inroads of television. On 16 July 1940 Robinson enlisted in the Australian Army during World War II, serving with the 5th Australian Infantry Troops. Then on 8 August 1942 he married Annie Mary Eluned Morgan, resulting in two daughters. Robinson was discharged from the army on 12 December 1945. He was elected to the Perth Road Board in 1951, and from 1959 to 1961 served as its chairman. Robinson also served as president of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' Association of WA, from 1951 to 1956. When the Perth Road Board became the Shire of Perth in 1961 Robinson was elected to shire president, serving in the position until he left the council in 1963.
Herb Robinson was elected to the Legislative Council in 1962, representing the three-member Suburban Province. Robinson was a Justice of the Peace from 1951 till 1985. In retirement he moved to Canberra, passing away in July 1990 at the age of 81. ... The Robinson family were hands on theatre owners and show people. Most Saturday nights you would find a member of the family at either the Roxy or the Lyric acting as welcoming hosts in the old style, by positioning themselves at the theatre entrance door, and then farewelling the patrons as they departed.
References and Links
cinematreasures.org site: from which all of the above comes.s
This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 10 August, 2021 and hosted at freotopia.org/cinemas/roxy.html (it was last updated on 6 December, 2023). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.