Melbourne’s Legendary Astor Theatre Has Just Announced Its Closure

Last night, Melbourne’s legendary art deco movie house, the Astor Theatre, released its latest schedule online.

One of the last independent cinemas left in the state, the Astor has been in operation since 1936, on the corner of Dandenong Road and Chapel Street. In 1983 it was resuscitated by George Florence, then 19, who leased it from his uncle and developed the iconic programming style for which the theatre has been known for the last 30 years.

But last night, when the latest schedule arrived, so too did a sad little note tucked into the corner on the top right.

Flip it over, and it reads:

“It is with heavy hearts that we make this announcement. In early 2015 the Astor Theatre as you know it will close its doors.

By way of explanation we should clarify the distinct difference and separation between the landlord of the building we lease, Ralamar Nominees Pty Ltd, and the business that you know as The Astor Theatre, our tenancy that, since 1982, created and operates the business within the landlord’s building.

The Astor is so much more than just the bricks and mortar that has become Melbourne’s spiritual home for film. Without a lease renewal, the expert repertory programming we have cultivated for a community of Melbourne moviegoers, and the ‘Astor Experience’ will come to an end. We were offered a lease that would have been financially and operationally crippling, but negotiations failed to resolve the key issues.

We do not know what the landlord has planned for the future of the building, only that we are not included in those plans.

We hope that you can embrace the final leg of our journey after 32 years of memorable movie experiences at The Astor Theatre.”

The tension between The Astor and its landlord was reported on back in April by The Herald Sun. The landlord, Ralph Taranto, who saved the building in 2012 by buying it from St Michaels Grammar School, said he was trying to push through $5 million of restorations, but George Florence wouldn’t let him in. “We’re gonna kick him out,” Taranto said. “He thinks he owns the place.”

Acknowledging the city’s emotional attachment to the building, Florence told The Herald Sun that the financial terms Taranto sought in a new long-term lease were financially untenable. “He’s become so impossible to work with that in reality our business can’t continue … I think (Mr Taranto) is trying to maximise his return. It’s become a very ruthless investment opportunity.” 

At time of publish, The Astor Theatre had yet to update their blog or the Friends of the Astor Facebook page — but they promise to in due course.

On their Facebook page, they commented under the programming schedule post, “It’s heart-breaking news for us to deliver.”

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Feature image from astortheatre.net.au