State Theatre - Sydney
The State Theatre - Sydney is a heritage-listed theatre, located in Market Street, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia. It hosts film screenings, live theatre and musical performances, and since 1974 it has been the home of the annual Sydney Film Festival.
Located in Market Street on the site former offices of the Evening News newspaper, building commenced on the State Theatre in 1927 with an estimated construction budget of £400,000. The Greater Union theatre chain had purchased the land in 1926. The cost blew out to over a million pounds, and the theatre opened with the Ernst Lubitsch film The Patriot on 7 June 1929. Seating approximately 2000, it was eclipsed in size by its namesake, the State Theatre in Melbourne, which sat 3371. However, it was much more ornate, having been lavishly designed by Sydney architect Henry Eli White who based his work on that of American architect John Eberson in the United States, and invited the latter to work with him on the theatre in Australia. The theatre incorporates such eclectic elements as Gothic, Italian and Art deco design.
The first all talkie film screened was Paramount's A Dangerous Woman on 29 June 1929. The last all silent film screened (before later revivals) was United Artists' Evangeline on 6 December 1929.The State Theatre contains a 21 Rank Wurlitzer organ, one of three, with the other two residing at the (now demolished) Regent Theatrenearby and the State Theatre in Melbourne, and a Koh-i-Noor cut crystal chandelier which is the second largest on earth, weighing over fourtonnes. The interior also included paintings by William Dobell and Julian Ashton. The building is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
A gothic-styled shopping block 11 storeys high was opened above the theatre in 1930, but later converted to offices.A newsreel theatre, the first in Australia, was opened in the basement of the building in 1932.