Information

Built 1927, the architect was Arthur Robson. In 1921, Frederick Olsen bought this site and built an open-air cinema here. It is thought to have been named the East Brisbane Picture Theatre. Olsen died in 1926 and his son Vigo sought to build a replacemnt, enclosed silent films cinema. The Triumph Theatre opened in 1927 and it aquired the equipment to convert to ‘the talkies’ in 1931. In 1934, the cinema was transferred to accountant Albert Stoddart and Alma Jones an Olsen family relative. In 1934 Stoddart transferred his share to Gordon Jones, the theatre manager (1934-70). After television arrived in 1959, Brisbane cinema attendances declined and many suburban theatres closed. In 1970, Eric Dare took ownership, changed the name to the ‘Capri’ and turned it to a soft-porn theatre. This fate was shared by other old theatres, such as the ‘Lutwyche Imperial’. In 1988, it was revived as the ‘Classic Cinema’ screening art-house films. It finally closed in 2000 and the building contains martial arts and yoga studios.

Citations

Department of Enviroment and Heritage Protection, Queensland Heritage Register citation No.602214

Image Citations

Map References

Qimagery. Brisbane 1936. Scale: 1:11,000.