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AMUSU Theatre and Movie Poster Museum, Manildra, Australia

Propeller Planes

New in Town
Messages
18
Location
Australia
Hello all

This is my first substantial posting on these forums. I'm not overly sure which forum this should belong in, whether it's here, The Steamer Trunk or The Motion Picture. Please forgive me and feel free to move accordingly!


I spent all of 2011 studying, with little opportunities for a break. Once I did finish a few weeks before Christmas, I treated myself to finally going home.... taking a 1500km detour across country Australia visiting old rural museums, car, aviation, railway museums, towns, buildings and other installations I'd find across the way. Once I get the time, I will write up a more detailed account of my travels for The Steamer Trunk, and also share a video I took along the way.

One place I stopped by was this very lovely Art Deco cinema, called the AMUSU theatre (Pronounced 'Amuse You'), located in a small and hidden country town, called Manildra, which is 300km west of Sydney. It was built in 1936, and is currently one of very few movie theatres that's still continuously operated in Australia, still operated by the family of the theatre's founder. Being in a friendly country town, the cinema isn't open regularly, only once a month every 3rd saturday evening, but I rang up the President of the Theatre's Committee if there was a chance of opening it up, and she willingly obliged. The following are a sample of photos I snapped that afternoon.

The AMUSU Theatre











Movie Poster Museum

AND it gets better! Only a few months before, right next door to the cinema, opened a "Movie Poster Museum". It's the complete collection that was entirely donated by a retired policeman who spent many decades collecting movie posters from theatres across Sydney, Australia. There are also many duplicates, so you can purchase a copy of your favourite classic movie poster, which I did, good ol' Top Gun!





Many moments of juvenile giggly girly laughter and excitement for the hours I spent checking out both places. Just completely stunned and in disbelief such a wonderful institution has been kept in this pristine condition, in a country town of all places!

The rest of the photographs I took that day can be found on my Flickr page here, whereas more details about the history and operation of the AMUSU Theatre can be found here. The Movie Poster Museum is run by the same folks as the AMUSU theatre, and yet to have a website.


Now I've become hell bent on trying to travelling far and wide to try and attend one of the movie sessions here one of their Saturday nights. All I need now is the time, the attire, and a date!


Hope you enjoyed this. Let me know if you'd all be interested in any future reviews of other places I've visited.
'Props
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
The poster museum looks great. I remember an Australian film poster dealer coming to London in the late 1980s. She had hundreds of fantastic old posters for sale. At that time I was selling off my own collection and wasn't looking to buy any more. If only I had! I recall they were all small, upright posters, with beautiful designs at very affordable prices. If only i had a time machine ......
 

Propeller Planes

New in Town
Messages
18
Location
Australia
Two Types. The poster museum actually does infact sell originals (Duplicates which were in the collection) which are how you describe, small upright posters. I indulged and bought some.

If you'd like, I can PM you their contact details if this interests you!
 

MikeKardec

One Too Many
Messages
1,157
Location
Los Angeles
What a great place. I grew up surrounded by movie equipment and still have a real soft spot for it. I love the smell of it, old film I mean, and I've wanted to get myself an upright Moviola for no good reason but nostalgia.

I was lucky enough to see a couple of movies at Sun Picures when I lived in Oz. The Worlds Oldest Outdoor Cinema, it's been in business since 1916. See http://www.broomemovies.com.au/history.html

It was truly a blast from the past, mosquitoes and all.
 

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