Pre-1900 – 1950
Como Beach has always been popular for all cultures to catch fish and prawns and enjoy the waterfront lifestyle and sunsets. The 1907 construction of the Como Jetty enabled ferries and trams to travel to and from Perth, with trams departing from the Mary Street depot. These services triggered an increase in new homes, retail outlets and recreational activity – making the area a destination for everyone.
The Como Theatre was built by the Stiles family in 1938 and was the first purpose-built “Talkies” cinema south of Perth. After WWII, the Theatre was very successful and the 500-seat auditorium and adjacent picture garden theatre were regularly full of patrons.
1950 – 1970
The arrival of TV and the variety of entertainment content being broadcast changed the way theatres operated, with increasing demand for multi screens with fewer seats. TV and multi screens marked the beginning of the Como Theatre’s demise.
Como Theatre was renamed the Cygnet Cinema with air-conditioning installed to improve visitor comfort and enhance the movie viewing experience. At this time, the picture garden theatre closed due to lack of attendance. The all-important Candy Bar was added in the late 1960’s to provide sweets and refreshments for patrons.
1970 – 2021
Attendances continued to fall in the 70’s and the cinema operation was scaled back and became a privately operated local attraction.
While the private theatre managers were popular with the locals, the cinema was no longer commercially viable.
To avoid the closure of the cinema in 2003, community and local government funding enabled both the building to be re-wired and a new digital projector system to be purchased.
The site was privately acquired by the current owners, with Grand Cinemas appointed as the temporary manager. This allowed the cinema to remain open while experts in theatre and entertainment operations worked with the Heritage Council to plan for the future.
Significant structural renovation works were undertaken (including asbestos removal). While these works have been completed, the building is still not compliant to building and health and safety regulatory requirements. The cinema cannot reopen until these requirements are met as part of Stage Two works.