The “moving pictures” came to Redcliffe in 1912 with outdoor showings of films on the reserve at Redcliffe Point, and Woody Point boasted the first cinema, built in 1916. However, it was not until the Redcliffe Picture Palace, situated opposite the pier, was bought by Jack and Elizabeth Beedham in 1921, that entertainment in Redcliffe leapt into the 20th century.
Even though this was the silent era, movies were very popular, but their appeal multiplied hugely with the arrival of the “talkies”, at the Redcliffe theatre in 1930. From then on, business for the Beedhams boomed. Movies were screened throughout the week, although not on Sunday, with special screenings of the most popular programs on Saturday, and attendance jumped.
The venue was not, though, used exclusively for movie screenings. It was a hub where many other social, community and sometimes even political gatherings occurred: the CWA held meetings and social occasions there, and balls, flower shows and other fundraising events were regular features. In 1928, a “largely attended meeting” was held at the theatre to protest against the withdrawal of the steamer service from Brisbane; and, in 1930, the council presented an information night on town planning, to be “illustrated by cinematograph films”.
The Beedhams and Redcliffe’s Theatre Legacy
But diversion was the Beedhams’ main business. Throughout the 1930s and 40s, they screened the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, such as Tom Sawyer, Mata Hari and Pinocchio, along with quite a few lesser-known cinematic offerings like The Devil Is a Sissy and, “direct from the English stage”, Canaries Sometimes Sing (on which one critic commented: “How pleasant it is to sit in a picture theatre and listen to the English language as it should be spoken”).
Wartime brought out the patriot in Mrs Beedham. In 1942, she obtained permission to hold special Sunday film screenings, albeit within strict parameters – beginning “not earlier than 8pm” and concluding “not later than 10.15pm” – for serving military personnel, and made the theatre available for concerts and dances for troops stationed at Redcliffe. It was after one such event, in 1943, that the building, and their home, located behind it, were destroyed by fire. Undaunted, the Beedhams rebuilt and the new Pier Theatre opened later that year.
When Mayor Langdon said in 1930 that “Amusements of a modern character [are] absolutely essential to a seaside resort such as Redcliffe”, “Ma” and “Pa” Beedham took his words to heart and lived by them, from their earliest days as proprietors of the Redcliffe cinema until they sold it in 1950. For them, the show must always go on.
[With thanks to City of Moreton Bay: ourstory.moretonbay.qld.gov.au.]
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