STRAND THEATRE AKA: PLAZA [1917-1963]

STRAND (des. Henry White)

11 Cathedral square
seating 540
5 Apr 1917 - 1931
altered to

PLAZA

seating 626
27 Mar 1931 - 2 Nov 1963 reduced to 609
renovated (Cecil Wood)
7 Jul - 3 Aug 1944
Art cinema
17 Sep 1,954
(later-, United Service Hotel Plaza Lounge, Centrepoint Women's Club, Plaza Arcade - demolished 1990 site now PostBank)

100 NZ Theatres Install Western Electric Sound System

Western Electric representatives arrived in New Zealand two years ago, March 26th 1930. March 27th, 1931 marked the opening of the 100th theatre with the Western electric Sound System - the Plaza Theatre, Christchurch, under the control of Williamson Films, N.Z., Ltd. Perfect Sound Projection-Life Tone-These are the dominating qualities of Western Electric. This is why the management of over 8,000 of the world's leading theatres have selected the Western Electric Sound System.

from an advert in The New Zealand Magazine, April 16, 1931

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