REX HISTORY
Charlton’s Rex Theatre was built in 1938 for Keith Theatres Pty. Ltd. of Whytchitella by Grose Constructions of Boort. E and H Keith were farmers in the district who also had an interest in the Rex Theatre at Boort. [Now demolished.] The building, a substantial addition to Charlton’s High Street was constructed in the ‘Art Moderne’ style of the period with a stunning street façade consisting of a central entrance flanked each side by a shop and an auditorium built with a seating capacity of 616 on two levels, stalls and dress circle.

The Rex, a rather ambitious project even in those days, was one of the few purpose built theatres to be constructed between Bendigo and Mildura as most small country towns of the period had multi-purpose Town Halls or Mechanic Institutes with facilities to include picture show presentation. The Rex was officially opened to the public on Saturday October 1 1938 [Charlton Show Day] with “ A Star Is Born” starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and in fact opened in opposition to O’Loughlin’s Pictures who were operating a picture show at Charlton’s Victoria Hall at the time.

After a brief period, Keith Bros decided to abandon the complexities of ‘show business’ and sold the Rex to Charles Taylor who had the Regent Theatre at Dimboola. In 1953 the left shop, the theatres milk bar was severely damaged by fire and was subsequently closed and converted to retail space, eventually a dress shop. Charles Taylor sold the Rex in 1958 to Nulty’s Pictures, a Victorian based country circuit that operated a chain of Roxy theatres though-out Victoria and South Australia.

The Rex and the Roxy

Thus, the Rex became the Roxy and the flagship of the circuit. Nulty’s installed cinemascope, which necessitated the ‘flattening’ of the stepped-in sides to the proscenium and removal of a lighting trough to gain the width, needed for the 25ft wide screen. In addition, the seating capacity of 616 was reduced below 500 to dispense with the Board of Health’s requirement of having a fireman on duty at all public screenings. Apart from these minor adjustments, the Rex still stood as built. In early 1968, the theatres outside facilities, originally intended to be relocated into the right hand shop once town sewerage was available, were connected in situ as Nulty’s now facing stiff competition from television and the new Birchip Drive-in Theatre had decided to close the ‘Roxy’ which eventually happened in late October that year and it was then put it up for auction.

It was passed in and eventually purchased by the Mathews' who were the dress shop proprietors. They had bought the building with the intention of converting the theatre into a large shop with offices upstairs, but before this, happened Mr. Mathews died suddenly. The building was left unoccupied except for the two retail shops where Mrs. Mathews carried on her small dress shop with A.M.L. & F. Stock and Station agents occupying the other. In October 1971, the Rex was rescued from certain doom when Geoffrey Edwards purchased it in partnership with his sister Joan to operate as a theatre once again. This project necessitated a substantial refurbishment and up-grade, including the electrical wiring and the replacement of the seats, screen and projection equipment which had been removed when the theatre had closed.

The Rex re-opened on the 24th February 1973 as the Cinema Charlton with “Mary Queen of Scots” and assorted featurettes. The Edwards lived in Melbourne and traveled to Charlton each weekend to operate the theatre. In 1984, the Edwards themselves facing competition this time from the Video boom closed the theatre due to dwindling attendances. During this period the ceiling was repaired, new projection equipment, and stereo sound installed. The cinema was eventually re-opened on the 21st of June 1986 and continued on a fortnightly screening policy. A major chapter in the saga of Charlton’s Theatre came to a sad end in August 2000 when Geoffrey Edwards died after a long illness. It was then left to his sister Joan to find someone who would carry on the ‘Rex’ tradition and not change it too much, so that as a theatre, it would hopefully continue to be an integral part of Charlton’s social fabric.

Rex into the modern era

The Rex changed hands to the current owners in September 2001, one month short of the Edwards 30th anniversary of their ownership. The new management, mindful of the theatres intact uniqueness and past history, reinstated the original ‘Rex’ name in front of ‘Cinema Charlton’ and as the ‘Rex Cinema Charlton’ continued with [for the present] a weekly screening policy of current films as soon as they are made available to small town locations. The Rex is now historic in the fact that it is the last remaining intact theatre of its type left in Victoria and is an important part of Charlton and districts lifestyle, not only socially, but also for Charlton’s economy in bringing entertainment and tourism to the town.

It is a popular visiting spot on the Cinema and Theatre Historical Society [CATHS] touring calendar and fulfills the need of a major function venue for Charity screenings, Conventions, the annual Film Festival etc. In fact through the generous co-operation of the management and public support over $5,000 has been raised for various charities through the Rex at functions this year [2003] alone. Revenue to operate the Rex is generated solely through the box-office, that is selling movie tickets, with no out-side help in the form of grants, subsidies or government assistance what so-ever.

It is hard to imagine Charlton without its now legendary icon, but with escalating operating costs including shire rates, public liability insurance and difficult film booking policies in an industry dominated by corporate controlled multi-plex cinemas, do not all auger well for the Rex’s long-term future. However, each movie ticket you buy at the Rex is an investment in a community asset.