Theatre Lae Has Town-Plan

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MRS. N. VENNING and Mr. H. Starr, proprietors of the Theatre Lae, Lae, New Guinea, were in Sydney in March sewing-up new film contracts with all leading film distributors.

But although they have the exclusive Lae rights from the 14 leading companies, they have not, as yet, been able to get any satisfaction from Lae’s town planners just as to where and when they may build their permanent theatre.

The current town-plan, it is understood, makes provision for Lae’s picture theatre on a site where the present hospital stands. The hospital is due for a move to new quarters also, but if the building of this goes according to the usual Ter ritory schedule it may be a matter of two years or ten. In the meantime, en terprises—including the theatre —which have been allotted sites covered by the existing hospital evidently must sit meekly and wait.

Starr and Venning built their “tem porary” theatre, on the flat, expecting that it would have to last two years.

That was four years ago. They are ready and eager to build their steel-framed permanent theatre in the new town, as soon as their land becomes available—on the present hospital site or anywhere else that the town-planners graciously permit them to build. But they, like the rest of Lae’s enterprising citizens, have got about as much satisfaction out of the Planners or the authorities as one ex pects from a monument of stone.

Life generally in P-NG has been a maze of frustration in the post-war years and a high percentage of it has been caused by the so-called town-plans—admirable in intention but in fact veritable iron curtains which have prevented the quick and orderly rehabilitation of Territory towns and their commerce.

However, although Theatre Lae has not been permitted to move up “on top,” pat rons will soon be getting MGM films there at the same time as they are released in Australia. That is quite a change from the good old days “before,” when a five years-old picture was considered good enough for Island movie patrons.