Broken Hill icon, Silver City Cinema, has been sold by the Wren family after 40 years of showing movies, with new owners The Musicians Club having some exciting ideas for the operation, which could include additional screens.
Broken Hill City Councillor and Musicians Club general manager, Michael Boland, says the Musicians Club will bring the cinema under the non-for-profit umbrella the Club also sits under.
“It means we can run that community asset, and money that it generates we will reinvest into the community. That’s not something you can do when it’s a privately owned business.”
One of the things the new owners are determined to do is make the Silver City Cinema an outback landmark, much in the same vein as Bells Milk Bar. A place Mr Boland and the group refer to for inspiration.
“It’s [Bells] famous across not just Australia, but the world. It’s a venue that people want to go to and experience,” says Mr Boland.
The Musos want to develop the same kind of reputation for the cinema.
When it comes to changes, Mr Boland stresses they won’t take anything away from the cinema’s unique charm.
“We wouldn’t look at anything that would damage or take away from what we are trying to do, which is turn it into an art deco masterpiece. If something is going to take away from that, it is simply something we will not do.”
Initially the club will open the cinema from Thursday through to Sunday, but eventually the idea is to have it open seven days a week.
“We’ll be looking to open it more, for sure. Initially we will be open Thursday to Sunday, but hopefully within six months we can look at being open seven days.”
