GALAXY ’73-74

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Dean Brandum

Now of course this East Brunswick venue (as The Liberty) had been screening films since 1934, but from 1966-1973 the venue specialised in Italian, then Greek films, catering to the local audience which at the time was still a demographic heavily weighted towards the Mediterranean. For now, Technicolour Yawn will only be covering the films screened (and advertised to) the mainstream Melbourne market, which is generally signified by the films being in English (including those dubbed) or subtitled as such and with advertising in the city’s daily newspapers (this policy may change over time). For now one may check out the brilliant CAARP database for a listing of this venue’s cosmopolitan titles.

Thus we begin this venue’s history as its refashioning as The Galaxy Cinema. Opening as such on August 30th, 1973, its lineup was one of karate, sex and bizarre Euro-thrillers. In short, in terms of product, this was Melbourne’s scuzziest venue. The adult venues of the city at least seemed to revel in the joy of sex – at the Galaxy the films were darker and often with a nasty edge. These were mysterious affairs with little given away about their pedigree in the admats and, due to the vagaries of distribution (the cinema’s owner was  Cosmopolitan Films who specialised in European genre imports) these films were rarely, if at all, seen elsewhere. That the Galaxy was a rather shabby and rundown house and located in a (then) rather shabby and rundown part of town, added to its mystique.

The films of the 1973-74 period are hard to judge as so few are able to be readily seen today. But it is obvious that films featuring karate or schoolgirls were always able to get the punters in and anything that riffed on the Canterbury Tales was still a viable number.

Notably, as far as I am aware The Galaxy was the only venue in Melbourne ever to re-release a film within 14 months. The sex comedy “Homo Eroticus” (a story of a man with 3 testicles) only lasted a fortnight first time around (no doubt the word ‘Homo’ put a red line through the expected crowd) and then in late 1974 it turned up again as “The Erotic Man” …for two weeks again.

WEEK BEGINNINGFEATURESUPPORTSPECIALADMATNOTE
30/8/73The King BoxerFONoneIndependent
7/9/73The King BoxerAdios SabataNoneIndependent
14/9/73The King BoxerAdios SabataNoneIndependent
21/9/73The King BoxerAdios SabataNoneIndependent
28/9/73The King BoxerAdios SabataNoneIndependent
5/10/73The DecameronWhat Do You Say To A Naked Lady?NoneIndependent
12/10/73Homo EroticusFONoneIndependent
19/10/73Homo EroticusFONoneIndependent
26/10/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
1/11/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
8/11/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
15/11/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
22/11/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
29/11/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
6/12/73The Prodigal BoxerLight At The Edge Of The WorldNoneIndependent
13/12/73MasqueradeFONoneIndependent
20/12/73MasqueradeFONoneIndependent
27/12/73Summer LoveIsabella The Gypsy DuchessNoneIndependent
3/1/74Summer LoveIsabella The Gypsy DuchessNoneIndependent
10/1/74Summer LoveIsabella The Gypsy DuchessNoneIndependent
17/1/74Summer LoveIsabella The Gypsy DuchessNoneIndependent
24/1/74Love On A HorseThe Great SinnerNoneIndependent
31/1/74Love On A HorseThe Great SinnerNoneIndependent
7/2/74Love On A HorseThe Great SinnerNoneIndependent
14/2/74Fists Of VengeanceThe Innocent GirlNoneIndependent
21/2/74Fists Of VengeanceThe Innocent GirlNoneIndependent
28/2/74Fists Of VengeanceThe Innocent GirlNoneIndependent
7/3/74The Other Canterbury TalesFONoneIndependent
14/3/74The Other Canterbury TalesFONoneIndependent
21/3/74The Other Canterbury TalesFONoneIndependent
28/3/74The Other Canterbury TalesFONoneIndependent
4/4/74Guess Who's Coming To Sleep WIth Us Tonight?FONoneIndependent
11/4/74Guess Who's Coming To Sleep WIth Us Tonight?FONoneIndependent
18/4/74Guess Who's Coming To Sleep WIth Us Tonight?FONoneIndependent
25/4/74That Man From SingaporeLusty FleshNoneIndependent
2/5/74That Man From SingaporeLusty FleshNoneIndependent
9/5/74That Man From SingaporeLusty FleshNoneIndependent
16/5/74That Man From SingaporeLusty FleshNoneIndependent
23/5/74Strange Girl In LoveFONoneIndependent
30/5/74Strange Girl In LoveFONoneIndependent
6/6/74Strange Girl In LoveFONoneIndependent
13/6/74Strange Girl In LoveFONoneIndependent
20/6/74Strange Girl In LoveFONoneIndependent
27/6/74Slaves Of SexFONoneIndependent
4/7/74Slaves Of SexFONoneIndependent
11/7/74Slaves Of SexFONoneIndependent
18/7/74Devils Of Violence And SexFONoneIndependent
25/7/74Devils Of Violence And SexFONoneIndependent
1/8/74Devils Of Violence And SexFONoneIndependent
8/8/74The Wild, Damned NatureFONoneIndependent
15/8/74The Wild, Damned NatureFONoneIndependent
22/8/74The Black Dragon2 Girls In My BedNoneIndependent
29/8/74The Black Dragon2 Girls In My BedNoneIndependent
5/9/74The Black Dragon2 Girls In My BedNoneIndependent
12/9/74Anatomy Of A VirginLust For A VampireNoneIndependent
19/9/74Anatomy Of A VirginLust For A VampireNoneIndependent
26/9/74Anatomy Of A VirginLust For A VampireNoneIndependent
3/10/74Anatomy Of A VirginLust For A VampireNoneIndependent
10/10/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
17/10/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
24/10/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
31/10/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
7/11/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
14/11/74Schoolgirls Growing UpFONoneIndependent
21/11/74The BossHer Private LifeNoneIndependent
28/11/74The BossHer Private LifeNoneIndependent
5/12/74The Erotic ManHigh Society GirlsNoneIndependent
12/12/74The Erotic ManHigh Society GirlsNoneIndependent
19/12/74Nurses ReportFONoneIndependent
26/12/74Nurses ReportFONoneIndependent
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