City Pictures/Paramount/Roxy

1918 – CITY PICTURES, Flinders St, City, a newly built theatre, opened Mar 1918 (mention in TDB Mon 18 Mar 1918)
TDB Mon 1 April 1918 mentions the new picture show.
TDB Mon 8 April 1918 (in part) CAMPBELL’S CITY PICTURES. The new picture palace in Flinders St, between Stanley and Stokes Sts.
TDB Mon 8 April 1918 (in part)
CAMPBELL’S CITY PICTURES
The new picture palace in Flinders St, between Stanley and Stokes Sts, a boon for which picture goers owe much to the foresight of Mr W. Campbell was again packed to its utmost limits on Saturday evening.

TDB Wed 18 Dec 1918
PARAMOUNT THEATRE.
The Paramount Theatre, the rechristened City Pictures will be re-opened on Saturday with one of the most enticing programmes to date. The leading features will be “The Greatest Show on Earth”, Enid Bennett’s latest and best offering. ‘Sandy,’ introducing two prime favourites in Jack Pickford and Louise Huff. ‘ladies First’ a Mack Sennett comedy. In the Enid Bennett speciality, the story deals with a girl raised in a circus who becomes rich at 17, and is educated in luxury. She enters a den of lions to save father’s reputation, and finds a sweetheart. The picture is described as the greatest film sensation of the year. It has been arranged that first releases of Paramount films will be screened in Townsville before being shown in any of the big southern capitals. Arrangements are nearing completion to facilitate the booking of seats by patrons.

1918 – City Pictures reopened as PARAMOUNT THEATRE on Sat 21 Dec 1918 (TDB Wed 18 Dec 1918)
Paramount Theatre (ex City Pictures) re-opened Sat 21 Dec 1918. (TDB).
1922 TDB Wed 21 Jun 1922 Paramount Pictures is still mentioned.
TDB Wed 5 Jul 1922 CITY PICTURES mentioned again.
TDB Mon 17 Jul 1922 Paramount Pictures mentioned again.
1929 – Paramount Theatre and staff became part of the Birch, Carroll & Coyle organisation on Sat 9 Feb 1929. (TDB Tues 12 Feb 1929)

TDB Fri 12 Dec 1930
PARAMOUNT MINIATURE GOLF.
The extraordinary fascination of the latest public fancy, miniature golf, has gripped Townsville, and everyone is now waiting eagerly for the opening of the new course in the Paramount Theatre, the famous ‘Miget’ course, under the direction of Messrs. Birch, Carroll and Coyle. For days past, work has been going on feverishly on this site behind closed doors, and to-morrow evening, at 7 o’clock, the amazing Interest and curiosity which the public has been displaying will be satisfied, for at that hour, this new entertainment will be thrown open. Without giving away its many secrets, it can be said that this will be a course of surprises. The management, wishing to give the Townsville public one of the best miniature courses in Australia, has adopted the same style of outlay as that now in use in the State Theatre, Sydney, and has introduced even more novelties. It is brimful of interest and is bound to exert a fascination over every man, woman and child which will not abate for many months. The attractive lay-out, and the attractive prices, 1/ – for 18 holes, everything Included, are bound to ensure the popularity of this new pastime. After the opening tomorrow night, continuous day and night sessions will take place.

1930 – Paramount Theatre, after a long and popular career as a picture theatre, opened on Sat 13 Dec 1930 to the public of Townsville in an entirely new role of amusement venues — that of a miniature golf course. THE ‘MIGET’ GOLF COURSE. (TDB Sat 13 Dec 1930)

TDB Wed 14 Feb 1934
Arrangements are at present being made for a lengthy lease of the Paramount Theatre in Flinders-street between the owner, Mr. F. Smith, and Messrs J. M. Ellis and R. J. Pollard, who will convert the building into an up-to-date talkie picture theatre, which will be fitted with modern equipment. Mr. G. Lee. architect, of Brisbane, Is at present making arrangements for extensive improvements to the theatre which will be a semi-open air show of the al fresco type, with modern decorative treatment. The side walls will be pierced with grills, and will be protected from the weather by sliding blinds. The external treatment of the theatre will be of fibrous plaster and lattice. The present portion of the dress circle and stalls will be entirely renewed, as also will be the main awning and the front of the building.

TDB Wed 11 Apr 1934
The work of demolishing the external walls of the Paramount Theatre, which is to be remodelled and converted into a picture theatre to be known as the Roxy, has been commenced. The successful tenderer for the work was G. A. Stronach, of Brisbane, and the tender Is stated to amount to over £5000. Mr. Stronach stated on Tuesday, that all local labor would be engaged in the remodelling operations, and also that all northern timber (hardwood and pine) would be used in the construction. It was anticipated that the work would be completed In June, and in order to attain this, three shifts of men would be continuously employed when operations were commenced.

TDB Fri 6 Jul 1934
THE ROXY.
Modern Entertainment House.
The final touches are now being made on the reconstruction work at the new Roxy Theatre so that the official opening will be possible on Saturday night as promised. Special gangs of decorators, painters and laborers are working at full pressure to have everything In readiness for the first night.
When the entrance doors are opened on Saturday night the Roxy will offer Townsville theatre-goers the latest achievement In modern theatrical architecture. The old Paramount has been absolutely rebuilt at considerable expense and the proprietors Messrs. Pollard and Ellis will surely win public patronage by their enterprise. In design the Roxy is practically a replica of the new Cremorne in Brisbane, which the architect (Mr. George Rae) recently designed and completed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The exterior wall has been extended and raised all round and the theatre itself Is entirely closed, being worked with fibrous plaster walls and ceilings. The Interior accommodation Is quite modern in treatment. The dress circle has been worked out in reinforced concrete but the auditorium is really enclosed in a shell of fibrous plaster board, the celling being rounded off In unbroken sequence to the walls in a handsome arch. The fibrous panels are treated on the grill design, the panels all being fitted against large fixed louvre apertures in the exterior brick wall, so that ventilation as well as light Intrudes from outside. It should prove a popular design in the heat of a Townsville summer. In the auditorium all light fittings are consolidated, being flat panels of ground glass which are part of the celling. The illumination fittings throughout have been specially designed and are quite an innovation as far as theatre lighting is concerned. The fittings are set-In in the ceiling and walls and the actual globes are camouflaged as far as science can make them without depreciating the value of the artificial light. The front Is quite attractive. One of the old shop fronts has been converted into a booking office opening on to the vestibule which In turn opens Immediately on to the auditorium.
The accommodation, by reason of the reconstruction, has been extended to seat 1600 patrons— all comfortably. In the dress circle the chairs are a new thing to Townsville. The seats and arm rests are made of Dunlop latex and the chairs are the first of their type In Queensland. They came direct from Sydney, where they have lately been Installed at the Prince Edward Theatre. The chairs in the auditorium below an all leather upholstered and spring seats. The seating accommodation will be particularly appreciated by patrons.
The talkie equipment comes from the Magna-Coustian works and tests already carried out have exceeded all expectations. The acoustics of the theatre have been given special consideration and the public will not fail to notice the clear tone produced by the apparatus. The outstanding feature of the mechanical equipment is the new type of arc light used for filming. This portion of the machine is the first of its kind used in the Commonwealth and comprises one pair of projectors. Its function is to make the visibility clearer on the eyes. The white or yellow glare from the screen will not be noticed in this theatre, the new projectors throwing out a tint of light blue, a very slight variation of color that produces what scientists claim to be the equal of natural light.
Mr. Ellis, one of the partners of Roxy Theatre, stated on Thursday that he fully appreciated the efforts of the workmen to bring the painting, decorating and arranging of seating accommodation to completion, without the co-operation of the men, he said, the opening on Saturday night would not have been possible.
The contractor for the construction of the new theatre was Mr. G. A. Stronach of Brisbane and the architect, Mr. G. Rae, also of Brisbane.

1934 – ROXY THEATRE – previously Paramount Theatre, gala opening on Sat 7 Jul 1934. (TDB Wed 4 Jul 1934)

1969 – Roxy Theatre closed 18 Mar 1969