Arcadia Picture Theatre - Regent Cinema

Silent movies, Spanish Mission styling and decades of memories all go to make up the history of Dannevirke's Arcadia Picture Theatre, now trying to re-open as the Regent Cinema.

A healthy relic in the centre of the Scandinavian heritage town, the Arcadia used to compete with the Town Hall for evening customers lined up to go to the flicks. When the talkies came out it was re-named the De-Luxe', then later was internally renovated to become a smaller cinema called The Regent. Now it is on looking toward a third life, since 2011 having only been able to sustain the Regent Cafe operating out front. Until this hiatus, it was New Zealand's longest continuously operating cinema, since 1918. The owners are fundraising for a new projector, with the goal to reopen as soon as possible. (2018)

The Arcadia had come about due to a large fire which razed much of the town in 1917, and the drive of local businessmen to create something new. Local architects Jorgensen and Allen use the Spanish Mission and Art Deco Styles that were new in New Zealand, this theatre was constructed 14 years before both were liberally applied to the rebuild of Napier and Hastings following the earthquake there.

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Image Credit: Regent Theatre