Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value The St James has been a major focus of social life in Auckland for the best part of a century. It ahs been the venue for many important cinematic and theatrical events held for many royal and important occasions. In building the St James, Fullers Ltd were continuing a tradition of vaudeville that they pioneered in New Zealand. Fullers Opera House on the corner of Wellesley and Elliot Street operated in the 1910s and 1920s but was destroyed by fire in December 1926. The St James was built as a replacement and called the 'New Opera House'. While it was designed for vaudeville, the opening of the St James coincided with the peak of the cinema industry. The theatre opened on 5 July 1928 with the stage show ' Archie' performed by the London Musical Comedy Company, but on Boxing Day 1929 reopened with its first film 'Gold Diggers of Broadway'. Norman Hayward manager from 1935, came from a strong family background of theatre and cinema. Under Hayward the theatrical atmosphere of the St James was enhanced, the patrons were entertained by piano playing in the foyer during the interval and informed by the weekly newsreels, entitled 'The St James Airmail Review'. During this period Fullers picked up the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer contract and the St James became the MGM theatre of Auckland. In 1945 Kerridge Theatres Ltd bought all Fuller cinemas, including the St James. With Kerridge came the return of stage shows, including, from overseas, 'Charlie Girl', a West End production brought over in its entirety, the Bolshoi Ballet Company, and New Zealand shows, the Royal Variety Performance, and the New Zealand Ballet Company, amongst others. The large seating capacity has made it economic to bring large shows to Auckland for the last fifty years. Of all the Queen Street theatres built for live shows, the St James is the only remaining one.

Physical Significance

Architectural Significance: The St James Theatre is the only theatre of its type remaining in New Zealand. Its highly decorated interior, a unique example of an early twentieth century picture palace, remains largely intact. The unusual design combines elements of the English tradition of theatre design, which came from the Victorian and Edwardian theatres, with the influence of the American movie palaces. Henry White had visited America just prior to designing the St James. Although the theatre was intended for vaudeville only, projection equipment was added a year later. The plan of the auditorium with the three levels and boxes, the intimate scale of the theatre, the small stage and pit, indicate that the St James was designed for touring vaudeville acts which only required a backdrop. The attention paid in the design to the sight lines from the back of the theatre to the proscenium meant that a screen could easily be installed. The view which can be obtained from the seats at the very back of the grand circle is surprising. Although they are at a considerable height, the stage seems quite near. From the point of view of seeing the stage, the St James is well nigh perfect. The early vaudeville theatres were designed to strictly segregate the classes and often contained separate entrances with little if any foyer space. With the influence of the 'movie palace' designs the entire theatre became luxurious, regardless of the price of the seat. From the stalls foyer, marble staircase lead to the dress circle and the grand circle. Both of these provided with fine foyers and that at the entrance to the grand circle, the least expansive section of the house, is no less elaborate than on the dress circle floor. The boxes show the influence of the 'atmospheric' style designs which Henry White saw in America. In these designs gardens and walls with the sky behind were used as decorative elements within the auditorium. ' The boxes are most attractive... they are set in walls typical of an old Spanish Mission house, against a background of deep sky blue. The furnishing and fittings were all carefully designed to add to the luxuriousness of the theatre. This attention to style is characteristic of the movie palace designs, where the whole theatre is the setting, not merely the stage. Townscape/Landmark Significance: While the theatre once had a tower over the Queens Street entrance which could be seen from the waterfront, the building now has no landmark quality on Queen Street. Its original façade, minus decorative elements, fronts onto Lorne Street. The building's architectural significance resides in its virtually intact interior.