The Melba Theatre ~ Opening Night Chaos had the opening night of the Melba theatre as all sorts of people scrambled to get a glimpse at not only the opening productions for the night but the fashionable colours and fixtures that decorated the theatre’s panelled walls. Pale buff yellow, blue and gold crawled over the building’s interior. Colour was just one attribute of ‘this marvellous theatre suiting the most marvellous block in the marvellous city of Melbourne’ (J.D.Williams, 1911). Cinemas of Australia via USA, 1981The J.D.Williams Amusement Company and minimum prices were responsible for the mass audience which attended opening night that packed the theatre. Just before the first show, police, employees and rope barriers were overcome by the rush. This crowd continued well into Bourke street; hundreds of people waiting to see the second, third and final show for the evening. Police saw to a passage through the crowd for other street traffic. Even the Melba’s seating capacity of 1200 could not see everyone into the opening night. Features of the night included a speech by Sir Samuel Gillott who spoke of a friend who owned the hall the Melba was built in previously and how he made a fortune off it. He wished the Melba the same fortunes and luck. This was a high hope as the Melba cost more than any other photo-play palace in the world (Jeffries, C 1911). A full stringed orchestra accompanied the picture show which added to the Melba’s element of marvel. The opening night production consisted of several films including one about an oriental temple garden where deer would feed from the palms of passers-by. Another film shown was based on an American war poem and a love drama about desperate women wanting a hand in marriage from a wealthy ranch-owner. All together, the productions screened for slightly over an hour before the audience was hurried out for the next load of people to enter. In 1913 The J.D.Williams Amusement Company and Spencers, Wests and Amalgamated Pictures combine and formed Union Theatres and in 1934 the basement of the Melba Theatre was made into a newsreel theatrette called The Times.  Cinema Record, 2001
The Melba Theatre was one of the Union Theatres that did not undergo extravagant alterations for many years. It was not until 1938 when it became apparent the Melba Theatre was to be renovated with the Times Theatrette as the theatre had become highly out-dated. It was not uncommon for theatres to be completely renovated, renamed and thus re-incarnated into other theatres. Around this time the Middle Park Picture Theatre was undergoing renovations to become its later re-incarnation, the Melbourne Repertory Theatre: Middle Park Picture Theatre.