Dendy Cinema Pty Limited
Founded1980; 44 years ago (1980)[1]
FoundersRobert Ward
Headquarters
Newtown, New South Wales
,
Australia
ParentIcon Productions
Websitewww.dendy.com.au
Dendy Cinemas in East Circular Quay, Sydney, now closed

Dendy Cinema Pty Limited is an Australian cinema chain. Dendy operates in Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney and the Gold Coast. Its main competitors are Hoyts, Village, Event, Wallis Cinemas, Palace Cinemas and Reading. It is a subsidiary of Icon Productions.[1]

Ownership history

Dendy Cinemas launched screens in Brisbane in 1990 when Lyn McCarthy and Graham Tubbenhauer took over the former Metro Arts cinema in Edward Street.[2]

The Becker Group purchased the Dendy Cinemas chain in December 1997 and took over management in 1998.[3] Prime Media Group took control of Becker Group, including Dendy Cinemas, in 2007.[4] Prime made a bid to buy the Hoyts cinema chain in September 2007 and after it missed out, media reported that Prime was looking to sell Dendy Cinemas before the end of the year.[5]

After a long takeover bid, Mel Gibson's company Icon Film Distribution paid Prime $21 million for the cinema chain in 2008.[6][7][8] Becker Group had originally planned to sell its cinema assets to the Becker family.[9]

Cinema operations

Brisbane: Since 1990

Lyn McCarthy and Graham Tubbenhauer launched a Dendy Cinema in 1990 on Edward Street.[10] In 1994, the Dendy Cinemas chain took over The George on George Street, Brisbane and added a second screen to the complex.[11] The two-screen Dendy complex closed in 2008.[12]

Dendy opened a cinema at Portside Wharf in Hamilton in 2006.[13]

In 2015, Dendy Cinemas committed to a 15-year lease to operate a 10-theatre cinema complex in Coorparoo Square in Brisbane's inner southeast.[14]

Sydney

Dendy Martin Place, a single-screen cinema, opened in 1981 screening Stepping Out, a documentary by Chris Noonan.[15] Barbara Grummells and Fred O'Brien were the owners, launching the venue with the slogan "From tart house to art house".[16]

Dendy closed its Circular Quay cinema on 26 February 2020 after a decision not to renew its lease.[17]

As of March 2021, the sole remaining Dendy cinema is in Newtown.

Byron Bay: 2002 to 2012

Dendy operated a Byron Bay cinema complex between 2002 and 2012.[18][19] Movie chain Palace announced it would take over the site.[20][21]

Canberra: Since 2006

In 2005, Canberra cinema Electric Shadows, which was established in 1979, announced it would partner with Dendy Cinemas to establish a cinema complex in the Canberra Centre.[22][23] The Canberra complex featured nine cinemas in a 4000 sq m complex, with seats for up to 1600 people.[24] The complex opened ahead of Christmas 2006.[25] In 2015, the Dendy Cinemas chain proposed an expansion to the cinemas complex in Canberra that would result in around 100 fewer carparks and six new cinemas.[26]

Southport

Dendy Southport opened in 2022 within the newly-built Queen Street Village precinct, with 11 screens.

Dendy Direct

In 2014, Dendy Cinemas launched an online movie store, Dendy Direct, featuring movies to rent or buy.[27] Dendy Direct was shut down on 14 May, 2018 amid pressure from other competing streaming services such as Netflix and Stan.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Dendy Cinema Pty Limited: Private Company Information". bloomberg.com. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  2. ^ Partridge, Des (27 September 2004). "Dendy to invest in riverside cinemas". The Courier Mail.
  3. ^ Morrison, Kevin (19 May 1999). "Dendy cinemas eyes site at East Circular Quay". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
  4. ^ "Prime gains control of Becker Group". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 22 June 2007. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  5. ^ Steffens, Miriam (12 October 2007). "Prime tipped to sell Dendy chain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 8 August 2008.
  6. ^ Maddox, Garry (23 February 2008). "Gibson's firm buys Dendy movie chain". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 6 March 2008.
  7. ^ Kelly, Ross (22 February 2008). "Mel Gibson buys Dendy Cinema chain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Mel grabs Dendy cinemas". The Courier-Mail. 23 February 2008. p. 25.
  9. ^ "Mel Gibson buys Dendy cinema chain". News Limited. 22 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  10. ^ Partridge, Des (27 September 2004). "Dendy to invest in riverside cinemas". The Courier Mail.
  11. ^ Feeney, Katherine (5 September 2011). "Cult cinema Tribal Theatre to close". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 16 August 2014.
  12. ^ Partridge, Des (3 October 2008). "Final curtain as Dendy's George Street cinema closes". The Courier Mail.
  13. ^ Bochenski, Natalie (2 August 2014). "Brisbane's top cinemas". Brisbane Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 4 August 2014.
  14. ^ Herde, Chris (16 April 2015). "National cinema chain Dendy has signed up to operate a 10-theatre complex in the Coorparoo Square development". The Courier Mail.
  15. ^ Maddox, Garry (30 August 2003). "Single-screen Dendy meets its demise". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 19 November 2004.
  16. ^ "Liberty Belle rings true in quality treat". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 April 1981.
  17. ^ "Circular Quay's Dendy Cinema Is Closing After 20 Years!". Hit Network. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  18. ^ Maddox, Garry (10 October 2012). "Credits roll on Byron Bay's Dendy but Palace takes over". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media.
  19. ^ Easton, Alex (23 October 2012). "Byron Dendy's last day". The Northern Star. Australian Regional Media. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  20. ^ O'Neill, Kate (12 October 2012). "New life for Dendy cinema". Byron Shire News. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012.
  21. ^ "New operator for Byron cinema". The Northern Star. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  22. ^ Jean, David (16 September 2005). "Electric Shadows to become 9 theatres". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  23. ^ Streak, Diana (17 September 2005). "Smaller films to cast a bigger shadow in Canberra". The Canberra Times. p. 3.
  24. ^ "Big screen still reeling in the ACT audiences". The Canberra Times. 24 September 2005. p. B3.
  25. ^ "Doors to open in time for Christmas shopping". The Canberra Times. 29 May 2006. p. 4.
  26. ^ Le Lievre, Kimberley (17 October 2015). "Dendy Canberra proposed removal of 111 car parks to add six new cinemas". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  27. ^ Turner, Adam (17 August 2014). "Dendy Cinemas launches online store". Archived from the original on 29 October 2015.
  28. ^ "Dendy Direct is the latest video service to fall in Netflix era". CNET. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
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