The Astor Theatre is one of Melbourne’s last remaining (and much-loved) Art Deco cinemas. It remans as a single-screen venue – one of the last of its kind in Australia, and certainly the largest still-operating relic of the era of the picture palace in Melbourne.
In recent years it has been the subject of a number of owners, both of the property and of the cinema business. The Palace Group are the latest owners to take on the operation of the cinema. They are eminently qualified, as they also run historic cinemas in Westgarth and Balwyn. The cinema has closed briefly for some cosmetic work but Palace has stated that it has no intention to convert it to a multiplex and will continue to operate the venue in its current format.