Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas
cinema in Semaphore, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
The Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas, usually referred to as the Odeon Star, is an independent multiplex cinema in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Semaphore, South Australia. It is the oldest purpose-built cinema in Adelaide, opened on 22 May 1920 as the Wondergraph Picture Palace.
History
Picturedrome
In September 1910, before there were any indoor picture theatres in Semaphore, the Continental Wondergraph Company bought land on the esplanade, intending to establish a tea garden and open-air cinema. On Monday 26 December, Wondergraph gave the inaugural screening at its "Picturedrome", although the construction of the kiosk and tea garden had been delayed. The seating faced the sea, and several silent films were projected onto a solid concrete "silver wall", a new technology claimed to have been brought to Australia by the European company.
In winter, the Greater Wondergraph Company (formed in Adelaide in 1911) showed films at the Semaphore Town Hall, which was referred to as the Semaphore Wondergraph. In July 1912, a film of the British Antarctic Expedition led by Captain Scott was shown at the Semaphore Wondergraph. Competitor Ozone Theatres also used the town hall for showing films in the winter months.
A scheme to enclose the Picturedrome was advertised in November 1914, but this was apparently not concluded. Films were last advertised as being shown there at the end of summer in March 1915.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas” is cinema in Semaphore, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Odeon, Star and Semaphore, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “cinema in Semaphore, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q47000591. Authority coordinates are -34.839, 138.485. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1920, 1910, 1911 and 1912.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
- Tracing reception history
- Finding collection records
The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas primary sources, Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas archive and Odeon research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas”?
- Where is authorship, date or provenance documented?
- Which edition, object, performance or recording is being described?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Odeon Star Semaphore Cinemas” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.