Palace Cinemas has announced Gillian Armstrong’s feature documentary Women He’s Undressed will receive its Melbourne premiere as part of a gala event to re-open the iconic, art deco Astor Theatre on Thursday June 25.
Women He’s Undressed takes an intimate look at the life of three-time Academy Award winning Australian costume designer, Orry-Kelly. Largely unrecognised for his achievements at home, the Kiama born designer created wardrobes for the silver screen from the 1930s to 1960s.
Kelly’s design credits include; Hollywood’s biggest studios, most memorable stars, and hit films such as Casablanca, Some Like it Hot, Oklahoma! and An American in Paris.
“We are thrilled to start our tenure at the Astor Theatre with a premiere for Women He’s Undressed,” said Palace Cinemas’ CEO Benjamin Zeccola. “The film features such wonderful footage from the golden age of Hollywood; it made perfect sense that this should be our choice as Palace re-open the Astor, which itself has such a rich history in showing classic film” he says.
“While we’re being tight-lipped about the content of the new Astor calendar until its release on May 21, I can confirm that we will be showcasing several films containing Orry-Kelly’s dazzling costume designs, as we continue with the repertory programming the Astor’s audiences know and love.”
Armstrong who will be among the guests at the premiere says, “We are thrilled to open our film about the king of Hollywood style at the stylish and wonderful Astor in my own hometown.”
The Astor Theatre, which is one of the last remaining single-screen theatres in the southern hemisphere, will re-open to the public on June 7 with the red carpet gala event for Women He’s Undressed following on June 25.
Tickets for the premiere and opening night event will be available from both the Astor Theatre website www.astortheatre.net.au and Palace Cinemas’ website www.palacecinemas.com.au, in late May.
Women He’s Undressed screens courtesy of Rialto Distribution and opens in cinemas nationally on July 16.