Welcome to
Golden Age Cinema and Bar
Established MMXIII

Paramount House
80 Commonwealth Street
Surry Hills, Sydney

A Brief History

It was a serendipitous ‘meet cute’ when we first laid eyes on Paramount House. From the splendid art deco details of its facade to the timeless timber furnishings within, there was little use in resisting this unique vestige of times gone by. Originally constructed in 1940 and utilised as the home of Paramount Pictures in Sydney until the 1970s, the theatrette’s patronage changed dramatically over the decades from local exhibitors and film executives to sharp-tongued critics, and welcomed in servicemen and women to view newsreels during World War II.
The process of restoring the site to its full glory was a test of will and a labour of love featuring an all-star ensemble cast who painstakingly transformed the space. Cue dramatic montage: we travelled to Zurich to source 1940s-era cinema chairs with plush velvet upholstery, we collated the finest in local and international interior design to furnish our adjoining bar, and updated our vintage projection room with the very latest in cinema technology.
The result? Nothing short of the stuff that dreams are made of. We opened our cinema and David Lynch-inspired bar in 2013, immediately casting a spell over the city with a fresh take on curating and socialising. Operating beneath the streets of Surry Hills, our award-winning independent cinema program is similarly underground, bringing together exclusive titles, special events, classics, cults, creepies and the best new releases of the year.
Think of Golden Age as the femme fatale, the leading man, and the sassy best friend all in one. Recalling the sublime indulgence of classic Hollywood but deeply invested in a future vision of a moviegoing culture that invites new cinematic voices to speak, our cinema and bar provide an intimate and inclusive social experience like no other. The good old days are now.

Cast & crew

Barrie Barton

CEO & Partner

Chris Barton

Creative Director & Partner

Bob Barton

Design Director & Partner

Ping Jin Ng

Executive Producer & Partner

Kate Jinx

Founding Program Director

Kristy Pettifer

Chief Operations Officer

David Grosvenor

General Manager

Will Armstrong

Bar Manager

Ingrid Dieckmann

Head of Programming

Andy Lowe

Group Music Programmer

Cindy Thach

Events Manager

Emma White

Events Coordinator

Jean-David Le Goullon

Program & Content Coordinator

Tom Ward

Projectionist

Andy Wijaya

Senior Chef

“The good old days are now”
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