The Astor Theatre, one of the landmark art deco cinemas in Melbourne, owned and operated by Greek Australians for a long period of time, will continue to operate as an independent cinema, according to a spokesperson for its current owner Ralph Taranto.
Earlier on, proprietor and owner of the Astor trademark, George Florence, nephew of the late Stathis Raftopoulos, owner of the Astor in the past, told The Age that he would be forced to vacate the building by May 14, 2015, due to the lease not being extended.
The Astor Theatre, built in 1936, was at the heart of the cultural life of the Greek community of Melbourne, from the 1960s until the early 1980s, because it used to screen Greek movies and stage Greek concerts and theatre productions.