The Kisby family bought the Vogue cinema in Brooklyn, Wellington in 1975 and turned it into the iconic art deco-style Penthouse Cinema that year.
Manager Fergus Kisby-MacLeod says last year was one of their biggest, as the premiere of Barbie and Oppenheimer broke box office records and brought locals back to support the cinema.
Then it was taken over by the Vogue Company which was formed by Stan Wemyss, who was a National Film Unit and wartime cameraman. Stan then joined up with Noel Peach and started Peach Wemyss Productions Limited.
They turned the Vogue into a production studio and made television ads.
The building came under new ownership in 1975 when Merv and Carol Kisby bought the building in 1975 and re-named it the Penthouse Cinema.
Wellington's Penthouse Cinema had its biggest sales year in almost 50 years with the releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Merv had been in the film exhibition industry since 1949. He held the Wellington Film Society’s annual international festival from 1971 to 1984 at the Paramount Theatre.
Merv and Carol’s daughter, Sandra, was always involved in the business and she partnered with her parents to run it in 1991.
After Merv died in August 1994, Sandra took a leading role in the business. In November 1994, a cafe opened near the foyer of the building.
A second cinema was opened in June 1995 in an area that had been closed off since 1975.
The Vogue Suite, which is a 30-seat lounge cinema and function space, opened in 2001.
We opened a fourth screen in December 2005 when we also developed a bigger car parking area right next door to the cinema.
All the recent developments have been done with the original Art Deco style of the cinema in mind.
Penthouse Cinema owner Sandra Kisby.
What was trading like in the last year?
Trading was tough. We had real problems with staff and increased wages.
The writers’ strike halted movie production for a good two months after Barbie and Oppenheimer were showing.
That was massive for us. The two biggest films in our 50-year history couldn’t have come at a better time. Because a lot of cinemas were struggling through last year, it helped all of us. It was our best-ever period of business.
Increased production costs along with the cost of living crisis meant that our costs went up.
There was lower demand before Covid with people not coming out as often due to the multiple streaming services available.
People don’t have extra money to spend at the moment either. I remember at times, Mum [Sandra Kisby] and I were putting the programmed together and thinking “who is going to come see these movies?”
It was really hard with those numbers.
Mum always loved doing the programme when it was busy because you have to prioritise the films that are doing well, but at points last year she was thinking “does it really matter what I put into it if no one is going to see it?”
It looks like quality films are coming back though and we have seen a massive increase in business over the new year.
Penthouse Cinema's last 35mm projector.
Lastly, the rise of films going directly to streaming services or having a limited release in cinemas hurts the business because many people can wait to see a film on a streaming platform.
For example, Saltburn was released in cinemas on November 16 and came out on Amazon Prime on December 16. It is still doing well for us now but the market has changed in terms of how films are released.
What were the biggest challenges for your business in the last year?
We are still recovering from Covid. We lost around $3 million during the pandemic and were trading the best we had ever been prior to the lockdowns.
Higher expenses and customer behaviour has changed. Coming to the movies was a weekly thing for a lot of families, but now I always hear how long it’s been since they last came to see a movie.
What has been your biggest achievement in business?
For me and our family, our biggest achievement is growing into one of the most established and successful cinemas in Wellington which is a film-making city. Most people know about the Penthouse and it is a special place for a lot of people. For me that’s special.
Penthouse Cinema's cafe featured on last year's Burger Wellington menu, with the Dark Knight burger.
What advice do you have for other small businesses trading in the current economic climate?
Adapt and make tough decisions. Being a flexible business and adapting to customer behaviour in quieter times is how you keep the business running
Also for small businesses, the staff are the face of your business so putting energy into looking after them will make sure that your customers have a good experience. This is something we pride ourselves on.
We’re hoping for some really big movies to come out this year after a tough year with the writers’ strike. We are expecting a much better year of business but do recognise a lot of our customers are tight on income.
We’re planning to do some refurbishments on the exterior and interior of the buildings along with some projection upgrades in the auditorium. We’re also opening earlier so the people on our busy road can get their morning coffees before heading the work.
What would you like to see from the new Government to support small businesses like yours?
We are hoping that this Government will help our customers have less stress in spending money so that making the decision to come to the movies and supporting local businesses is an easier one. Also improving public transport in Wellington would help our older customers reach the cinema.
Alka Prasad is an Auckland-based business reporter covering small business and retail.
