On January 27, GU Filmhouse Beverly Hills, in Sydney, affectionately known as ‘Bevo cinema’ to many locals, ceased trading. The one-time Greek owned cinema complex will be a void hard to fill for locals and especially Greeks.
The Tsagias family (Jane and Jim Tsagias,) owned the site from the 1980s to 2009, when it was the Beverly Hills Twin. The cinemas roared with all the big hits, Aussie movies and also as an outlet for Greek films.
Sydney’s Greek community came here for movies that took us back to Greece or were made by Greek filmmakers. King Otto, Βασιλιάς Όττο, about the 2004 Euro glory for the Greek football team, screenings of Maria Callas’ life, the critically acclaimed Alex Lykos Me & My Left Brain film or for the Mykonos: the other side film night; just some of the movies that featured.
The Mykonos extravaganza played with Lesvos: Fall in Love, was MC’d by Alex Lykos and Ana Sevo, formerly of Meraki Tv. The extravaganza featured three sold out cinemas, Greek music by Tassos Bouzouki and served as the 50th birthday for the late, Mykonos and Bay Vista maestro, Tekno Manos.
I always remember what Tekno said to me that night, “thanks for this Billy…. we are at a Greek home.”
If anyone knew Greek hospitality, it was Tekno. That night we were looked after by cinema manager Costas Meligonis.
Costas worked as the manager from 2010-2022, was always kind to those who visited the cinema, and a delight to work with when Greek events were held at the location. His enthusiasm for Greece, Greek columns on Greek film nights and movies in general meant that GU Film House was an easy fit for the community.
Numerous events were hosted by the Greek Festival of Sydney and by Toula Vagelatos, who made sure locals experienced My Big Fat Greek Wedding film events and other movies from the Greek world.
Toula was also the main reason, along with Tekno, for movies such as Mykonos selling out.
Costas explained to me that the cinema opened originally in 1940; its popularity on King George’s Road led to a six-cinema complex by 2009. Prior to that, it was called the Beverly Hills Twin. Costas worked at the cinema from his teenage years in the 1990s.
On a full-house night, 600 people could fit into the complex, drawing in people from across multicultural Beverly Hills and Greek heartland areas such as Earlwood, Kingsgrove, Belmore, Marrickville, Brighton, and Ramsgate. Back in the 1980s and 90s most of us would grab a yeeros from the tasty shop a few doors up, owned by the Liamakeros family or from one of the other Greek eateries and then head to the cinema for a choc top and films. The loss of the cinema will be felt by many cinema goers, our own little Hollywood in Beverly Hills.
*Billy Cotsis is a contributor and author of Aegean Seven Take Back The Stolen Marbles and also a documentary filmmaker
