1917 while weatherproof awnings were erected. The theatre was at first managed, and then after its sale in 1916 by Branscombe's company, owned and operated, by John Neil McCallum, the father of Australian actor and producer, John McCallum. During the first ten years it was used mostly for vaudeville and variety shows, and for occasional drama productions with limited success. By 1919 MacCallum's company (The Dandies (Queensland) Limited) had improved and expanded the venue to a 3,000 seat capacity. McCallum, like O'Connor before him, built a house which he called Cremorne after his theatre. The name can still be seen above its entrance gateway at 152 Flinders Parade, Sandgate. In 1926, the theatre was leased by McCallum to Greater Brisbane Amusements and a new ceiling and seating was installed in July of that year. It continued to prosper on and off; but by 1929 it was closed, being used only for meetings and the occasional amateur theatre production. During the early 1930s, the Brisbane Arts Theatre, the Brisbane Comic Opera and the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society used it either as rehearsal space or for the staging of their productions. In 1934 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer converted the building into a cinema by installing a new proscenium, a screen, a new sound system, and by reducing the size of the auditorium down to 1,300. This use continued until 1940. The Second World War At the beginning of World War II, the theatre returned to the presentation of vaudeville, becoming the regular venue for Brisbane appearances by artists touring Australia for Tivoli Circuit, a national entertainment entrepreneur. The Cremorne Ballet, a female dance group who presented a slightly 'naughty' act, commanded a good following both with local and visiting men. Then in 1943, the management was taken over by Will Mahoney and his wife, American entertainer Evie Hayes, together with American businessman Bob Geraghty. During World War II the Cremorne became a popular entertainment venue for Australian and American servicemen on leave. Mahoney and Hayes appeared on stage regularly along with leading artists like comedian Roy Rene, actor and comedian George Wallace, actor, stuntman and circus performer Jim Gerald, singer Olga Vernon, comedian Buster Fiddess, vaudevillian Peggy Mortimer, actor and entertainer Morry Barling, Ron and Iris Shand – both were actors and versatile stage performers, and chatting cartoonist "Inky" Williams. Peggy Mortimer also appeared under her married name, Peggy Toppano, and was invited to perform