Moomba, Crown, Frank Thring, headdress, king, 1982
Summary
The crown worn by Frank Thring, the 1982 Moomba King. Made of sparte reinforced with wire, glitter, seed beads and faux jet and rubies, it is something of an Art Deco-inspired creation. Along with the matching sceptre and robe, this crown was made specifically for Frank Thring by Melbourne Theatre Company. It was designed by Mark Wagner, of the MTC design department, and Marjorie Head was the milliner repsonsible for its construction.
By the time he was crowned Moomba King, Frank Thring Jr (1926–94) had already enjoyed a considerable career in the limelight through his work on stage and in film and television, having got his start in radio on 3XY. He was particularly noted for playing Pontius Pilot in Ben Hur (1959) and King Herod in King of Kings (1961); he performed in large and small screen Australian classics, such as Ned Kelly (1970), Alvin Purple Rides Again (1974), Bodyline (1984) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Thring had perfected the art of character acting, and he demonstrated his ease in the royal role as he rode in the parade on a theatrical float built by the Melbourne Theatre Company.
The flamboyant Thring came from a from an entertainment family, his father, Frank W, Thring, being tthe head of Eftee Studios during the 1920s, a film producer of note and a partner in Hoyts. He is also attributed with having invented the clapboard.
