Dan Clifford (1887 – 9 December 1942) was a well-known cinema entrepreneur and philanthropist in South Australia.

[2] He was the eldest of eight children,[3] and one of his sisters was Ellen, who married John Walkley, who had attended Rostrevor College.

[7] Other suburban cinemas included the Capitol Saint Peters (on the corner of George and Payneham Roads[13]) and the New Star Theatre at Unley,[10] and he also ran cinemas elsewhere in the state, including at Kadina (in a hall), and at Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier[2] (in the old Institute building[14]).

In September 1920 Dan Clifford bought Wondergraph's suburban circuit, which included cinemas at Unley, Goodwood,[15][16] and Semaphore.

[2] In the 1930s he also built a three-storey building containing a shopping centre in Unley, which included a cinema.

Architect Chris Smith had designed the new interior, and furnishings were supplied by John Martin & Co.[23] The Central (also designed by R. R. G. Assheton,[20]) had been built in 1912, featuring silent films until its first talkie screened in 1930,[22] It was variously referred to as the New Star Theatre, Wakefield Street;[24] Wakefield Street New Star;[25] and the Wakefield Street Star Theatre.

It was demolished (date unknown)[22] and is now the site of a carpark next to an office block tenanted by SAPOL.

[17] In June 1938, advertisements for films at 12 Star Theatres featured in The Advertiser: Wakefield Street, St Peters Town Hall, St Peters Capitol, Unley, Parkside, Norwood, Goodwood, Thebarton, Woodville, Hindmarsh, Semaphore, and the Plaza Torrensville.

[21] The Vogue Theatre in Kingswood[10] opened on 12 July 1939,[29] the first new cinema built in Adelaide for around 10 years.

[2] Clifford's chain of picture theatres was the largest in Adelaide,[10] with the Piccadilly considered the flagship of the group,[34] During the war years, the government assisted with obtaining scarce materials in order to get his theatres built, realising the boost to morale that films were able to give the public.

[39] Clifford was a philanthropist, giving generously especially to children's charities,[7][1] in particular those run by Catholics.