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 | CINEMA NEWS AROUND BRADFORD
(FOR OUR MANY FRIENDS IN THE GROUP)
Cinema-goers were evacuated when a display poster caught fire at the Odeon Cinema at Thornbury. More than 300 people, including three coach parties of children, were escorted out of the building as the blaze was tackled by staff. People attending neighbouring health club Indigo at the Gallagher Leisure Park were also asked to leave the building until fire crews made sure the area was safe. Firefighters were alerted at 12.48pm yesterday and praised the way the incident had been handled by management at the cinema and health club.
Leading firefighter Roy Longden, of Pudsey fire station, said: "A poster in the upstairs area, outside the cinemas was too close to a light fitting and caught fire, even though it has been covered with a flame retardant spray. "Managers acted totally correctly and did well preventing what could have been a disaster. "They evacuated the building and tackled the fire. "They also had a member of staff standing with people in the disabled section of the cinema.
"Members of the public also acted in a good manner, and waited outside until we had made sure everything was satisfactory and the area was well ventilated. "It was cold and some people who had been in the pool at the health centre were provided with blankets, but everyone waited until it was safe to go back in." Saleem Akbar, customer services assistant at the Odeon Cinema, said staff followed procedures. "We hold regular fire drills and staff are trained how to handle a situation like this," he said. "We shut down computers and evacuated both levels. Everything went smoothly.
"People were outside for about half-an-hour and when they came back were able to continue to watch their films and did not miss anything. "If people preferred they were issued with a ticket for the next show or for another day." Crews from Idle and Bradford also attended the incident.
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Bradford's Odeon cinema has been sold to a mystery buyer. Odeon Cinemas said today the building had been sold, following its closure last month after 70 years of screening films in the city centre. Regeneration chiefs welcomed the news but said they had no idea a deal had been agreed. Rumours have sugguested the cinema could become a major nightclub, but no planning application has been received. An Odeon spokesman would not name the buyer or the selling price but said use would be in line with planning guidelines. The site is earmarked for leisure in the Unitary Development Plan, a blueprint designating land use across the district. The building is close to the multi-million pound leisure development planned at Glydegate by Leeds London Holdings. Director Peter McManus, whose scheme includes pubs, restaurants and a new public square, said: "It is good news for the city and the West End. It would have done no good whatsoever for this building to have stood empty over a long period." The council's executive member for regeneration, Councillor Simon Cooke, said: "Clearly, it is an important building and it is important that it should enhance the city."
Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "I think it is extremely important that it should come back into use as soon as possible." Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: "It is excellent news for the city centre and its regeneration." The cinema shut when Odeon opened a 16-screen multiplex cinema at the Gallagher Leisure Park in Thornbury. The closure has left the city centre without a major mainstream cinema until a proposed Cine-UK multiplex opens on the planned Vicar Lane leisure scheme next year.
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An arson probe was under way today after a blaze wrecked a controversial new cinema. Firefighters were called to the Marlboro Cinema in Manningham, at 4am as fire ripped through the front half of the building. At its height, 25 firefighters from Bradford, Idle and Fairweather Green fought the blaze which destroyed the projector room and films. Police and fire investigation officers were at the scene, pictured, to establish the cause of the blaze. But Charles Morris, one of the directors of Asian Cine Ltd, a syndicate which runs the cinema in Marlborough Road, said he believed the cause could be suspicious.
Fellow director Usha Parmar, who is also chief executive of Sunrise Radio, said: "I am still in shock. I can't believe it. We don't know what's happened inside and can't tell the extent of the damage until we get a report, but I know it's been gutted at the front." Assistant Divisional Officer Keith Robinson from Bradford fire station, said: "It was a severe fire which affected the front half of the ground, first floor and roof of the building." Although the fire was out by about 7.30am firefighters remained on site until late morning to dampen down. Despite the ferocity of the fire, no-one had to be evacuated from nearby homes and a garage next to the cinema was not affected. The road had to be sealed off by police and traffic, including an ambulance, diverted along Drummond Road.
The Marlboro, which opened last July, was hailed as the north's first dedicated Bollywood cinema. But since then it is understood to have struggled to attract audiences and only two of the original six original directors remain. Nirmal Singh is the landlord of the property which was originally a cinema and then converted to a bedding warehouse. Both he and his son, Iqbal Singh Sekhon, resigned as directors last year. Solicitors Mark Husband and Asma Javed also both resigned before Christmas. The new directors include Yavar Ahmed, the cinema's manager, and Mr Morris's wife, Judith. Plans for the £500,000 project caused a major controversy when they were announced late in 1999.
It had the support of organisations including the Asian Business Forum, the Racial Equality Council and ABL at the Carlisle Business Centre. But petitions both for and against the development were each signed by about 1,000 people. Drummond Middle School objected because it said the development was close to three schools and it believed children would be put at risk by increased traffic. Residents shouted angrily at the planning committee meeting in September 1999 which approved an application by the consortium wanting to develop it.
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The seats and screens of Shipley's former cinema have been ripped out to make way for luxury flats. Bulldozers have moved in to demolish the building on Bradford Road - 90 years after it first opened its doors. The venue, formerly known as Shipley Flicks and Unit 4, will disappear within three weeks. Plans for 14 two-bedroom flats by Shipley-based Oak Tree Developments on the site have been approved by Bradford Council subject to the use of Yorkshire stone.
Company partner Carl Darren said there had been little interest in the cinema furnishings - although one man had considered buying the seats. "There wasn't really anything of value there," he said. "It was a mess - the carpet was sticky and kids had broken in and damaged the screen. But I have noticed people taking photographs as it's being demolished. Some of the residents here would rather have the derelict building, but sooner or later it was going to become dangerous." He said he had tried to incorporate residents' requests in the plans. Shipley Flicks was closed last year - less than two years after it was revamped by two Bradford lawyers amid a blaze of publicity. Originally known as the Prince's Hall, the purpose-built cinema opened in 1911, showing footage of the coronation of King George V. In 1972 it became Yorkshire's first four-screen venue, but the movie house began to suffer low audience figures and fierce competition from multiplex venues.
Councillor John Carroll (Con, Shipley West) said: "I'm quite positive and happy with the plans. I think there was a certain sadness at the fact the building was not going to be a cinema, but the economic facts are that we can't make it happen and we need to put something there. "I'm happy it will be a residential building rather than a commercial venture or a warehouse. I think it will complement the area."
The housing scheme, with flats priced from £75,000, is set to be completed by next spring. Thomas Dignan, landlord of neigbouring pub The Branch, said the disused movie house had started to become an eyesore. But he added: "It has now started to hit home for a few customers. As a businessman, it's fantastic - not just for us, but the whole of Shipley. It's bringing money to the area and anything like that has to be a good thing."
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Contractors who helped to transform a Bradford warehouse into a Bollywood cinema claim they are owed tens of thousands of pounds. Several firms who worked on the Malboro Cinema renovation have now joined forces and issued a petition for the company in charge of the project to be wound up. Keighley-based firm D&R Construction was signed up by Asian Cine Ltd to help transform the building.
The Marlborough Road cinema, Manningham - gutted by fire earlier this week - opened in July. It is six months since renovation work was completed, but D&R joint partner Donald Jones claims his company is still owed £35,000. He said: "The building was a shell. We were working seven days a week, ten hours a day to complete all the structural work - which included the plastering, camera room and seating. "The total bill was about £95,000. Everything was OK for the first few weeks, then the payments stopped. I've had to borrow off my own family to keep things going."
Paul Wildman, of Lee & Priestley Solicitors, confirmed today a petition against Asian Cine Ltd was pending. He said: "The creditors claim they are owed a substantial amount of money and have instructed Lee & Priestley to issue a petition on their behalf." A spokesman for Leeds Crown Court said the petition was due to be heard on February 6. Creditor BG Cullum Joiners, of Garnett Street, Bradford, claims it has not received a penny of the £10,000 owed for work carried out between April and July. Owner Barry Cullum told the T&A: "We're not a big firm. We've been going for 30 years, but this has come close to sinking us. "When we signed the contract we were told the funding was in place, that it was guaranteed by the banks and there would be no problem with payment." Peter Collinson, owner of Bradford-based Collinson Brothers Electrical Services, says his company is still owed a "substantial" amount by Asian Cine Ltd. He said: "When you're not paid for a big job it puts a strain on the company. We've had to borrow money to cover the shortfall." Iqbal Singh Sekhon and his father Nirmal Singh resigned as directors of Asian Cine Ltd last October. Nirmal Singh is landlord of the property.
Asian Cine Ltd chairman Charles Morris said he was unable to comment on the allegations that the company owed creditors thousands of pounds. He said: "The less said the better." A house manager at Bradford's oldest surviving city centre cinema has hit out at Film Festival bosses after the venue was excluded from this year's prestigious event.
Darren Potter, of the Priestley Centre for the Arts, claims the Little Germany cinema has been bypassed by organisers, despite being one of the founders of the event when it started in 1995. And he has urged them to work together to ensure the future of film in the city. Formerly the Bradford Playhouse which opened in 1939, the Priestley Centre cinema closed down last July because of dwindling audiences and withdrawal of Council funding. But managers and staff gave up their time for free last autumn to launch an independent programme of films. The season proved such a success, it is being repeated this spring. Mr Potter said there had been no consultation with the Priestley Centre about the film festival, despite its long-running involvement in the event. He said: "It's quite sad really. We have always taken part in the festival, but for some reason we've not been invited this year.
"More than anything else, the publicity was really important for us, as people were more aware of our existence. "We are the oldest cinema in Bradford that's still running. Unless we work together, we are going to end up with film becoming diminished." This year's festival is based at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, with satellite cinemas in Keighley, Skipton and Elland.
Bill Lawrence, of the NMPFT, said the comments had come as surprise. He said: "As far as we were aware, apart from a brief season at the end of last year, the Priestley had stopped showing films. "Representatives of the Priestley Centre attended the film festival launch in February and at no point raised the issue of participating."
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Police are hunting the man at the front of the picture after a Bradford cinema-goer was attacked when he tried to reason with a rowdy gang. The youths had been annoying the 30-year-old victim and other customers by shouting, sending text messages and throwing items around during a film at the Thornbury cinema on February 24. A police spokesman said: "At the end of the film, one of the group threw a carton of pop over the seats in front of him covering several people."
He added: "A 30-year-old man, who was there with a friend, went to ask them to stop but was punched in the face before the attacker and the group made off." The spokesman said: "This was a totally unprovoked attack on someone who was only trying to watch a film in peace. We would appeal to anyone who recognises this man to contact us." The attacker at the Dick Lane cinema was described as Asian, between 17 and 20 years old, skinny, and between 5ft 8ins and 5ft 10ins tall.
He was clean-shaven, had collar-length hair and wore a dark, striped top. Officers are also hunting a man who smashed a window at a high street bank to steal a handbag which was in the lobby inside. The incident occurred at around 7am on October 30 last year in Wharfedale Road, Bradford. He is described as being white, in his late teens, slim and between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall. He wore a white baseball cap and dark clothing.
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Bradford's historic Odeon Cinema is back on the market with agents inviting offers of more than £2 million. It is being sold complete with planning consent for demolition and a futuristic building to replace it. The boundaries of the city centre conservation area were recently changed to include the cinema, which stands next to the Alhambra Theatre - one of Bradford's architectural jewels. But any new demolition proposals would not be affected by the new designation because the planning consent was given 11 months ago before the changes were approved.
London developers Grange Estates bought the massive building on one of the most important sites in the city following its closure in July last year when Odeon opened a 13-screen multiplex in Thornbury. The purchase came shortly after it went on the market and the owners obtained planning permission for a modern, terraced building with towers which architects said would complement the Alhambra's domes. The plans included a hotel, casino, restaurants and bars, but there were calls from residents for the old building to be saved as part of Bradford's heritage.
Today Alex Munro a partner of Leeds agents Knight Frank, who are dealing with the sale, said it had proved to be a longer term project than the original buyers had anticipated. He said there was interest from a number of companies in moving to the new leisure scheme and bids of more than £2 million were being invited, with a closing date at the end of November. Bradford Council's Labour group deputy leader Councillor Barry Thorne, who previously opposed demolition, said: "I would like to see the owners come up with something far more imaginative than the modern building previously proposed. I would like to see the facade kept and a new building to the back of it. " But Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "It is sad, but we weren't happy with the original proposals. It is a prime city-centre site. I'm sure it will be bought again quickly."
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ILKLEY could be set to get its very own star attraction - a cinema in the centre of town. The idea of building a movie house at Station Plaza, on Station Road, was first raised at a meeting of the town's Tourist Management Committee. And now Hypo Properties, the company which manages the plaza, has said it would consider a cinema for the complex's empty units. Ilkley once boasted two cinemas - The Grove Cinema which closed in 1967 and the Essoldo, on Railway Road, which was demolished in 1969 after a slump in popularity.
But Frazer Irwin, who came up with the suggestion for a new cinema, thinks a trip to the flicks is exactly what people in Ilkley want. He said: "Cinema is making a comeback. Last year there were 14-and-a-half billion cinema tickets sold throughout the UK. "When it was half its current size Ilkley had two cinemas. Burley had one as well." Mr Irwin, of Queens Road, said he rarely went to the cinema because of the cost and distance. He believes having a cinema in the centre of town would be ideal for those who can't drive to out-of-town multiplexes.
"To me it's a money spinner. It's something that would really take off. It would also mean people coming into Ilkley on the train and bus don't see all those empty units," he said. And, according to parish councillor Kate Brown, many people in Ilkley would welcome a cinema. "When the town design statement questionnaire was done quite a few people had put cinema down as something they'd like to see in Ilkley. It's obviously something that is on people's minds," she said.
"I think it's something that would have to be investigated. To put the investment in, people would have to be sure of a return." Coun Brown said the parish council would welcome comments from residents on the idea. "It hasn't come up in council yet. But if the owners of the property are sympathetic to it, it could be something that we could investigate further." James Tolan, of Hypo Properties, said: "We are happy to consider suitable retail and leisure uses for the vacant accommodation at Station Plaza."
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CINEMA is returning to Settle, 50 years after the closing titles last rolled in the town. Four films will be shown at the Victoria Hall, with the first scheduled for June 7, as part of a pilot study to see if audiences support it. Although the title has yet to be announced organisers hope it will be a recent release and carry a "PG" certificate to appeal to the widest audience. Films will be screened monthly from June to September and audiences will be asked to comment on the best means of projection, the more traditional 35mm reel or DVD, digital video disc.
Ann Ambrose, who is working on the project, said: "We want to show a mixture of films to appeal to as wide an audience as we can and hopefully quite new releases. "If little groups want to form to watch more specialised films they can hire the equipment from us. "It has to be stressed that the first four films are a trial and we will be hoping to learn as much as possible from the experiences. There will be forms available for comments and suggestions and I hope people will bear with us if we don't get it right first time! "We will be dealing with different methods of projection each time and therefore it will be a constant learning experience."
A recent demonstration of DVD proved impressive, with the image projected onto the back wall of the stage. Picture quality was good and organisers believe it will be easy to project the image onto a screen, up to a size of 17ft by 11ft, at the front of the stage. The second film, planned for July 14, will be a DVD so audiences can compare it with the previous month's 35mm. Questionnaires are already circulating parish councils, youth groups and church halls to help plan the type of films that could be shown and admission prices to ensure the cinema is viable. It will also be available in libraries, community buildings and by e-mail.
With cinema-goers currently forced to travel at least 16 miles, establishing the Victoria Hall as a venue for films could prove a real asset to the town. There are also hopes the cinema, known as The Ribblesdale Area Moving Picture Show, (TRAMPS) could tour North Craven bringing film to more isolated villages. Settle's last cinema, the Nuvic, so called to distinguish it from the Victoria Hall, which was known as the Old Vic, was custom built in the building which is now home to the Co-Op. It was one of a number of cinemas owned and run by Arthur Graham, father of local councillor Beth Graham, the others were located in Kirkby Lonsdale, Ingleton and Sedbergh. The first cinema in Settle, "The Picture House", run by Robert Dale, opened in 1915 in the Assembly Rooms in Bishopdale Court. A Mr R Haworth later took it over followed by Tanny Jerome.
In 1919 Mr Jerome, who was also a bookmaker, moved the "Picturedrome" as it was then called, to the Victoria Hall. The opening programme included "Bobbie: The Revue Girl" featuring Stewart Browne and topical news. Children under 14 were not admitted. Mr Graham's uncle, John, took over in the Twenties and was in due course joined by his nephew. The cinema was so popular it opened on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and while it may not have been as comfortable as today's multiplexes it did feature double seats where local couples could do their courting! The onset of television heralded the decline of cinema audiences and the Nuvic showed its last film in the Fifties. The idea to bring cinema back to Settle came out of the Community Investment Prospectus which is working to boost facilities in the town. Organised by a team of volunteers the cinema has been backed by a £200 grant from Craven District Council togetherA CINEMA buff has labelled the pulling down of Otley's Beech Hill Cinema a disgrace.
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Bill Pryor recently travelled to Otley from his home in North Devon to visit the old cinema - only to find that it had been pulled down in January. "The more I think about it, the more it makes me very angry," he said. "All over the country, cinemas with a lot less population than Otley, such as Thirsk and Wetherby, have been saved. In his home town the cinema fanatic helped to form a cinema group three years ago in a bid to open a new 100-seat cinema in the town. Mr Pryor said that North Devon District Council agreed to provide the building free of charge and will help more by putting in toilets, a projection room and a ticket office, with the group raising funds to refurbish the cinema by inviting townsfolk to sponsor a seat.
"In our town of Lynton, we only have a population of around 1,800 people - how many do you have in Otley? Thousands more! I can't believe that it is closed - it's a disgrace!" In Lynton the cinema group intends to show up to date releases and also tourist films - something which Otley folk should have thought about.
"The whole community is behind our 100 seat cinema, I'm sure a town the size of Otley could and should be able to support a 300-seater at least," he added. "Knocking down Beech Hill means Otley has lost part of its heritage and I'm very sad." Mr Pryor is now asking for more information about the Beech Hill. He wants to know when it changed its name from Westgate and also wants to know about the Picture House in Kirkgate and what happened to the building. He can be contacted at Lynton Railway Station, Station Hill, Lynton, North Devon.
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The former manager of a Shipley cinema has been awarded more than £9,000 for being unfairly sacked - just two days after the cinema shut down. Tens of thousands of pounds were sunk into Shipley Flicks - formerly the Unit 4 cinema - after it was bought by solicitors Mark Husband and Iqbal Singh Sekhon last August. But just seven months on the pair have closed the cinema, blaming a lack of customers and problems with getting new releases from film distributors for their decision to cease trading.
Shipley Flicks' three full-time and five part-time staff have lost their jobs. Its board of directors was due to be meeting today. And yesterday an employment tribunal in Leeds ruled that Lesley Beanland, 41, of Baildon, had been unfairly dismissed from her job and that her employers were in breach of contract. Marsek Limited, of Keighley, said it did not attend the hearing after taking advice from its liquidators. Following the tribunal, Mrs Beanland, still a shareholder in the cinema, said the owners had claimed she failed to clear the building during a fire alarm.
And it has emerged that she might not receive full compensation because the cinema has closed down. She said: "They sacked me for gross misconduct. There was a small fire at the cinema and they said I didn't handle it properly. But that was totally wrong, they just wanted me out. "I think I have been treated terribly by Marsek. I loved my cinema and they just ruined it." She added: "I might have won at the tribunal but I have lost my cinema and I've lost my job.
"It's unlikely I'll get my money now. But I'm pleased with today's results because I've cleared my name." After the hearing, Marsek's Mark Husband said: "We felt badly let down by Lesley." He said before the company took over, the cinema was only taking about £100 a week but this had increased to an average of £1,500 a week under their ownership. And he refuted allegations that staff were not informed of the intention to close on the Sunday. He added: "When we took over the cinema, it was renowned for being a fleapit. You couldn't take a step without your feet sticking to the floor and not a single customer will dispute this. We gutted the place and installed new carpet throughout and fully redecorated the building."
Solicitor Steve Collins, representing Mrs Beanland, said it was unlikely that she would ever receive the full £9,017 award because Shipley Flicks had closed. He said it was likely that she would receive £3,596 from the Government redundancy fund. Mr Husband said that was a matter for the liquidators to decide. About the closure of the cinema, he added: "I'm tremendously disappointed - the business simply wasn't commercially viable.
"As directors we did all that we could by investing our own cash and not taking any wages but despite the improvements to the property the public didn't attend in sufficient numbers to keep the cinema open. "I think it's a small part of a sad but very common trend of small, convenient local facilities being closed in favour of out-of-town developments such as multiplex cinemas. "If people are upset they should ask themselves how often they came to the cinema or chose to go to a multiplex instead.''
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COLLECTORS of cinema memorabilia and Otley Museum have been busy saving bits and pieces from the town's Beech Hill Cinema. The original cinema nameplate and a stained glass window are just some of the features saved this week as the building was finally brought down. A month after a demolition company first started work on the cinema - last used by Otley Folk Festival - the building has almost been flattened.
It will mean a new clear access to the Leeds Development Agency owned land at Ashfield Works - earmarked for development. But Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) has criticised Leeds City Council for paying for the building to be demolished when it intends to sell the whole site. "I cannot understand why they have knocked it down. If they are going to sell it, why spend all this money to knock it down when the developer could have done it."
A Leeds City Council spokesman said: "We have informed a collector of cinema memorabilia about the demolition. "He has been given the opportunity to make direct arrangements with the demolition contractors if there is anything he feels is worth saving. "We have asked for the plasterwork date and name to be preserved if at all possible, so that we can store it for an appropriate future use. However, this may not be technically feasible. We have also made arrangements for one of the Art Deco stained glass windows to be kept for potential use by the Otley museum.
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and there's more!
 | I am constantly reminded of the 1950s; when there was only one screen, and huge audiences.
In those days one sometimes had to queue to get into the cinema.
But as the years went by television did its work.
As one American film producer asked, why should people want to go to a cinema to see lousy films when they could watch them in the comfort of their own homes?
But in the 1950s and earlier the quality of films was scarcely relevant.
You went to the pictures for a night out. There was a sense of occasion.
It brought some romance to ones life to see Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Veronica Lake, and Hedy Lamarr for example.
Their portraits were on the wall along the plushy carpeted staircase to the seats in the circle.
When the lights went up in the interval how thrilling it was, at least for a teenager, to look about and see who was holding hands with whom.
In the days before car ownership this was where couples did their more emotional courting.
Other features of the interval were elegantly dressed usherettes selling ices and advertisements for local shops projected on the screen.
Was there an organ in your local cinema?
There certainly was in the mine, where the words of songs for community singing were put onto the screen.
More recent visits to the cinema, despite excellent films like ‘Sense and Sensibility’ were not very exhilarating.
There were usually about twenty customers, and one had to sit through hi-tech but tasteless and boring commercials for about 25 minutes.
On one occasion a group of teenagers spent their time eating, throwing food wrappings onto the floor and putting their feet up on the chairs.
I am sure fifty or so years ago, the ABC minors did not behave like that during the Saturday morning shows!
The Rialto Rangers certainly didnt as they watched Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe or whatever.
The Savoy is gone and the Rialto is no longer a cinema while the Florida, once the Queens hall, is now the Townhouse.
The late Frank Sinatra once sang about holding hands in the movie show when all the lights are low.
How can this compare with the delights of wandering along between rows of detergents and tins of baked beans?
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in days gone by:
 | LAUREL and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Gracie Fields and Marty Feldman have much in common. They are among the most popular entertainers Britain (and America, in Oliver Hardy's case) ever produced; they were equally at home on film or in front of a live audience; and they all took to the stage at the Grand Opera House in York.
Not necessarily when it was called that, however. The theatre, which celebrated its 100th birthday yesterday, has been through three name changes, beginning and ending with Grand Opera House, with the Empire and SS Empire in between.
The building's first name, and role, was the Corn Exchange. Built on the Clifford Street site of what was variously a Roman quayside, a nunnery and a brothel, the Corn Exchange opened in 1868.
Before then, corn had been sold in the open air, principally in Pavement. The new headquarters were described as "elegant, capacious and handsome" in the York Herald of October 31, 1868.
Interestingly, the same report refers to "an orchestra in the large room, as the building is to be used as a concert room, as well as for an Exchange". So its value as an arts venue was recognised from the start.
After profitable beginnings, the Corn Exchange began to struggle as corn trading drifted back to Pavement.
In 1901 the building was sold to a three-man consortium for £7,000. The consortium was headed by theatrical manager William Peacock.
As well as creating the York Grand Opera House, Mr Peacock owned theatres in Harrogate and Scarborough. He was married to Addie Blanche, daughter of Sam Adams, one-time proprietor of the Trocadero Music Hall in London.
Converting the Corn Exchange into a theatre proved tricky, and the scheduled opening was delayed several times, lastly when a joiner fell and broke his leg.
The interior design suggested opulence. The Yorkshire Architectural Society described the Dress Circle front as being "richly decorated with boldly projecting figures; the Upper Circle with figures".
After an investment of about £23,000 the Grand Opera House was opened by the Lord Mayor, Alderman Lancelot Foster, on January 20, 1902.
That night, the theatre had been perfumed with "Old English Mitcham Lavender Water by G Coverdale of York". It was in this fragrant atmosphere that patrons took their seats - priced from sixpence to £2 2s - for the first performance.
This was Little Red Riding Hood, starring Florrie Forde, who undertook 20 costume changes through the show, one of which left her in a splendid hat supposedly decorated with 17 pounds of Paris diamonds.
Her hit song was Goodbye Dolly Gray, which was selling in sheet form at a rate of 2,000 copies a week.
Later in the year, Professor Herbert's Animated Pictures were shown from the "Biograph Box" in the Gallery. These silent pictures became a permanent feature of the programme from mid-1903 to 1916, by which time York had several cinemas and the novelty value of film had worn off.
The Grand Opera House produced a staple fare of musicals and drama, generally on a weekly basis. Variety spiced up this diet, with turns from Fred Karno's Company and revues from London's Gaiety Theatre.
To differentiate his venue from the Theatre Royal, Mr Peacock decided to turn it into a music hall. It reopened as the Opera House and Empire in July 1903, presenting Laughter Land with JW Cragg's Congress Of Comedians. The change was a hit.
"Patronage has been exceedingly liberal, proving that even the hot weather and fine evenings do not deter a certain class from patronising indoor entertainments - providing the menu is a good one," the Yorkshire Gazette commented.
Some plays were still occasionally staged here, including in 1904 Sherlock Holmes, in which Charlie Chaplin played Billy the Page, and his brother Sidney, Count von Stahlberg.
During the First World War, the Opera House hosted a series of lectures on current affairs, including Herbert Ponting's film and lecture "With Captain Scott in the Antarctic" in 1915.
The variety programme continued, and among the stars who performed here between 1916 and 1920 were Little Hylda Baker; Robb Wilton; Will Hay; Harry Shiels; and Jimmy Jewel.
Gracie Fields appeared in September 1927 in a revue "By Request", and radio star Tommy Handley took to the Clifford Street boards in March 1931 in a show called "Hello Folks".
The variety stars kept coming throughout the Thirties and Forties: Wilson Keppel, Harry Roy and Jack Doyle among them. As radio increased its importance, wireless performers such as Turner Layton, Dorothy Ward and Jack Warner were big draws. In February 1940, Florrie Forde topped the Empire bill for the last time, 38 years after opening the theatre.
Increasing rates were eating into the theatre's profitability. At the end of 1945, it was sold to FJB Theatres, owner of a chain of regional theatres.
Under the new owners, the musicals kept coming, supplemented by shows with titles such as Naughty Girls of 1946 and Don't Blush Girls.
By the Fifties, the Empire was facing tough competition from increasingly sophisticated radio variety and television. Audiences began to dwindle, and it was put up for sale again. Even nude reviews, with strategically placed boas keeping the Lord Cham-berlain's censors at bay, could not save it.
By March 1956, it was operating only through the benevolence of its creditors, and the final curtain fell on June 23.
"But this grand old variety theatre went down fighting," reported the Evening Press. "The last show, Nite-Life USA, played to an enthusiastic audience who joined in singing Auld Lang Syne at the close of the show."
After failing to attract a decent bid at auction, the future looked bleak for the Empire. Then its saviour appeared, in the form of entrepreneur Ernie Shepherd.
Mr Shepherd ran a restaurant and jewellers in Shambles, and was a millionaire from speculations on the Stock Market. He bought the Empire in 1958, renamed it the SS Empire (from the initials of his shop, Shepherd's of Shambles) and announced it would become "one of the finest entertainment centres in the North of England".
His programme began with roller skating and wrestling, though not at the same time. When variety failed to draw an audience, bingo took its place.
Mr Shepherd ran the SS Empire until 1985 when he had to let it go. His last, sad involvement was overseeing the auction of the SS Empire's fixtures and fittings. He died in 1989, when the Evening Press paid tribute to this man of "vision and courage".
The Grand Opera House was reborn that year, and continues to flourish under the present owners, the US-based ClearChannel Entertainment. Ironically, however, in the week of its centenary the theatre is "dark".
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Cinema News From Elsewhere:
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Ever reminisce about visits to the flicks when cinemas still had those incredible organs which rose out of the floor? Take a trip down Memory Lane with the Western Music Organ Society The huge Wurlitzers in cinemas may have been replaced by adverts and that gravelly-voiced guy who narrates the trailers, but the Western Music Organ Society strives to recapture the magic of real organ music and continues to welcome top names from the organ 'circuit' to its monthly concerts. Are there big names in organ playing, I hear you ask? Well, frankly, yes. There's a host of musicians who tour the country playing a range of keyboards and organs from Wersis and Hammonds to Yamahas.
The Western Music Organ Society's visitor will be John Dalley, who's a maestro of organ music and has had a long and varied career. He's coming all the way from Wales to regale members and visitors alike with his skill on the Wersi Arcus electronic organ, an older example of the many types in existence. The Western Music Organ Society was formed in 1971. Chairman Sydney Evans is eager to welcome new members along to experience this often overlooked or misunderstood branch of music. So much so that there's a special reduced admission price to the next concert for first-time visitors.
Sydney explains that most members' interest comes from reminiscing about those old cinema organs and remembering the music. The 21st century has brought new technologies, but the old tunes are still the same. On the playlist are familiar Scott Joplin greats such as The Entertainer, Western classics like High Noon and Wand'rin Star and good old favourites such as New York, New York. Visitors will also recognise music from films and even the odd pop song! Few people under 50 remember the old cinema organs, and that's why Sydney feels there's a lack of new recruits.
Youngsters in Helston were left disappointed at the weekend after the new cinema at the town's Flora Centre was forced to close because of projector failure. Planned showings of the children's favourite Stuart Little on Saturday and Sunday were cancelled, but it is hoped the cinema will reopen in time for tonight's scheduled screening. The breakdown was a disappointment for those connected with the Wendron Street centre, which had been enjoying improved support over the Christmas period. Early screenings at the 80-seat cinema, which opened on December 15, were poorly attended, but the start of the school holidays marked an upturn in the number of film-goers.
Pat Lacey, vice-chairman of Helston Development Trust, set up to oversee the Flora Centre project, said this week: "The numbers were picking up quite well, considering that Christmas is a quiet time. We had a slow start, but I think that was partly because people had seen work going on for so long - it took a while for them to realise the place was actually open. "Now the kids are back at school, we think the word will go round and numbers will improve. We still need more people, but things are looking fairly positive." Mr Lacey said the builders had been back at the centre this week making alterations to upstairs windows to comply with fire regulations. It was hoped the cinema would re-open on Thursday with the planned screening of the Nicholas Cage thriller Gone in 60 Seconds.
Other aspects of the long-awaited Flora Centre have enjoyed early support, with plenty of youngsters using the upstairs cafe and games area and all four business units occupied. Around 20 people have attended induction sessions for the cardiovascular work-out suite run on a voluntary basis by personnel from RNAS Culdrose, and the same number are already booked for future sessions. However, it is the level of support for the cinema - currently open from Thursday to Sunday - which is crucial to the success of the project, since income from the cinema is intended to support the other facilities. Volunteers are also needed to help run the centre, and to ensure the current opening hours can be maintained.
WORK to complete the finishing touches to Yeovil's new leisure park remains intense as the build-up to the opening of the new multi-screen cinema gets underway. As with the ten-pin bowling Bowlplex leisure facility which is soon to open, the Cine UK building is now complete and all the stops are being pulled out as work continues to fit the remainder of the scheme at the Old Town Station Car Park.
The Yeovale Leisure Centre is already proving to be an economic boost for the town. South Somerset District Council's Area South committee chairman, Cllr Tony Fife, said the council is seeing hard evidence that the project is fulfilling the aims of regenerating the eastern side of the town. "The fact that the scheme was coming under construction actually stimulated commercial and retail activity with a variety of investments that we believe would not have happened had it not been for the development commitment," he said. "On site construction provided employment for a number of local companies and many more local job opportunities have come to fruition with recruitment of local people by a variety of leisure centre businesses."
Cine UK reports their recruitment process has gone well with some 45 full and part-time members of staff currently undergoing an intensive two-week training programme at Weymouth and Yeovil. Cllr Fife added: "The current position where temporary traffic arrangements have had to be put in place will pass and I hope people will bear with us. "Yeovil and the eastern side of the town in particular is entering into an exciting period of regeneration. Alongside the new development the council is bringing forward proposals for Mill Lane and Foundry House where there are a range of planning permissions in place in place which could see a mix of hotel, food and drink and retail investment. "Good times lie ahead and I believe the best is yet to come."
BURNHAM'S Ritz Cinema has been forced to close due to a lack of support. Liquidators moved in after the cinema - run by Starlight Cinema Limited - shut its doors for the final time last week. A notice has been attached to the front door announcing the closure. Now administrators are preparing a list of companies and individuals owned money by the cinema, according to Sarah Burke who is handling the liquidation.
CINEMA hopes for Chard were dashed after Wetherspoons decided not to put a silver screen in their new Fore Street pub. Letters from News readers, including 80 Avishayes School pupils, campaigned for a screen in the old Regent building, but project architect, David Mitten, said the idea was ditched because of lack of space.
Mr Mitten also gave a sneak insight into the pub - due to open on June 17. A central area will use the full height of the building, with more intimate alcove areas and a conservatory style extension. A long bar will run down one side of the central area with a light box feature above. A dimming light system will be used to create different atmospheres at different levels. A TOP level meeting will try to save the cinema at the Wellesley Theatre in Wellington from closing permanently. Cinema boss Stewart Cusack closed the building this week after a row with the Wellington Arts Association. He pulled the plug on the film Billy Elliot and put his entire staff of eight part-timers on notice.
Mr Cusack claims the arts association pantomime group tampered with his £3,000 Dolby Surround sound system despite specific instructions not to, and he is threatening to take legal action unless the situation is resolved this weekend. Arts association president Michael Rose hopes his members can come up with a formula to resolve the dispute at the meeting. After the meeting he plans to meet Mr Cusack, who is the tenant at the Wellesley, to resolve the problem.
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A History of the Genesis Cinema – London:
 | The Genesis cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road, London E1 stands on a site used for entertainment purposes for over 150 years. The first building on the site opened about 1848 as the Eagle public house, a pub cum music hall. This gave way to Lusby's Summer and Winter Garden which was later renamed Lusby's Music Hall. Lusby's was destroyed by fire in 1884 and its proprietors, Messrs Crowder & Payne, who had owned the theatre since 1878, hired the architect Frank Matcham to design a replacement theatre which was to be called the Paragon Theatre of Varieties.
When the Paragon opened in May 1885, it was advertised as "the best ventilated theatre in London". The air in theatres of the time was stale and unhealthy due to overcrowding, poor ventilation and gas-lamp fumes. Frank Matcham installed an improved air extraction system above the central chandelier and positioned air-intake vents six feet above the ground level. The design was so successful that Matcham became the most popular architect of his time, and he was later responsible for such theatres as the Victoria Palace, the London Palladium, the London Coliseum, the Richmond Theatre and Hackney Empire. Today Matcham is generally regarded as the finest theatre architect of his erThe top half of the Paragon's frontage was covered with faience tiling. Below this was a balcony carried on modelled trusses and three arched entrance ways. The right-hand entrance lead to the pit and balcony. The central one gave access to the "Paragon Drive" which was situated beneath the main entrance and used as a public house bar.
The entrance on the left-hand side was for patrons using promenade, stalls and boxes. Access to the balcony was via a separate entrance in Eagle Place. There was a large crush room and conservatory at the end of the entrance foyer. Passing through these, patrons entered the promenade which surrounded the auditorium and afforded a good view of the stage as it was slightly higher than the seats. The stage and auditorium were united by oriental arches draped in red velvet. The Paragon's beautiful and costly drop-curtain was painted by Mr. Charles Brooke; interior decoration was by the Framemaker's Gilders' and Decorators' Association, the overall colour scheme being cream and pale blue with gold relief. The auditorium accommodated about 1,500 people and was 60ft high, 100ft wide and 100ft long, the entire site covering about an acre. Prices of admission were gallery 4d, balcony 6d, promenade 1/-, stalls 1/6d fauteuils 2/6d, and boxes 10/6d and £1 1s 0d. By 1894 admission prices were from 6d to £2 2s 0d.
Numerous stars appeared at the Paragon including Harry Champion in 1884, Little Tich in 1902, Gertie Gitana in 1909 and Charlie Chaplin who appeared in Fred Karno's "Mumming Birds" before he achieved world wide fame in Hollywood. In 1912 the theatre was renamed the Mile End Empire. By this time music hall was in decline and the building was being used as a cinema. By 1921 the Empire was owned by A. Goide & Partners who operated several East London cinemas. In 1928 the newly-formed United Picture Theatre circuit (U.P.T.) purchased the Empire. The U.P.T. circuit comprised eight other cinemas including the Rivoli, Whitechapel. In 1934 U.P.T. went into receivership and the Empire was purchased by the fast expanding ABC circuit.
The Empire had a rear projection system which meant the projection box was at the back of the stage, making it necessary to project the picture back to front in order to make it appear the correct way round to the audience.
The screen had to be regularly treated with oil to keep it transparent. One Sunday morning a new man arrived to service the screen. When the Empire opened later that day, the projectionists could see the picture clearly - sadly the audience could not as the engineer had silvered the screen! ABC operated the Empire for only a few years before they demolished the old theatre and replaced it with a modern purpose built super-cinema. The new Empire opened without ceremony at 12.30 on 12th June 1939, with the films Burn 'Em Up O'Connor, starring Dennis O'Keefe, and Persons In Hiding, with Lynne Overman and Patricia Morrison. The Empire was designed by ABC's chief architect, W.R. Glen F.R.I.A.S. The Theatre was (and still is) typical of his work for the circuit, which includes the Savoy, Stoke Newington, the Rex, Leytonstone, the Ritz, Leyton and the Regals in Hackney and Ilford.
The Empire's small frontage was faced with faience tiling, with a metal and glass canopy, designed and erected by Garton & Thorne Ltd. The auditorium was situated well back from the road, allowing the architect to provide a very spacious entrance foyer, which was decorated in light blue and gold speckle, with gold elliptical columns, and finely moulded edging on the ceiling features. A small landing effect was created at the end of the foyer where the two stairways to the circle converged. Below this was a small anti-draught lobby which led to the stalls foyer, where the decorative scheme was dark brown with gold stipple. Lighting was provided by two suspended light fittings and both the managers office and the staff room were located off this foyer. The auditorium was decorated in tones of warm red sprayed on pale buff. The ceiling met the proscenium via a series of inverted steps with scalloped edges. Apart from a decorative band above the proscenium arch there was an absence of applied decorative motifs, the effect being created by two ornamental grilles which flanked the proscenium arch and by features projecting from the walls and ceilings. The Empire was equipped with a small stage and had a couple of dressing rooms. Projection equipment was by Ross with Western Electric sound. The fibrous plaster decoration was by W.J. Wilson & Son.
On 20th September 1954 the Empire presented it's first CinemaScope film The Command starring Guy Madison. The theatre officially became The ABC Mile End in 1960 but continued to advertise itself as the Empire in the local paper until July 1962. The approaches to the theatre were packed when the Royal World Premiere of Sparrows Can't Sing was held at the ABC on 26th February 1963. The premiere was attended by the Earl of Snowdon; Princess Margaret, who was also due to attend, was indisposed. The auditorium had been redecorated for the premiere and a new wide screen had been fitted. Filmed locally, Sparrows Can't Sing starred James Booth, Barbara Windsor, George Sewell, Barabara Ferris, Roy Kinnear, Avis Bunnage and Stephen Lewis who wrote the play on which the film was based. Sparrows was directed by Joan Littlewood who is best known for her work with the Theatre Workshop Company at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East. As well as the cast of the film, numerous stars attended the premiere, including Richard Todd, Stanley Baker, Sylvia Simms, Charlie Drake, Aurthur Askey, Marion Ryan, Carole Lesley and Miriam Karlin. There was a fanfare from the trumpeters of the Household Cavalry and music from the Metropolitan Police Band. The premiere raised over £3,000.
On Sunday 12th May 1985 Sparrows Can't Sing returned for a second charity performance at the ABC in aid of the Associated British Pictures Welfare Fund. There were exhibitions in the foyer and two star guests, Barbara Windsor and Stephen Lewis attended.
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