Originally opened on 16th March 1961 with the Cinemiracle production “Windjammer”. It had an original seating capacity of 754 (all on one floor) and the architect was Sven Gronqvist.
Today, the Royal Cinema operates as a THX approved cinema and has the largest film screen in Sweden (measuring 20 x 8 metres)
The following very interesting information was sent to me by Cinema Treasures member Andres G. Roura;
‘The capital of the Dominican Republic is no longer called Trujillo City. Once Generalissimo Trujillo was killed and his family fled the Republic, the city’s name was changed back to its original name Santo Domingo de Guzman. I was in Santo Domingo 3 years ago. The Olimpia has been closed for many years. I could not tell from the outside if a business is operating in the building. When the theatre was in operation, the local MGM branch office was next door and the Olimpia showed most of, if not all, MGM films.
In the 60’s I was working at MGM Puerto Rico, which supervised the Dominican and other Caribbean MGM offices. During the Dominican revolution at that time, the Olimpia and MGM were in the middle of the rebel zone and the rebels would take films out of the MGM vault and show them to the rebels in the Olimpia. One day my boss told me he was sending me to Santo Domingo to stop the rebels from showing films to the rebel troops. I told him that if I went, I would personally pick up films I thought that the rebels would enjoy and offer to show it to them. That I would not go to Santo Domingo in the middle of a revolution and if he wanted, he could fire me. I did not go. I was fired and the rebels continued to enjoy MGM films at the Olimpia until Lyndon Johnson sent in the Marines and the revolution was over.‘
Andres. G. Roura
The book that I got the brief description details (and a line drawing of the theatre) from was published in the mid'1940’s. It states the ‘The new Austurbaejar Bio Theatre etc…..
Maybe it became (re-named) the Bioborgin Theatre in 1955. It has certainly gone back to its former name today as a live venue.
The Wurlitzer factory records show that the showroom organ from the Cincinnati Wurlitzer store was sold to the State Theatre, Chattanooga, Tennessee in August 1928. It was a style 190, Opus 1751 two manuals, eight ranks.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 as the Queen’s Theatre, 993-995 Third Avenue. The 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook still lists it as the Queen’s Theatre with a seating capacity of 600.
By 1930 it had been re-named Arcadia Theatre with 484 seats (although the address in that edition of F.D.Y. is mistyped as 903 Third Avenue).
Opened as the Scala Electric Cinema on 11th January 1913 with a seating capacity of 675 in stalls and circle areas. When it closed as a triple cinema in 2001 it had 130 seats in Screen 1, 143 seats in Screen 2 and 154 seats in Screen 3.
It screened early Bioscope shows and from 1934 until 1947 it operated as a a full time cinema (listed in the Kine Yearbooks as the 1,200 seat Grand Cinema).
The Eastport Theatre opened around 1941 (its not listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook;published in 1940, but is in the 1943 edition with a seating capacity of 500). The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives an address 83 Water Street, Eastport, ME and a seating capacity of 530.
Listed as the Island Theatre in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook 500 seats (Closed). This could have been the changeover period from Paramount to Island. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it is open as the Island Theatre with 490 seats.
The Picture Palace opened on 25th February 1911. It was designed by local architect John R. Wilkins. It operated until the early 1920’s when it was closed and became a furniture store, retaining the original ‘Picture Palace’ sign on the front of building until around 1950.
It re-opened as the Penultimate Picture Palace on 18th July 1976. Oxford artist John Trigg designed the exterior name on the facade from a 1896 French poster. Above the name board was the cinema’s motive; a giant cut-out of Al Jolson with hands outstretched as seen in the first talkie “The Jazz Singer” (the fibre glass hands were designed by scupture John Buckley who also designed the new door handles shaped as Mae West’s lips!. The original 1911 pay box was retained. Seating capacity was given as 192. It now operates as an Art House cinema.
The 500 seating count is given in 1941 & 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook. However in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity is given as 649.
By the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook the Ogden Theatre had been re-named Lincoln Theatre (seating capacity 800) although in the seperate listings for Negro theatres in that edition it is still listed as the Ogden Theatre. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. lists it as Neth’s Lincoln Theatre with a seating capcity of 813 and it is no longer listed as a Negro Theatre.
The Lyric Theatre is still listed as operating in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with 600 seats. It has gone from listings by the time the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. was published.
Here are five vintage exterior views of the Odeon Oldham:
August 1949 view playing the Odeon release: View link
Photographed around 1952: View link
Photographed in the late 1950’s: View link
June 1961 playing the Odeon release: View link
Photographed in December 1970 plating the Rank release: View link
Here is the official website for the Olympia Theatre:-
http://www.liverpoololympia.com/
Originally opened on 16th March 1961 with the Cinemiracle production “Windjammer”. It had an original seating capacity of 754 (all on one floor) and the architect was Sven Gronqvist.
Today, the Royal Cinema operates as a THX approved cinema and has the largest film screen in Sweden (measuring 20 x 8 metres)
The following very interesting information was sent to me by Cinema Treasures member Andres G. Roura;
‘The capital of the Dominican Republic is no longer called Trujillo City. Once Generalissimo Trujillo was killed and his family fled the Republic, the city’s name was changed back to its original name Santo Domingo de Guzman. I was in Santo Domingo 3 years ago. The Olimpia has been closed for many years. I could not tell from the outside if a business is operating in the building. When the theatre was in operation, the local MGM branch office was next door and the Olimpia showed most of, if not all, MGM films.
In the 60’s I was working at MGM Puerto Rico, which supervised the Dominican and other Caribbean MGM offices. During the Dominican revolution at that time, the Olimpia and MGM were in the middle of the rebel zone and the rebels would take films out of the MGM vault and show them to the rebels in the Olimpia. One day my boss told me he was sending me to Santo Domingo to stop the rebels from showing films to the rebel troops. I told him that if I went, I would personally pick up films I thought that the rebels would enjoy and offer to show it to them. That I would not go to Santo Domingo in the middle of a revolution and if he wanted, he could fire me. I did not go. I was fired and the rebels continued to enjoy MGM films at the Olimpia until Lyndon Johnson sent in the Marines and the revolution was over.‘
Andres. G. Roura
A vintage photograph of the Gaumont Theatre in September 1949:
View link
The book that I got the brief description details (and a line drawing of the theatre) from was published in the mid'1940’s. It states the ‘The new Austurbaejar Bio Theatre etc…..
Maybe it became (re-named) the Bioborgin Theatre in 1955. It has certainly gone back to its former name today as a live venue.
The Wurlitzer factory records show that the showroom organ from the Cincinnati Wurlitzer store was sold to the State Theatre, Chattanooga, Tennessee in August 1928. It was a style 190, Opus 1751 two manuals, eight ranks.
Listed in the American Motion Picture Directory 1914-1915 as the Queen’s Theatre, 993-995 Third Avenue. The 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook still lists it as the Queen’s Theatre with a seating capacity of 600.
By 1930 it had been re-named Arcadia Theatre with 484 seats (although the address in that edition of F.D.Y. is mistyped as 903 Third Avenue).
Opened as the Scala Electric Cinema on 11th January 1913 with a seating capacity of 675 in stalls and circle areas. When it closed as a triple cinema in 2001 it had 130 seats in Screen 1, 143 seats in Screen 2 and 154 seats in Screen 3.
redgunner; Best to get in touch with the local Slough newspaper which is the Slough Observer. Their website address is
www.thisisslough.com
The Empire Theatre is still listed as operating in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. Seating capacity is given as 1,850
From the info on the photos, it looks like Gary Campbell Insurance operates in the building, which has an address of 110 Court Square.
It screened early Bioscope shows and from 1934 until 1947 it operated as a a full time cinema (listed in the Kine Yearbooks as the 1,200 seat Grand Cinema).
Correction….It opened as the Wilbor Theatre, not the Eastport
The Eastport Theatre opened around 1941 (its not listed in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook;published in 1940, but is in the 1943 edition with a seating capacity of 500). The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives an address 83 Water Street, Eastport, ME and a seating capacity of 530.
Here is a vintage postcard view:
http://flickr.com/photos/neatocoolville/95074377/
A vintage postcard view of the Paramount Theatre Building in 1927:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/442535627/
By 1941 it had been re-named Plaza Theatre and was still listed as this in 1950.
Listed as the Island Theatre in the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook 500 seats (Closed). This could have been the changeover period from Paramount to Island. In the 1943 edition of F.D.Y. it is open as the Island Theatre with 490 seats.
Three photographs from its 1953 opening date:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour/fo/4856.html
Two photographs I took in March 2007:
Entrance & paybox
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/441181025/
Street sign
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/441182105/
The Picture Palace opened on 25th February 1911. It was designed by local architect John R. Wilkins. It operated until the early 1920’s when it was closed and became a furniture store, retaining the original ‘Picture Palace’ sign on the front of building until around 1950.
It re-opened as the Penultimate Picture Palace on 18th July 1976. Oxford artist John Trigg designed the exterior name on the facade from a 1896 French poster. Above the name board was the cinema’s motive; a giant cut-out of Al Jolson with hands outstretched as seen in the first talkie “The Jazz Singer” (the fibre glass hands were designed by scupture John Buckley who also designed the new door handles shaped as Mae West’s lips!. The original 1911 pay box was retained. Seating capacity was given as 192. It now operates as an Art House cinema.
The 500 seating count is given in 1941 & 1943 editions of Film Daily Yearbook. However in the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. the seating capacity is given as 649.
NW 1st Street now maps as Park Avenue.
By the 1941 edition of Film Daily Yearbook the Ogden Theatre had been re-named Lincoln Theatre (seating capacity 800) although in the seperate listings for Negro theatres in that edition it is still listed as the Ogden Theatre. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. lists it as Neth’s Lincoln Theatre with a seating capcity of 813 and it is no longer listed as a Negro Theatre.
The Lyric Theatre is still listed as operating in the 1926 edition of Film Daily Yearbook with 600 seats. It has gone from listings by the time the 1930 edition of F.D.Y. was published.
Here are five vintage exterior views of the Odeon Oldham:
August 1949 view playing the Odeon release:
View link
Photographed around 1952:
View link
Photographed in the late 1950’s:
View link
June 1961 playing the Odeon release:
View link
Photographed in December 1970 plating the Rank release:
View link