There are 5 photographs (2 external and 3 of the auditorium) in the excellent book “London’s West End Cinemas” by Allen Eyles & Keith Skone. Published by Keystone Publications 1991 ISBN 0 9514313 1 5 (hardback) and 0 9514313 2 3 (paperback)
It was first converted into a H. Samuel jewelery shop, the current GAP store has been there a couple of years now. I went inside a couple of months ago and there is nothing left to show it was a former cinema.
If you get to see some old postcard views of Piccadilly Circus (usually showing the London Pavillion Theatre) then the Eros Cinema can sometimes be spotted to the left towards the rear, on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue.
The Eros News Theatre opened on 30th August 1934. The architect was Robert Atkinson who designed a 203 seat art deco cinema set in the basement of an already existing building.
Seating was on two levels, orchestra stalls and balcony. The screen was located at the entrance end of the cinema so you walked into the auditorium, right beside the screen. The balcony seating was reached via side slips along the walls.
After newsreels ceased, it went over to screening 1 hour long programmes of cartoon fims through the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Due to its cheap admission prices and its location it became a well known gay pick up place for the local Picadilly Circus 'rent boys’ (hustlers). It went over to screening double bills of soft core porn movies from 29th April 1976, finally closing in 1985 as woody mentioned above.
I worked for Classic Cinemas (who operated the Eros) and did many weeks of relief manager shifts at the Eros in the late 1960’s.
The sequence of the movie “An American Werewolf in London” shot in Picadilly Circus in London’s West End needed permission from the police and local authorities to close down one of the busiest parts of London. Filming took place over one night in late February 1981. You will notice in the movie when the action goes into the Eros, the film-set used the same layout as the actual cinema (entrance to auditorium reached from stairs beside the screen) but the decoration is more Edwardian rather than the Art Deco style that the real Eros cinema had.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 500 and it is also listed in the Negro theatre section. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives a 700 seat capacity (still a Negro theatre)
While on my recent visit to LA, I stopped by the Chinese (as all good theatre lovers should do! lol) and went into the adjacent gift shop. They have on sale the DVD “Hollywood at Your Feet” ‘The story of the Chinese Theatre footprints’ hosted by Raquel Welch. 53 mins running time. On the Image Entertainment label # ID0964FSDVD
Also, every 15 minutes they announce over a microphone to the crowd viewing the footprints that they can come into the theatre lobby where one of the staff tells you a little about the history of the theatre and you can take photo’s. Of course the movie is screening in the auditorium so you’re not allowed any further inside. 2 Dollars goes to childrens charity as an entry fee to this short tour.
Restoration work continues on the building with the help and advice of Hollywood Heritage. Recent work completed is the new screen curtain which replicates the original Chinese patterned curtain and replaces the plain red drapes that have been in use the past 40 years or so. Also with help from photographs taken at the time of opening, new replica entrance doors have been made and are now in place. They were designed by studio craftsmen at Warner Brothers studios and look terrific with patterns in real gold leaf etc. A small pagoda has also been replaced over the front entrance. The original disappeared many years ago. Next job is apperently to sort out the electric wiring at the theatre and re-light circuits of decorative lighting that has been out of commission for many years.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 300. In the 1943 edition seating is given as 615 (the offical website on the history of the Princess states the building was extended in the early 1940’s).
The Savar Theatre had a seating capacity of 1,500 given in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it gives a seating capacity of 1,732.
In the Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 the Garden Theatre is not listed in the main listing, but it is listed under the Circuit listings as being under the control of Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. (Closed). Still shown as the Garden Theatre (closed, controlled by Warner Bros.) in the 1943 edition of F.D.Y.B.
The Arlo Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, but no seating capaicty is given. The could mean that the theatre was new and details had not been released. There is no mention of the Arlo Theatre in 1941 or 1943 editions of F.D.Y.B.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 and 1943 give the Rio Theatre a seating capacity of 400. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. gives a seating capacity of 736. I wonder if a balcony was added?
The Roxy Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. No seating capacity is given which usually means that the theatre is new and just opened. It is not listed in 1941 or 1943 editions that I have.
Different editions of Film Daily Yearbook give several seating capacities:– 1941;1,200, 1943;1,700 (both edition give the name of the theatre as the Towers) and the 1950 edition has the Tower Theatre with 1,420 seats.
There are 5 photographs (2 external and 3 of the auditorium) in the excellent book “London’s West End Cinemas” by Allen Eyles & Keith Skone. Published by Keystone Publications 1991 ISBN 0 9514313 1 5 (hardback) and 0 9514313 2 3 (paperback)
It was first converted into a H. Samuel jewelery shop, the current GAP store has been there a couple of years now. I went inside a couple of months ago and there is nothing left to show it was a former cinema.
If you get to see some old postcard views of Piccadilly Circus (usually showing the London Pavillion Theatre) then the Eros Cinema can sometimes be spotted to the left towards the rear, on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue.
Film Daily Yearbooks,1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,250. The F.D.Y. 1952 gives a seating capacity of 1,236.
The Eros News Theatre opened on 30th August 1934. The architect was Robert Atkinson who designed a 203 seat art deco cinema set in the basement of an already existing building.
Seating was on two levels, orchestra stalls and balcony. The screen was located at the entrance end of the cinema so you walked into the auditorium, right beside the screen. The balcony seating was reached via side slips along the walls.
After newsreels ceased, it went over to screening 1 hour long programmes of cartoon fims through the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Due to its cheap admission prices and its location it became a well known gay pick up place for the local Picadilly Circus 'rent boys’ (hustlers). It went over to screening double bills of soft core porn movies from 29th April 1976, finally closing in 1985 as woody mentioned above.
I worked for Classic Cinemas (who operated the Eros) and did many weeks of relief manager shifts at the Eros in the late 1960’s.
The sequence of the movie “An American Werewolf in London” shot in Picadilly Circus in London’s West End needed permission from the police and local authorities to close down one of the busiest parts of London. Filming took place over one night in late February 1981. You will notice in the movie when the action goes into the Eros, the film-set used the same layout as the actual cinema (entrance to auditorium reached from stairs beside the screen) but the decoration is more Edwardian rather than the Art Deco style that the real Eros cinema had.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 500 and it is also listed in the Negro theatre section. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives a 700 seat capacity (still a Negro theatre)
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 366.
While on my recent visit to LA, I stopped by the Chinese (as all good theatre lovers should do! lol) and went into the adjacent gift shop. They have on sale the DVD “Hollywood at Your Feet” ‘The story of the Chinese Theatre footprints’ hosted by Raquel Welch. 53 mins running time. On the Image Entertainment label # ID0964FSDVD
Also, every 15 minutes they announce over a microphone to the crowd viewing the footprints that they can come into the theatre lobby where one of the staff tells you a little about the history of the theatre and you can take photo’s. Of course the movie is screening in the auditorium so you’re not allowed any further inside. 2 Dollars goes to childrens charity as an entry fee to this short tour.
Restoration work continues on the building with the help and advice of Hollywood Heritage. Recent work completed is the new screen curtain which replicates the original Chinese patterned curtain and replaces the plain red drapes that have been in use the past 40 years or so. Also with help from photographs taken at the time of opening, new replica entrance doors have been made and are now in place. They were designed by studio craftsmen at Warner Brothers studios and look terrific with patterns in real gold leaf etc. A small pagoda has also been replaced over the front entrance. The original disappeared many years ago. Next job is apperently to sort out the electric wiring at the theatre and re-light circuits of decorative lighting that has been out of commission for many years.
Film Daily Yearbooks give the seating capacity of the Lansdale Theatre as 900.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 300. In the 1943 edition seating is given as 615 (the offical website on the history of the Princess states the building was extended in the early 1940’s).
The F.D.Y. 1950 also has the Roxy Theatre listed in the Negro theatre’s section, catering for black audiences.
The 1950 F.D.Y. also has the Lyric listed as a Negro theatre for black audiences
The 1943 edition of Film Daily Yearbook gives a seating capacity of 335.
The Savar Theatre had a seating capacity of 1,500 given in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 and 1943. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. it gives a seating capacity of 1,732.
Listed in 1941 Film Daily Yearbook as the Broadway Theater with 1,100 seats.
In the Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 the Garden Theatre is not listed in the main listing, but it is listed under the Circuit listings as being under the control of Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp. (Closed). Still shown as the Garden Theatre (closed, controlled by Warner Bros.) in the 1943 edition of F.D.Y.B.
In several editions of Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 – 1950 that I have, the seating capacity of the Strand Theatre is given as 200.
The Arlo Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook, but no seating capaicty is given. The could mean that the theatre was new and details had not been released. There is no mention of the Arlo Theatre in 1941 or 1943 editions of F.D.Y.B.
Film Daily Yearbooks, 1941 & 1943 give the Victoria Theatre a seating capacity of 900. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. seating is given as 800.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 and 1943 give the Rio Theatre a seating capacity of 400. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. gives a seating capacity of 736. I wonder if a balcony was added?
Film Daily Yearboks give the Star Theatre a seating capacity of 700.
Film Daily Yearbooks, 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 2,145. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. a seating capacity of 1,942 is given.
During these years the Lyric Theatre is shown as being operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
The Roxy Theatre is listed in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook. No seating capacity is given which usually means that the theatre is new and just opened. It is not listed in 1941 or 1943 editions that I have.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 & 1943 editions give a seating capacity of 860. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. seating is given as 704.
During these years the Princess Theatre was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp.
Different editions of Film Daily Yearbook give several seating capacities:– 1941;1,200, 1943;1,700 (both edition give the name of the theatre as the Towers) and the 1950 edition has the Tower Theatre with 1,420 seats.
Film Daily Yearbooks, 1941 & 1943 give a seating capacity of 1,193. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y.B. seating was listed as 903.
The Grand Theatre was operated by Warner Bros. Circuit Management Corp during these years.
Film Daily Yearbooks give a seating capacity of 470.