Just uploaded three more photos kindly loaned by Mrs Elisabeth Williams of Nefyn.
These are of three of the Palladium Cafe’s staff,the cafe closed in 1966, 9 years before the cinema’s closure.
Just had a look in the Kinematograph Year Book Cinema Directory for 1958, the only cinema listed here is the Lodge.
Western Electric sound System, 1,020 seats, procenium width 32 ft wide,and the screen 29ft 6in wide, by 15 ft high.
The proprietors were Ferry Cinema Co, Ltd.
I’ve just seen the other excellent photos, nice to see Mr Lewis and Elisabeth Griffiths (Liz) who was the cashier.
Liz sadly passed away last year.I’ve also had trouble trying to include photos since the site changed it’s format.
The cafe which Mr Jones mentioned closed in 1966 11 years before the cinema itself, I never understood why as it was a very popular place,but I guess they had to save money somewhere,they also cut to one house only in the seventies, except maybe during the summer months.
Nice to see the picture of John Hughes the Chief projectionist above my introductory contribution on the Palladium,I guess Mr Morris Jones posted it, anyway it’s very good.I also have a photo somewhere of John, when I find it I’ll try to include it on this site.
The film advertised on the still box is probably the"Dragnet" that was released in 1947,the tv series with Jack Webb according to IMDB started in 1951.
I was also interested in Mr Morris'comment about changing the records on the single 78 rpm turntable in the minimum amount of time, as a schoolboy I always wondered how the Town Hall Cinema (Neuadd Dwyfor)were able to play continuous music,I soon found out when I started there as a trainee projectionist,it never occured to Me that they had two turntables.
Fantastic to see that the Gem is now once more a cinema, never thought it would when I saw the building back in 1992.
Bit puzzled with the entrance though, could that tiny door possibly be the main one ? How do they handle queue’s, or is there another entrance somewhere to the side of the theatre, although none is visible on the google picture above.
We went to the archives in Caernarfon when we celebrated the cinema’s 75th aniversary in 1986, I was also there for the 50th in 1961.
Why so hostile with words such as ‘pontifcating'I’m sure you will want to answer this again, so I’ll let you have the last word as I will not be carrying on with this matter.I’m not on this site to throw insults at people we’re all here to help each other,correcting contributor’s is fine but not through belittling people.It’s also supposed to be against the sites rules
Also one surely cannot class halls as being cinemas just because of the odd travelling film show,any hall could have held these,& as I stated before Pwllheli is celebrating it’s centenery as a fully registered cinema this year.
I Was not writing about any Neuadd Goffa, but Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli,which you yourself stated quite rightly on the appropriate page opened in 1902.I worked longer in this building than any person living or now dead, and please no quips that I must have been there in 1902 ! !.
Being a projectionist I of course know all about the old fire regulations,
which were still enforced for many years after the demise of the highly inflammable nitrate fims, and yet the present isolated box at Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli was not built until 1930, to accomodate the advent of sound equipment (2 projectors etc)
The strange thing is that the projection booth during the silent days was at the back of the stalls under the balcony, it looks no bigger than a telephone kiosk
and certainly not as high as one.
I’ve often wondered how this was legal.
I wasn’t disputing Capelmawr’s comment’s, I was just explaining that I thought it could have been the projection booth, as I did not know the length of the building from the road to the back.
It would be nice if he could send the picture on to this site, although I’m myself am having difficulty inserting them since the Cinema Treasures changed it’s format.
The Kinematograph Cinema Directory for 1958 has another cinema in it’s listings,the Savoy Picture Palace, 700 seats & G B Kalee equipment.
Theatr Clwyd of course was not built at this time.
The name Neuadd Dwyfor was not adopted in 1974 when the cinema was taken over by Dwyfor District Council,as suggested by Capelmawr they kept the name Neuadd Y Dref / Town Hall.for their entire reign.
It was Gwynedd Council which came into being in April 1995 that renamed the building to Neuadd Dwyfor, heven knows why as it was built by the old Town Council, also I’m not sure where the glass cages surrounding the projectors on display in the foyer are supposed to be situated as I erected the equipment on my own a few years before I retired.
Like I said I was only wondering, and from the picture the building looks long enough,It’s not possible to see the length from the road to the back without visiting the site, which Capelmawr has done.
There are cinemas with the main doors on the side of the buildng, such as the former Luxor Menai Bridge.
Picturedrome, Thanks for the information I cannot say that I remember the police station. I knew that the Stella was demolished, I saved a picture of it from a site which I can’t seem to find anymore, but at least I still have the photo.
I remember when I was a projectionist in Pwllheli, sending a few features after our run on to the Palladium and thinking of all the cinemas in the country in those days that I was addressing them to a place I knew. These crossovers as was the term did not happen often as films almost always were sent back to the film depot.
How nice to see that the building is still standing, for some reason I was under the impression that it had been demolished years ago.
I remember going to the palladium as a child when staying with relatives in Seaforth, I cannot remember the films we saw but I do remember seeing “The Rainbow Jacket” at Seaforth’s other picturehouse the Stella Cinema starring Bill (Compo) Owen, this was a horse racing drama with Owen as a jockey.
I was just wondering what the overhanging extension on the google picture was,my statement was that it looks like it’s still there,why the sarcastic remark ?
Theatr Gwynedd is now sadly demolished, but building has now already started on a new university complex which will incorporate a new theatre & probably with cinema facilities.
I’ve adjusted the google picture to the Empire’s location, looks like the overhanging projection room mentioned by capelmawr is still there. The former cinema in Llanidloes was the same,although the proj room was pulled down after closure, but the building still stands today.
Just uploaded three more photos kindly loaned by Mrs Elisabeth Williams of Nefyn. These are of three of the Palladium Cafe’s staff,the cafe closed in 1966, 9 years before the cinema’s closure.
I think the arc lamps are Vulcan.
Please click on photos for picture and info on the projection room.
Hi Picturedrome, Iv'e finally managed to get my photo on site, thanks to Dr Beryl my niece. Please click on the photos tabs.
Just had a look in the Kinematograph Year Book Cinema Directory for 1958, the only cinema listed here is the Lodge. Western Electric sound System, 1,020 seats, procenium width 32 ft wide,and the screen 29ft 6in wide, by 15 ft high. The proprietors were Ferry Cinema Co, Ltd.
I’ve just seen the other excellent photos, nice to see Mr Lewis and Elisabeth Griffiths (Liz) who was the cashier. Liz sadly passed away last year.I’ve also had trouble trying to include photos since the site changed it’s format.
The cafe which Mr Jones mentioned closed in 1966 11 years before the cinema itself, I never understood why as it was a very popular place,but I guess they had to save money somewhere,they also cut to one house only in the seventies, except maybe during the summer months.
Nice to see the picture of John Hughes the Chief projectionist above my introductory contribution on the Palladium,I guess Mr Morris Jones posted it, anyway it’s very good.I also have a photo somewhere of John, when I find it I’ll try to include it on this site.
The film advertised on the still box is probably the"Dragnet" that was released in 1947,the tv series with Jack Webb according to IMDB started in 1951.
I was also interested in Mr Morris'comment about changing the records on the single 78 rpm turntable in the minimum amount of time, as a schoolboy I always wondered how the Town Hall Cinema (Neuadd Dwyfor)were able to play continuous music,I soon found out when I started there as a trainee projectionist,it never occured to Me that they had two turntables.
Fantastic to see that the Gem is now once more a cinema, never thought it would when I saw the building back in 1992. Bit puzzled with the entrance though, could that tiny door possibly be the main one ? How do they handle queue’s, or is there another entrance somewhere to the side of the theatre, although none is visible on the google picture above.
We went to the archives in Caernarfon when we celebrated the cinema’s 75th aniversary in 1986, I was also there for the 50th in 1961. Why so hostile with words such as ‘pontifcating'I’m sure you will want to answer this again, so I’ll let you have the last word as I will not be carrying on with this matter.I’m not on this site to throw insults at people we’re all here to help each other,correcting contributor’s is fine but not through belittling people.It’s also supposed to be against the sites rules
Also one surely cannot class halls as being cinemas just because of the odd travelling film show,any hall could have held these,& as I stated before Pwllheli is celebrating it’s centenery as a fully registered cinema this year.
I Was not writing about any Neuadd Goffa, but Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli,which you yourself stated quite rightly on the appropriate page opened in 1902.I worked longer in this building than any person living or now dead, and please no quips that I must have been there in 1902 ! !.
Neuadd dwyfor did not start until 1911, It will be celebrating it’s centenary as a cinema this year.
Being a projectionist I of course know all about the old fire regulations, which were still enforced for many years after the demise of the highly inflammable nitrate fims, and yet the present isolated box at Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli was not built until 1930, to accomodate the advent of sound equipment (2 projectors etc)
The strange thing is that the projection booth during the silent days was at the back of the stalls under the balcony, it looks no bigger than a telephone kiosk and certainly not as high as one. I’ve often wondered how this was legal.
I wasn’t disputing Capelmawr’s comment’s, I was just explaining that I thought it could have been the projection booth, as I did not know the length of the building from the road to the back.
It would be nice if he could send the picture on to this site, although I’m myself am having difficulty inserting them since the Cinema Treasures changed it’s format.
The Kinematograph Cinema Directory for 1958 has another cinema in it’s listings,the Savoy Picture Palace, 700 seats & G B Kalee equipment. Theatr Clwyd of course was not built at this time.
The name Neuadd Dwyfor was not adopted in 1974 when the cinema was taken over by Dwyfor District Council,as suggested by Capelmawr they kept the name Neuadd Y Dref / Town Hall.for their entire reign. It was Gwynedd Council which came into being in April 1995 that renamed the building to Neuadd Dwyfor, heven knows why as it was built by the old Town Council, also I’m not sure where the glass cages surrounding the projectors on display in the foyer are supposed to be situated as I erected the equipment on my own a few years before I retired.
Like I said I was only wondering, and from the picture the building looks long enough,It’s not possible to see the length from the road to the back without visiting the site, which Capelmawr has done.
There are cinemas with the main doors on the side of the buildng, such as the former Luxor Menai Bridge.
Picturedrome, Thanks for the information I cannot say that I remember the police station. I knew that the Stella was demolished, I saved a picture of it from a site which I can’t seem to find anymore, but at least I still have the photo. I remember when I was a projectionist in Pwllheli, sending a few features after our run on to the Palladium and thinking of all the cinemas in the country in those days that I was addressing them to a place I knew. These crossovers as was the term did not happen often as films almost always were sent back to the film depot.
How nice to see that the building is still standing, for some reason I was under the impression that it had been demolished years ago.
I remember going to the palladium as a child when staying with relatives in Seaforth, I cannot remember the films we saw but I do remember seeing “The Rainbow Jacket” at Seaforth’s other picturehouse the Stella Cinema starring Bill (Compo) Owen, this was a horse racing drama with Owen as a jockey.
The Google image above only partly shows the cinema’s entrance as it’s unfortunately obscured by the red van.
The Guild Hall cinema was above the arch with the clock on the above Google image.
I was just wondering what the overhanging extension on the google picture was,my statement was that it looks like it’s still there,why the sarcastic remark ?
Theatr Gwynedd is now sadly demolished, but building has now already started on a new university complex which will incorporate a new theatre & probably with cinema facilities.
I’ve adjusted the google picture to the Empire’s location, looks like the overhanging projection room mentioned by capelmawr is still there. The former cinema in Llanidloes was the same,although the proj room was pulled down after closure, but the building still stands today.
It’s listed on the Cinema Treasures site.