The stage tower had to be rebuilt as it was too low for touring productions and seemed to be crumbling. We had to cut-down 24' drop backcloths to allow them to be “flown”. The width of the stage was very narrow and some large touring shows left hardly any room between the stage walls and the edge of the sets. The stage rake was flattend. The rear stalls was converted into a bar. The projectors were 35mm Westars positioned at the rear of the circle and were removed in the first refit. Dick Condon was the manager for the Council.
The replacement Odeon Anglia Square had a singe rake of seats and a 48 foot-wide screen. It was intended for road shows and had a pair of Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 projectors that could run 70mm and 35mm films. The installation was never completed and the sound was only mono until much later on. The Gaumont, Norwich ran the 70mm “Road Shows” so the Odeon had the conventional films in 35mm. The auditorium was later crudely sub-divided with the front having the two very tall mini screens and the rear having the full width of the auditorium but with a cut-down screen. The new projection room for the minis was where the luxury seats used to be. Engineers were strivig to find lenses to make the picture fit the screen as the first house was queuing outside… A man with a stapling maching was striving to reduce the drop of the screen curtains which were dragging on the floor…
This cinema had full stage facilities, a fly tower and a raked stage, stage boxes and an ornate safety curtain. The image in the pitcture shows it after the “moderniastions” post war. The later sub-divisions made for two very long, narrow mini cinemas in the former stalls area. The circle formed the main screen and a further screen was in the former bar. This was an other cinema built as a theatre where no projection room was designed by the architect. An area to the rear of the stalls was partitioned-off to form a projection room. After the sub-dision the throw of the projectors went over the corridors that gave access to the downstairs screens. It was reported that the two Phillips projectors ran at different speeds so the same film took longer on one machine than the other. When the circle was made into the main screen a new projection room was constucted at the back. Strangly, there were no walls behind the pleated curtains either side of the screen. Films had to be placed on an old door to be carried up to circle level via a staircase with. a landing that over-hung the adjacent cottages. There was no lens turret for ‘scope films on the Phillips projector and the lens for that was kept in a case on the floor. It had to be manually changed from 'scope to widescreen.
This was one of the cinenas in Norwich where the architect forgot to include a projection room. The error was not discovered until the engineers arrives with the projectors.
This cinema used to have a very decorative procenium arch which was destroyed when they put in a wider screen for CinemaScope and plain curtains were substituted. The building survived its repacement that wasin the Arcadian, which opened on 15th November 1991. It was demolished to make way for a hotel a few years later.
For showing 70mm films the lower part of the circle centre was cut-away to allow a direct “throw” to the huge screen from the centre-rear stalls. Oddly the adverts in 35mm were shown from the original projection room at the back of the circle. This was odd as the Phillips DP70 projectors favoured by ABC cineams, could show both gauges. Perhps it was easier not to have to alter the projecter between the trailers / ads and the main feature? The manager said that the cinema was profitable up to the day it closed…
David Perry rented the stage area for use as a scenery workshop. He did theatrical and television scenery there and he was best-known as a supplier of scenery for rock bands. He used one of the former organ chambers as his office, stage right. The owners asked him to leave, as they wanted to use the area for other purposes. The 1920’s lighting board was still in place during David’s time there. The Stage roof was full of holes. The dressing rooms were under the stage and had been abandoned for many years.
This cinema was not as good as the Ritz Edgware up the road. It felt like a large shed. However, it played films that the Ritz did not exhibit. It was latterly painted a dark blue colour with the grillwork picked out in gold. I never saw or heard the organ being played.
The theatre was on a back street separate from the main road entrance.
As a result, the public had to go down a flight of steps to go through a tunnel under the back street to enter the stalls and over bridge above the back street to enter the circle. The autiorium block has now been demolished. This was a new 1930s building and not an adptation of the former theatre.
(The Gaumont down the road had the same arrangement.)
This cinema had rising Venetian drape screen curtains as there was not enough room at the sides for centre opening tabs when Cinemascope was installed. It usuallay played the Odeon circuit releases.
The auditorium of this cinema was irregular. Think of it as four squares with the the front half by the screen being the full width of two squares and the rear half being only a quarter square with seating only on the right. Presumably a shop unit occupied the left rear quarter of the space.
This cinema was unusual as the projection room was at the rear of the stalls. In later years the open arcade was glazed-in to enlarge the foyer area. The circle boxes were never occupied to my knowledge.
The intersting thing about this conversion for Todd AO is that a chunk had to be taken out of the centre front of the circle to allow the beam of the downstairs 70mm projetors to miss the over-hang. The curved screen and wall curtains were in yellow.
For some reason the trailers and adverts were in 35mm and from the original projection room at the rear of the circle. ABC cinemas had Phillips DP70 projectors, which were considered to be the Rolls-Royce for 70mm exhibitions. Sadly, many of these were scrapped as they were not suitable for automated operation like the rival Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 machines.
The downstairs projection room was removed and replaced by seating after Todd AO screenings ceased. The original projection room can still be seen at the rear of the circle. At one time it had a theatre organ, which has since been removed. The pink light fittings are the original ones.
On a CTA visit members were told that the Art Deco ceiling light and ceiling actually covered the front of a very steeply raked gallery that stil exists. The work was done in the 1950s and in the same 1930s style. The stalls seating had to be re-spaced to make more room for the (now)larger members of the audience…
This theatre was alleged to be in a converted restaurant. It was situated in the basement down a set of stairs. The access areas looked to be smart Art Deco. As perfomances were continuous, I never saw the audiorium with the house lights up. As the ceiling was very low, there was little, or no rake. Audience members' head’s shadows would be cast on the screen when they stood-up.
This building have been converted for use as a college. THis wil preserve the building. The last theatrical use was by the Dewsbury Operatic Society. The projection room was under the clock tower to the audience’s left and a special lens system had to be used to correct the keystone effect.
Local gossip states that one of the local brewers bought the cinema and had it demolished, because it was derelict. The site is now just and area of grass.
This was the best cinema in Derby. The projectors were remotely operated from a position to the audience’s right of the projection room. It had Cinemecannica Victoria 8 duel-gauge projectors and six-track stereophonic sound. It was the best place to see a film in the town. Mrs. O'Frear was the manager, when I was in the town. I was lucky enough to see the film “Ben Hur” in 70mm on the big screen in this cinema and it was awe-inspiring.
Major revamp plan to transform old Gaumont cinema
26
News
27th August
Major revamp plan to transform old Gaumont cinema
By Christian Barnett @cbarnettWN Local Democracy Reporter
AN EMPTY historic cinema could be transformed into a music venue under new plans.
Worcester-born actor Sam Barriscale wants to raise money to bring the historic Gaumont Cinema in Foregate Street back to life as a music venue emulating its history when it hosted some of the biggest acts in the 1960s and 70s.
Mr Barriscale had been working for two years to transform the historic Scala Theatre in Angel Place into an arts cinema but after plans fell through, he has turned his attention to the Gaumont.
“Our initial plans are to make it a music venue,” Mr Barriscale said.
“I think we can get some big bands. It will bring people into Worcester.
“The different groups I have been speaking to, particularly those involved in music in Worcester, are so up for it.
“I think people are so desperate, and the lockdown has definitely exacerbated how desperate people are to have something positive happen to the city.
“It can be a place that has big names as well as local bands. It will be a chance for a local band to play in a venue that holds 700 people which is huge.
“There is a lot of love for the Scala and what I have seen so far is that people are willing to go with us on this one too. There is a lot of positivity there.
“People want to see the Arts brought back in Worcester and for it to be bigger and better.
This theatre had a very attractive painted safety curtain, which should have been preserved. The architect forgot to include a projection box in his scheme and it was not until an engineer arrvived to see to fitting the projectors that this ommission was realised. The rearmost stalls area was partitioned-off to provide space for a projection room… That is why there is no projection ports at the rear of the circle in the picture.
This cinema orignally had a most attractive plaster procenium arch. There is a picture of this in one of the CTA magazines. This feature was lost when the cinema was conveted for “cinemascope”. It looked very bland after this. It is now a curry house.
The only time I went to this cinema was to see “Hook”.
The screen got smaller for ‘scope as a top mask came down as in the smaller converted silent cinemas designed for Academy aspect ratio films. I never went back as a result.
I visited this cinema in about 1963. It had obviously been converted from a variety theatre. It was almost full and I got a seat as I was on my own. The projection room must have been at the back of the “Gods” where the “limes” used to be; the room would have already been fireproof. I was sitting in the circle and the screen was obviously leaning backwards, so the view of it from the stalls must have been poor. There were acoustic tiles on the back wall of the circle, presumably to absorb reflected sound. I was most impressed with the many boxes on the side walls. I tried to glimpse them through the cracks in the doorways opposite when I left. Sadly, I never saw it again, as it was demolished after the Odeon was split into two auditoria. It was a very sad loss of a fine auditorium. I have never found any photographic records of how it looked.
This cinema had an attractive “cash register” auditorium with cove lighting running down the centre. All seats were on one level. It should have been preserved.
You had to buy ice creams and sweets in the foyer. The closure was as a result of Classic Cinemas buying the former and much larger, Gaumont Cinema in Hendon Central. The tragedy was that the Gaumont was never full. One Friday I counted three people in the house for a musical. Smaller cinemas like The Gala Classic would have had lower overheads and been more profitable than the thousand-seater + houses that distributors liked.
The stage tower had to be rebuilt as it was too low for touring productions and seemed to be crumbling. We had to cut-down 24' drop backcloths to allow them to be “flown”. The width of the stage was very narrow and some large touring shows left hardly any room between the stage walls and the edge of the sets. The stage rake was flattend. The rear stalls was converted into a bar. The projectors were 35mm Westars positioned at the rear of the circle and were removed in the first refit. Dick Condon was the manager for the Council.
The replacement Odeon Anglia Square had a singe rake of seats and a 48 foot-wide screen. It was intended for road shows and had a pair of Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 projectors that could run 70mm and 35mm films. The installation was never completed and the sound was only mono until much later on. The Gaumont, Norwich ran the 70mm “Road Shows” so the Odeon had the conventional films in 35mm. The auditorium was later crudely sub-divided with the front having the two very tall mini screens and the rear having the full width of the auditorium but with a cut-down screen. The new projection room for the minis was where the luxury seats used to be. Engineers were strivig to find lenses to make the picture fit the screen as the first house was queuing outside… A man with a stapling maching was striving to reduce the drop of the screen curtains which were dragging on the floor…
This cinema had full stage facilities, a fly tower and a raked stage, stage boxes and an ornate safety curtain. The image in the pitcture shows it after the “moderniastions” post war. The later sub-divisions made for two very long, narrow mini cinemas in the former stalls area. The circle formed the main screen and a further screen was in the former bar. This was an other cinema built as a theatre where no projection room was designed by the architect. An area to the rear of the stalls was partitioned-off to form a projection room. After the sub-dision the throw of the projectors went over the corridors that gave access to the downstairs screens. It was reported that the two Phillips projectors ran at different speeds so the same film took longer on one machine than the other. When the circle was made into the main screen a new projection room was constucted at the back. Strangly, there were no walls behind the pleated curtains either side of the screen. Films had to be placed on an old door to be carried up to circle level via a staircase with. a landing that over-hung the adjacent cottages. There was no lens turret for ‘scope films on the Phillips projector and the lens for that was kept in a case on the floor. It had to be manually changed from 'scope to widescreen.
This was one of the cinenas in Norwich where the architect forgot to include a projection room. The error was not discovered until the engineers arrives with the projectors.
This cinema used to have a very decorative procenium arch which was destroyed when they put in a wider screen for CinemaScope and plain curtains were substituted. The building survived its repacement that wasin the Arcadian, which opened on 15th November 1991. It was demolished to make way for a hotel a few years later.
For showing 70mm films the lower part of the circle centre was cut-away to allow a direct “throw” to the huge screen from the centre-rear stalls. Oddly the adverts in 35mm were shown from the original projection room at the back of the circle. This was odd as the Phillips DP70 projectors favoured by ABC cineams, could show both gauges. Perhps it was easier not to have to alter the projecter between the trailers / ads and the main feature? The manager said that the cinema was profitable up to the day it closed…
David Perry rented the stage area for use as a scenery workshop. He did theatrical and television scenery there and he was best-known as a supplier of scenery for rock bands. He used one of the former organ chambers as his office, stage right. The owners asked him to leave, as they wanted to use the area for other purposes. The 1920’s lighting board was still in place during David’s time there. The Stage roof was full of holes. The dressing rooms were under the stage and had been abandoned for many years.
This cinema was not as good as the Ritz Edgware up the road. It felt like a large shed. However, it played films that the Ritz did not exhibit. It was latterly painted a dark blue colour with the grillwork picked out in gold. I never saw or heard the organ being played.
The theatre was on a back street separate from the main road entrance. As a result, the public had to go down a flight of steps to go through a tunnel under the back street to enter the stalls and over bridge above the back street to enter the circle. The autiorium block has now been demolished. This was a new 1930s building and not an adptation of the former theatre.
(The Gaumont down the road had the same arrangement.)
This cinema had rising Venetian drape screen curtains as there was not enough room at the sides for centre opening tabs when Cinemascope was installed. It usuallay played the Odeon circuit releases.
The auditorium of this cinema was irregular. Think of it as four squares with the the front half by the screen being the full width of two squares and the rear half being only a quarter square with seating only on the right. Presumably a shop unit occupied the left rear quarter of the space.
This cinema was unusual as the projection room was at the rear of the stalls. In later years the open arcade was glazed-in to enlarge the foyer area. The circle boxes were never occupied to my knowledge.
The intersting thing about this conversion for Todd AO is that a chunk had to be taken out of the centre front of the circle to allow the beam of the downstairs 70mm projetors to miss the over-hang. The curved screen and wall curtains were in yellow. For some reason the trailers and adverts were in 35mm and from the original projection room at the rear of the circle. ABC cinemas had Phillips DP70 projectors, which were considered to be the Rolls-Royce for 70mm exhibitions. Sadly, many of these were scrapped as they were not suitable for automated operation like the rival Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 machines.
The downstairs projection room was removed and replaced by seating after Todd AO screenings ceased. The original projection room can still be seen at the rear of the circle. At one time it had a theatre organ, which has since been removed. The pink light fittings are the original ones.
On a CTA visit members were told that the Art Deco ceiling light and ceiling actually covered the front of a very steeply raked gallery that stil exists. The work was done in the 1950s and in the same 1930s style. The stalls seating had to be re-spaced to make more room for the (now)larger members of the audience…
This theatre was alleged to be in a converted restaurant. It was situated in the basement down a set of stairs. The access areas looked to be smart Art Deco. As perfomances were continuous, I never saw the audiorium with the house lights up. As the ceiling was very low, there was little, or no rake. Audience members' head’s shadows would be cast on the screen when they stood-up.
This building have been converted for use as a college. THis wil preserve the building. The last theatrical use was by the Dewsbury Operatic Society. The projection room was under the clock tower to the audience’s left and a special lens system had to be used to correct the keystone effect.
Local gossip states that one of the local brewers bought the cinema and had it demolished, because it was derelict. The site is now just and area of grass.
This was the best cinema in Derby. The projectors were remotely operated from a position to the audience’s right of the projection room. It had Cinemecannica Victoria 8 duel-gauge projectors and six-track stereophonic sound. It was the best place to see a film in the town. Mrs. O'Frear was the manager, when I was in the town. I was lucky enough to see the film “Ben Hur” in 70mm on the big screen in this cinema and it was awe-inspiring.
Major revamp plan to transform old Gaumont cinema 26
27th August Major revamp plan to transform old Gaumont cinema By Christian Barnett @cbarnettWN Local Democracy Reporter
AN EMPTY historic cinema could be transformed into a music venue under new plans.
Worcester-born actor Sam Barriscale wants to raise money to bring the historic Gaumont Cinema in Foregate Street back to life as a music venue emulating its history when it hosted some of the biggest acts in the 1960s and 70s.
Mr Barriscale had been working for two years to transform the historic Scala Theatre in Angel Place into an arts cinema but after plans fell through, he has turned his attention to the Gaumont.
“Our initial plans are to make it a music venue,” Mr Barriscale said.
“I think we can get some big bands. It will bring people into Worcester.
“The different groups I have been speaking to, particularly those involved in music in Worcester, are so up for it.
“I think people are so desperate, and the lockdown has definitely exacerbated how desperate people are to have something positive happen to the city.
“It can be a place that has big names as well as local bands. It will be a chance for a local band to play in a venue that holds 700 people which is huge.
“There is a lot of love for the Scala and what I have seen so far is that people are willing to go with us on this one too. There is a lot of positivity there.
“People want to see the Arts brought back in Worcester and for it to be bigger and better.
This theatre had a very attractive painted safety curtain, which should have been preserved. The architect forgot to include a projection box in his scheme and it was not until an engineer arrvived to see to fitting the projectors that this ommission was realised. The rearmost stalls area was partitioned-off to provide space for a projection room… That is why there is no projection ports at the rear of the circle in the picture.
This cinema orignally had a most attractive plaster procenium arch. There is a picture of this in one of the CTA magazines. This feature was lost when the cinema was conveted for “cinemascope”. It looked very bland after this. It is now a curry house.
The only time I went to this cinema was to see “Hook”. The screen got smaller for ‘scope as a top mask came down as in the smaller converted silent cinemas designed for Academy aspect ratio films. I never went back as a result.
I visited this cinema in about 1963. It had obviously been converted from a variety theatre. It was almost full and I got a seat as I was on my own. The projection room must have been at the back of the “Gods” where the “limes” used to be; the room would have already been fireproof. I was sitting in the circle and the screen was obviously leaning backwards, so the view of it from the stalls must have been poor. There were acoustic tiles on the back wall of the circle, presumably to absorb reflected sound. I was most impressed with the many boxes on the side walls. I tried to glimpse them through the cracks in the doorways opposite when I left. Sadly, I never saw it again, as it was demolished after the Odeon was split into two auditoria. It was a very sad loss of a fine auditorium. I have never found any photographic records of how it looked.
This cinema had an attractive “cash register” auditorium with cove lighting running down the centre. All seats were on one level. It should have been preserved. You had to buy ice creams and sweets in the foyer. The closure was as a result of Classic Cinemas buying the former and much larger, Gaumont Cinema in Hendon Central. The tragedy was that the Gaumont was never full. One Friday I counted three people in the house for a musical. Smaller cinemas like The Gala Classic would have had lower overheads and been more profitable than the thousand-seater + houses that distributors liked.