This is my favourite flea pit cinema of all time closely followed by the Tolmer. For some reason, Victoria was a very popular haunt for Gays. Maybe as it was on a main line station. The News Theatre on the station was also notorious as was the back circle of the New Victoria, now Apollo Theatre next door and the Classic Cinema which I helped manage in the 60s. Somehow the swish Metropole Cinema remained straight ! The downfall of the Biogragh as a gay haunt was the arrival of Henry Cooper’s look a like brother as the manager. He had all the lighting turned up so much that the picture on the screen was faded. torches everywhere and many people chucked out.There was no warning of closure, the reason was to do with money offered for the land the building was on. Much missed.
The back of this cinema with a wicked interior hard to get to see as it;s owned by a plumbing shop is at the rear of my flat. I would love some help to get this beautiful interior seen by us movie buffs and it can be done so please help. langmike29'gmail.com
In the 50s and into the early 60s prior to closure this lovely old cinema had become something of a flea pit when as a teen i would often visit from Ightham where I Lived. The main reason was that that it became home to most of the horror double bills of the time and that they were not worried to much about your age for the X film programmes. Bums on seats was their priority. Down the hill The Grand Hall gave us teens the Rock and Roll movies whilst the two other cinemas stuck to the circuit release.
HI from Mike Lang, author cine variety read it on google. Saw this good news in this week’s stage newspaper. What a beautiful old cinema. Very good luck to Daniel and Hayley to get it up and running and would love to visit when so. Keep me as a fan and let me know please.
My parents had a beautiful house in Ightham. The Tudor advert for a weeks show was “Lady Chatterly’s Lover” I remember getting on my moped and going all that way just to see the film. It was a lovely cosy cinema and today would have shown art house films.
Alas for all the hard work by so many this lovely cinema is no more.My first visit was in 1966 when the cinema had the first provincial run of Dr Zhivago.In 1968 a 70mm showing of 2001:A Space Odyssey was a wow. Gone With the wind had several showings here including as late as late as 1975 for a months run. Brighton has become infamous for being the place that knocks down it’s cinemas or leaves the buildings both cinemas and theatres to rot (Hippodrome Theatre Frank Matcham)until they have to be pulled down.That’s one reason i moved last year 2012 to Eastbourne where they value there four theatres and original town cinema, the Curzon. I have a full history of the Astoria plus a rare film poster from 1935 which hangs on my flat wall.Much missed.
Whilst in the Merchant Navy in the 60s the liner RMS Aragon visited BA and I remember going to this beautiful cinema. Is it still there and in use?
This is my favourite flea pit cinema of all time closely followed by the Tolmer. For some reason, Victoria was a very popular haunt for Gays. Maybe as it was on a main line station. The News Theatre on the station was also notorious as was the back circle of the New Victoria, now Apollo Theatre next door and the Classic Cinema which I helped manage in the 60s. Somehow the swish Metropole Cinema remained straight ! The downfall of the Biogragh as a gay haunt was the arrival of Henry Cooper’s look a like brother as the manager. He had all the lighting turned up so much that the picture on the screen was faded. torches everywhere and many people chucked out.There was no warning of closure, the reason was to do with money offered for the land the building was on. Much missed.
Neither photo is any good at portraying how nice this family run cinema was. Any others out there please. Mike lang ( cine variety on google )
The back of this cinema with a wicked interior hard to get to see as it;s owned by a plumbing shop is at the rear of my flat. I would love some help to get this beautiful interior seen by us movie buffs and it can be done so please help. langmike29'gmail.com
In the 50s and into the early 60s prior to closure this lovely old cinema had become something of a flea pit when as a teen i would often visit from Ightham where I Lived. The main reason was that that it became home to most of the horror double bills of the time and that they were not worried to much about your age for the X film programmes. Bums on seats was their priority. Down the hill The Grand Hall gave us teens the Rock and Roll movies whilst the two other cinemas stuck to the circuit release.
HI from Mike Lang, author cine variety read it on google. Saw this good news in this week’s stage newspaper. What a beautiful old cinema. Very good luck to Daniel and Hayley to get it up and running and would love to visit when so. Keep me as a fan and let me know please.
My parents had a beautiful house in Ightham. The Tudor advert for a weeks show was “Lady Chatterly’s Lover” I remember getting on my moped and going all that way just to see the film. It was a lovely cosy cinema and today would have shown art house films.
Alas for all the hard work by so many this lovely cinema is no more.My first visit was in 1966 when the cinema had the first provincial run of Dr Zhivago.In 1968 a 70mm showing of 2001:A Space Odyssey was a wow. Gone With the wind had several showings here including as late as late as 1975 for a months run. Brighton has become infamous for being the place that knocks down it’s cinemas or leaves the buildings both cinemas and theatres to rot (Hippodrome Theatre Frank Matcham)until they have to be pulled down.That’s one reason i moved last year 2012 to Eastbourne where they value there four theatres and original town cinema, the Curzon. I have a full history of the Astoria plus a rare film poster from 1935 which hangs on my flat wall.Much missed.