Plaza Cinema Southsea

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Uploaded on: May 31, 2025

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This original photograph taken of the facade of the Plaza cinema Portsmouth 1928. Faced in Portland stone with four solid Portland Ionic columns, either side of the entrance and four fluted Doric columns enclosing the central ‘Sun Rise’ leaded windows above. The Plaza was built for Frederick Joseph Spickernell (1871-1948) by Architect Henry J. Dyer & Son, Building Contractor Samual Salter Ltd. Decoration and fibrous plaster works were carried out by Bryan’s Adamanta Ltd., Francis Street Birmingham, under the direction of Head Artist George Legg, who created an Italianate Renaissance interior. Bryan’s Adamanta had specialised in atmospheric designs for cinemas since the1920’s and Spickernell used this company for three of his five cinemas, the Regent, March 1923, Plaza, September 1928 and Tivoli November 1929. Of the many cinemas built during 1920 and 1930’s where George Legg created murals for their auditoriums, only one now remains, the restored Regal cinema Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire. Photographs can be viewed on Cinema Treasures Regal Tenbury Wells. In 1932 Councillor Spickernell engaged specialised cinema Architect Robert Cromie to build the vast 2000 seat Plaza cinema Southampton which opened on 11th October1932 the Plaza auditorium was designed by Eugene Mollo of Mollo & Egan in an Art Deco Egyptian style, featuring on the splay walls covering the Compton organ chamber grilles were a series of palm fronds in beaten metal finished in silver and gilt illuminated by concealed lighting. Spickernell’s last cinema built was the1240 seat Troxy opening in July 1936 again Robert Cromie was the Architect, with interior decorations by Joseph A. Nerini Ltd., London. Councillor Spickernell retained ownership of the Tivoli and Troxy until his death in 1948 his Son who had been Director sold both two years later to Essoldo Cinemas.

Ron Knee