The Cinema Sevenoaks

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Uploaded on: February 23, 2026

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Mollo & Egan were engaged to design and complete the cinema interior decorations by Architect David Nye, for this his first of seventeen cinemas between 1935 – 1939. After ‘The Cinema’ Eugene Mollo continued designing another sixteen interiors for Nye between 1936 – 1939. During the cinema building boom of the 1930’s most Architects engaged the same sub-contractors they knew could provide what they required. Above is the futuristic auditorium as designed by Eugene Mollo. Hidden coved uplighting traverses from the left organ chamber across the proscenium to the edge of the right chamber, the chamber grille sections contain various shaped triangular motifs which are fixed over the horizontal and vertical voids. The drawn stage curtains are decorated with an appliqué design of two large fish but only on the right side curtain with a tiny wave at bottom, Mollo purposely leaves the left curtain blank!! Compton two manual organ raised with illuminated console and unusually the seat. Finally the ceiling flying saucer was a marvel of design for this period and forty two years before E.T. landed!! How were the lamps changed, was the saucer lowered by winch or extraterrestrial help? All fibrous plaster work including the flying saucer was carried out by David Esdaile’s Plaster Decoration Co. Ltd., Stannery Street, London as mentioned above, Mollo & Egan designed and manufactured the metal fabrication for the fibrous plaster in their workshops. Esdaile started working with Mollo & Egan in 1932.

Ron Knee