Savoy Cinema

The Savoy Cinema opened on 29th November 1929 with Arthur Lake in “On With the Show”, and was the greatest Atmospheric style cinema in Ireland. The 2,900 seat interior was fitted out in a Venetian theme with the Doge’s Palace painted on the fire curtain (a stage and dressing rooms were part of the project), the proscenium arch was in the style of a bridge over a canal, and the side walls were decorated with faux Venetian windows, doors and balconies. It was designed by architect F.C. Mitchell and was built for Associated Irish Cinemas, a subsidiary of Associated British Cinemas(ABC). The Savoy Cinema was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/14Rank theatre organ. It suffered damage from a fire in 1938.

It was taken over by the independent Elliman Group in 1939, and in 1946 it was taken over by Odeon (Ireland) Ltd. The auditorium was renovated in 1960 by the Rank Organisation, which destroyed the Atmospheric decorations, replacing it with a modern contemporary style. It was twinned in 1969 and tripled in 1975. In 1979, it became a five-screen cinema, then six screens in 1988. In 2014 it was increased to seven screens. In 2016 screen 2 was converted into three screens and in 2018 screen 1 was converted into five screens. It is operated by IMC Cinemas.

The Classically styled exterior still dominates O'Connell Street (virtually opposite the former Carlton Cinema - closed), and remains a popular cinema in Dublin despite the existence of a couple of multiplexes.

Recent comments (view all 8 comments)

Ken Roe on September 9, 2005 at 3:36 pm

The Savoy opened on 29th November 1929. The Venetian Atmospheric style auditorium was designed by interior designer W.E. Greenwood.

Ken Roe on September 3, 2006 at 3:28 pm

A close-up of the entrance to the Savoy Cinema as seen in June 2006:
http://www.moviebunker.com/savoy_cinema_dublin.htm

Ian on January 1, 2007 at 6:12 am

Photo of the Savoy here:–

http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/17996421/

irishcine on March 30, 2009 at 9:19 am

The largest cinema here was host to a heated special meeting of the Bank of Ireland last Friday, with overflow accomodation used to seat the generally disaffected shareholders. This might be a relatively profitable new line of business for large cinemas, but the RTE TV 6p.m and 9p.m. news carried extensive film coverage showing the meeting, and by default the cinema interior. This news coverage should still be available, for a time, on the RTE news website.

m_muldowney on March 1, 2016 at 8:52 am

Savoy 1 theatre from 1969 – 1979 was a magnificent place to see a movie – that’s where I saw the original STAR WARS in 1977.

Cenzo7 on June 5, 2018 at 5:45 pm

As a regular attendant to Sunday afternoon matinees i look on it as a crime that the beautiful venetion acrhitecture was destroyed during the renovation. It could have been covered over and made availible to later generations to enjoy. To try to replicate it today would be prohibitably expensive. I can still see it in my mind.

popcorn_pete on March 4, 2019 at 1:07 pm

The Savoy now has 13 screens. Twinned 1969, tripled 1975, five screens in 1979, six in 1988, seven in 2014, Screen 2 converted to three screens in 2016, Screen 1 converted to five screens in 2018. The cinema was built on the site of the Granville Hotel with two other sources giving the opening date as 29 November 1929.

Biffaskin on July 3, 2023 at 4:44 pm

Tender placed with Meagher & Hayes, Drinan Street, Cork, at a cost of £80,000 in 1928, Marble work for new cinema by C.W. Harrison & Sons. Architect Michael John Scott employed to survey damage after fire of 1938, the work being supervised by John Joseph Higginbotham, as the Corporation’s surveyor of Places of Public Resort. This work carried out prior to AIC/ABC’s sale to the Elliman Group in 1939.