Orient Cinema
571 Gallowgate,
Glasgow,
G40 2PE
571 Gallowgate,
Glasgow,
G40 2PE
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: George Green Ltd.
Architects: Albert V. Gardner
Styles: Art Deco, Atmospheric, Spanish Renaissance
Previous Names: Orient Kinema
Nearby Theaters
Located in the East End of Glasgow on the corner of Gallowgate & Sword Street. Opened on 2nd May 1932 and the architect was Albert V. Gardner (his last project). The corner entrance had an Art Deco style and a unique ziggurat tower feature. Inside the auditorium there was a blue painted ‘sky; and along the side-walls were Spanish style housing on the left-hand side and Norman fantasy castles & buildings on the right-hand side. The huge arched proscenium had the look of a stone bridge. The Orient Kinema was built by and operated by the George Taylor circuit. In 1959 it was sold to the George Green Circuit. It was closed as a cinema on 26th May 1965.
It then operated as a Mecca Bingo Club until August 1995. It was damaged by a fire in the late-1990’s and was demolished in 2004. A block of flats have been built on the site.
Contributed by
Graeme McBain
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Various photos of the cinema, including colour shots of the atmospheric interior whilst on bingo, are here:
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The exterior shots in 1975 and 2004 make for a grim and depressing comparison….
The Orient Kinema was located on the corner of Gallowgate and Sword Street in the Dalmarnock district of Glasgow. It was the last cinema to be designed by architect Albert V. Gardner.
The theme of the atmospheric auditorium was a fantasy of gates and turrets in a Spanish and Norman style. The curved arch of the proscenium was made of plaster resembling rough-hewn stonework which was painted in gold. Beneath this hung the stage curtain which had a scene of a landscape with a castle upon it.
Correction to my previous posting…the Orient Kinema was located in the Bridgeton district of Glasgow.
I found an old ticket/program slip from the Orient Glasgow dated 1935 among my Dad’s possessions – he was raised in Glasgow – and I was interested in reading the posts regarding this cinema.
I found an old ticket/program slip from the Orient Glasgow dated 1935 among my Dad’s possessions – he was raised in Glasgow – and I was interested in reading the posts regarding this cinema.