Gala Royal Cinema
51-53 Edgware Road,
London,
W2 2HZ
51-53 Edgware Road,
London,
W2 2HZ
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Gala Film Distributors Ltd., Jacey Cinemas
Firms: T.P. Bennett & Son
Functions: Community Center, Restaurant
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: News Reel Theatre, Royal Cinema
Nearby Theaters
Opened in around 1938 as the News Reel Theatre. By 1939 it was operating as the Royal Cinema. It had a small circle located at street level and stairs led down to the stalls area below street level.
Jacey Cinemas and Gala Film Distributers took over the running of the cinema by the early-1960’s and it began screening Continental/Art House films known as the Gala Royal Cinema. Towards the end of its life it went over to playing more saucy sex romps and it closed on 16th November 1979 with “When Girls Go To Bed” and “Ups and Downs of Girls on Holiday”.
The building began screening Arabic films to cater for the growing local ethnic population but closed finally in 1981. It became an Arabic centre and a restaurant (known as the Hilal House Restaurant). By 2019 it was named Shishawi.
Contributed by
KenRoe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
This cinema (amongst others) was owned by my family business Jacey Cinemas Ltd., together with Ken Rive of Gala Films that no longer exists. Anyone interested in learning more can find my webpage devoted to the ‘History of the Jacey Group’ that included Jacey Cinemas, this was created by my late Grandfather Joseph Cohen (I am the last surviving Director) Please have a look at my website: – http://www.jncohen.net/JaceyGroup/JosephCohen.htm
An August 2016 photo here:–
GALA ROYAL
Owing to the wonder of architectural archives, here is the Royal Cinema in 1939 in its then original new decor. You can’t enlarge the original on-screen, but image-widening is possible by mouse contact.
https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/image-information/poster/portsea-hall-and-royal-cinema-edgware-road-london/posterid/RIBA72527.html