Moderne Cinema
713 Wimborne Road, Winton,
Bournemouth,
BH9 2AU
713 Wimborne Road, Winton,
Bournemouth,
BH9 2AU
2 people
favorited this theater
The Moderne Cinema opened on 11th October 1935 with John Boles in “Music in the Air” and Denis O'Neil in “Barnacle Bill”. As its name suggests it was designed in a very modernistic style by local architect Edward G. de Wilde Holding and had the added facility of a cafe, which was located in the balcony foyer.
It closed on 25th May 1983 with Peter Sellers in “The Wrong Arm of the Law” and was converted into a bingo club from June 1983 which was initially operated by Granada Bingo.
In the early-1960’s this was a truly beautiful Art Deco cinema with seats that sported a leopard skin print. A girlfriend’s father who was a butcher got free tictets every week, and so we spent many an evening in the rear of the balcony canoodling in the dark. By this period it tended to be a second run theatre and on Sunday evenings would often offer a horror movie double bill. I saw a dreadful film called “The Deadly Mantis” in this cinema. For a suburban off-centre cinema it was pretty big at 1,500 seats. I really loved this cinema, but it was saved and operated as a bingo hall for many years. Sadly, Gala Bingo closed it down in February 2008, a victim of the ‘No Smoking’ ban in public places.
In the Summer of 2008, the Cinema Theatre Association applied to English Heritage for Listed building consent. The application was turned down, due to the fact the building had lost the original stencilling scheme in the auditorium, despite them being impressed with the excellent foyer.
Contributed by
Deric Botham
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
Some historic details and a couple of small photographs here; (scroll halfway down the page):
http://www.wintonforum.co.uk/cinemas.html
Gala Bingo has decided to close its operation at the former Moderne cinema (Feb 2008). To see a number of large photographs of the interior of the building, visit the Winton Forum website at http://www.wintonforum.co.uk/goodbyegala.html
These were taken to try and preserve its memory.
I was in the Winton area today while doing some shopping and decided to have peek inside to see what is happening with the ole cinema. Its been renovated into church seems like Bingo is out but it could still be modern THX cinema with the right JBL stuff and digital and 35mm projection. Oh, well too late now. The refitting won’t be completed until around 2011.
I took these pictures as it stands today. Oh one more thing! I never saw film at this cinema when it was open the only cinema that I visited in the Winton area was when the Continental showed a double bill of Planet of the Apes around mid late 1970’s. And even that cinema is gone now completely gone!! sigh
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One thing I dislike about the bingo hall is the paint work outside! I mean god damn, whew that is brutal! LOL I mean who pained the exterior a bland man?
Normally, church use of a former cinema or theatre building is considered a good thing, as the fabric of the building and its decorative scheme tends to be retained and even restored.
Andy, thanks for posting your photographs. It looks like they are gutting the building, which is totally unneccesary. How sad.
Many heartfelt thanks to everyone who posted these wonderful pictures. This was my most local cinema in the 1960’s. On Sunday nights they usually had a double Horror bill including the Deadly Mantis and the original version of The Thing.
I don’t think the seats at the Moderne were originally covered in leopard skin pattern moquette. Photos taken at the opening, show this not to be the case although the carpet throughout the building was of a leopard skin pattern. I have recently removed the maroon vinyl covering from one of the original seats and restored it. They were dark green with silver side castings.
Apart from some initial over enthusism namely the removal of the auditorium side wall fancy plaster work, Bournemouth Community Church have done a really nice job of restoring this old building both inside and out and it’s all been done to a very high standard.Nice to see the original cinema seats have been retained in the circle.
Two exterior photographs from 2022 here:-
BOURNEMOUTH MODERNE - Exterior
BOURNEMOUTH MODERNE - Exterior