Standard Cinema
79-80 East Street,
Southampton,
SO14
79-80 East Street,
Southampton,
SO14
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One of Southampton’s earliest cinemas "come in when you like and stop as long as you like" was the welcoming sign in 1909. It was originally Baker Brothers furniture store which had opened in 1900.
A children’s matinee was on Wednesdays and Saturdays along with continuous performances from 3pm-11pm on other days, except Sundays.
Purchase price in 1924 was £5,000.
A small orchestra accompanied silent films but but the Standard Electric Theatre could not get out of being fondly known as the "bug hutch!"
"Lost World" played to sell-out crowds with a 12 foot home made dinosaur over the main entrance -an advertising gimmick long before the publicity stunts of today.
Bombed in the blitz of 1940, the Standard Cinema, located in the poorer section of town was sold. Today it is open as a sporting goods shop with displays in the former balcony. The address also housed Pink Broadway; Southampton’s only gay sauna which was closed on 8th January 2023..
Interestingly, the old projection box is visible on the roof and the space for the projected movie can be seen on the back wall!
Contributed by
Simon Overton
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
A 2006 photograph of the former Standard Cinema by Cinema Theatre Association committee member Harry Rigby:
http://flickr.com/photos/kencta/1654961442/
Yes Edwin Jones purchased the cinema after their store was bombed from my Great Grandfather James William Parker. My Grandpa had the job of playing the records that went with the silent movies. They also had a piano and a orchestra. James William Parker was also a photographer and had a studio at 27 Canal walk, southampton from 1911
here is a old photo https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1123076767715912&set=o.342305639192032&type=3&theater
Still a sauna at present, 24 years after I last went past it.
Sauna use has closed down as from 08/01/23