Palladium Cinema
247 Portswood Road,
Portswood,
Southampton,
SO17 2NG
247 Portswood Road,
Portswood,
Southampton,
SO17 2NG
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Architects: Ingleton Sanders
Firms: Jurd & Sanders
Functions: Supermarket
Styles: Romanesque Revival
Previous Names: Portswood Palladium Cinema
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With Civic pomp, Mayor Henry Bower declared the Portswood Palladium Cinema "open" on 17th February, 1913. It was then best described in three ways; "The prettiest picture palace outside of London," "With flicker-free projection," and being "Quite Cosy." Auditorium decorations reflected a blue theme; walls revealed the famous Wedgewood style in typical pale blue. Seating was a plush velvet Royal blue and consisted of 500 in the stalls while only 150 seats occupied the small balcony. It was designed by architect Ingleton Sanders of the firm Jurd & Sanders.
This was a popular local cinema due to its location across from the tram station. Wounded World War I British troops attended a screening of "Tipperary" along with Belgian refugees. Projection was from the main floor but after 45 years of showing films, the curtains closed for the last time in 1958 with the great British Margaret Rutherford comedy " Murder at St. Trinian’s." After modernizing the front, by removing the old glass canopy, this venerable building has lost its cinema look and became a Fine Fare supermarket. Later a Somerfield supermarket, by 2022 it was operating as a Poundland supermarket.
Contributed by
Simon Overton
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
As a young lad in the 1950’s, I well recall going to the Palladium for the first and only time but still have vivid memories; What ever flick I went to see had already started
The auditorium was very dark and upon entering, I stumbled and fell into a curtained doorway on my left. It was the projection booth and there was a man standing in there kissing (better known as “snogging”) with an usherette. Then he told me to “bugger off, kid!” I think that was more entertaining than the movie.