Pavilion Cinema
90-92 Old Street,
Ashton-under-Lyne,
OL6 7SD
90-92 Old Street,
Ashton-under-Lyne,
OL6 7SD
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Broadhead's Theatres
Architects: J.J. Alley, Francis Edison Drury, Joseph G. Gomersall
Firms: Drury & Gomersall
Functions: Furniture Showroom
Previous Names: Picture Pavilion
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The Picture Pavilion opened on 21st December 1908 and originally had a seating capacity of 1,600, many places were on long wooden benches. In later years conventional tip-up seating was installed throughout the auditorium and the seating capacity became 1,300 in stalls and balcony. It was built for and operated by William Henry Broadhead.
The Picture Pavilion has an imposing façade in brick, dressed with stone, onto which, in July 1947, was grafted a small cantilevered projection box, replacing the original projection box located inside the auditorium at the rear of the balcony.
The auditorium is a strangely wide and shallow affair with one balcony, richly embellished with plasterwork. The screen opening, at first occupied about a third of the width of the wall. The Pavilion closed on 29th April 1933 for refurbishment and alterations which included a new 35ft wide screen situated in front of the original. The auditorium was totally redecorated in an Oriental style and sound equipment was installed. It re-opened on 5th June 1933 with Marlene Dietrich in “Blond Venus”. There was a small stage, but this was never really a live theatre. Decorative plaster survives on, and at either side of the screen opening.
The Pavilion Cinema was rebuilt in 1947 to the plans of architectural firm Drury & Gomersall who at the same time redesigned the adjacent Alexandra Billiard Hall. The Pavilion Cinema became the first cinema in the town to be equipped with CinemaScope, opening with Richard Burton in “The Robe” on 29th November 1954.
The independently operated Pavilion Cinema closed on 8th October 1966 with Donald Pleasance in “Cul de Sac” and Barry Sullivan in “Intimacy”. It became the Star Bingo Club, which in later years was operated by Coral Bingo and finally by Gala Bingo Clubs, until they moved into new premises circa-2000. The building was then sold and became a furniture showroom, again returning to the Pavilion name, which continues in 2008. Apart from the removal of foyer walls to open up the floor space, there has been little alteration to the cinema, which still retains its proscenium arch and balcony.
Contributed by
Ian Grundy, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
A few pictures of the Pavilion taken in March 2008 here:–
Exterior:
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Interior:
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The “Picture Pavilion” is a rare listing in the Kinematograph Year Book 1931. Sound was installed but it was still a “disc” system. Perhaps the works in April/June 1933 involved installing equipment for sound-on-film. “Western Electric” is indicated in KYB 1942, 1947 and 1954.
would like to point out that it was never the cosmo bingo club ….that is in the next town over in stalybridge….when it was a bingo hall i worked there …at 1st it was star bingo from what i was told …then when i started there it was coral bingo then Gala up to it closing and moving to a purpose built club …we even had elderly customers back then when i 1st started who remember going as kids to the cinema who said they had wooden benches at the front of the stalls !
sadly i have heard since my last post that the owners have ripped out the projection box area and toilets in the balcony to make more room ect ….shame realy as when i worked there there was still a LOT of the equipment for things like the light faders , cinema scope control panels ect in the projection room ..projectors had gone but still think there was something that projected slides down to the screen …also just of the projection room there was a spiral staircase to nowhere ..that was above the prize bingo shop ..soo im asuming that when it was a cinema that was an access to projection room from the ground floor!