New Picture House
140 Victoria Road,
Diss,
IP22 4JN
140 Victoria Road,
Diss,
IP22 4JN
1 person
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The Picture House opened on 4th January 1915 It was closed on 1st September 1934 with Ivor Novello in “Autumn Crocus”.
The New Picture House opened on 3rd September 1934 with Jesse Matthews in “Evergreen”. The cinema was converted for ‘scope with the screen hung directly to the back wall. It did not possess a stage.
The Picture House was closed on 3rd March 1973 with Audrey Hepburn in William Wyler’s “How to Steal a Million”. It has since been completely gutted for use as a store, by 2022 a Hughes Electrical Store.
Contributed by
Editha Pearce, Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The original Picture House opened on 28th December 1914. The commonly quoted date of 1916 is wrong.
Run by Jack Jones from 1964 onwards.
Pete,
I believe that Jack Jones was the manager of the Picture House long before 1964.
Although the old Picture House was built in 1914 by Henry Sullings, my great grandfather Edgar Stevens (1863-1948) had acquired a part interest in it by the mid 1920s. By the late 1920s he was its owner, although Bernard Sullings (1894-1981), the founder’s son, remained employed there.
Idris Rhys “Jack” Jones (1894-1972) came to Diss during WWI. He married Edgar’s daughter Evaline Marion Stevens in 1918, and I believe that he was employed for a while at the old Picture House.
When the new Picture House opened in 1934, the manager was Bernard Sullings, as confirmed by the opening day programme. It is possible that Jack Jones was the cashier at the time, but if not, he certainly held that role not long after (as noted in the Diss Express of 12th March 1937).
By 1944, as confirmed in the Diss Express of 11th February, Jack Jones was manager at the Picture House, although it is possible he held this role jointly with Bernard Sullings.
Edgar Stevens died in 1948, Marion and Jack Jones are listed in the Index of Wills and Administrations as two of the executors of the will, along with Frank Stevens, one of Edgar’s sons. Jack is described as being a cinema manager.
When Anglia TV came to Diss in 1962, they interviewed Jack Jones, naming him as the manager of the Picture House. Filming was undertaken in front of the cinema building.
If the manager’s role was a joint role at one time, it is quite likely that Jack Jones held it on his own from 1964 (the date that you gave), as Bernard was on board the ill-fated Greek liner TSMS Lakonia in December 1963. Although he survived, I can well imagine that the trauma he suffered would have lead to him retiring (in any case, he was nearly 70 years old).
In the Diss Town Guide of 1969-1970, Jack Jones is listed as the Picture House manager, but by the time the 1971-1972 edition was published, the role had been taken on by a Mrs Smith.
Philip
With some further research, I can now provide the following information;
(i) In respect of the old Picture House, an article in the Diss Express of Friday, 8th January 1915 reads “New Cinema - a new place of amusement, which has been erected on the Victoria Road for Messrs Sullings, was opened to the public on Monday last”. Initially, I interpreted this as the Monday of last week, which was 28th December 1914. However, I now believe it is probably more likely to have been the Monday of the current week, which was 4th January 1915.
(ii) My father tells me that the last film shown at the old Picture House was “Autumn Crocus”. This was probably on Saturday, 1st September 1934.
(iii) In respect of the new Picture House, an article in the Diss Express of Friday 7th September 1934 reports that it opened with a ceremony on Monday, 3rd September 1934, after which the films “Evergreen” with Jessie Matthews and Sonnie Hale, and Walt Disney’s “Three Little Pigs” were shown.
(iv) I have it on good authority that the new Picture House closed on Saturday, 3rd March 1973, with the last film being “How to Steal a Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons”.