Cinema
Broad Street,
Knighton,
LD7 1BL
Broad Street,
Knighton,
LD7 1BL
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Related Websites
Knighton Hotel (Official)
Additional Info
Functions: Supermarket
Previous Names: Picture House
Nearby Theaters
Located in Knighton on the England/Wales border in Powis. The ballroom of the Norton Arms Hotel (now the Knighton Hotel) was used for silent cinema presentations by a local entrepreneur named William Brown. It is believed they were fit up shows using just one projector.
Later Mr. Brown purchased land near to the hotel and built a small cinema which became known locally as the ‘White Hall’. It was operating as the Picture House by 1937, and by 1944 was known as the Cinema.
Still operating in 1966, the Cinema had closed by 1980, and the building was then taken over by a supermarket company.
Contributed by
Editha Pearce
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
My records show that in 1928 the cinema in Knighton was known as the Electric Picture House and Capt. H.J. Bray D.S.C., was the propreitor showing film on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays only at prices of 6d to 1/3d. In the 1930’s Mr D.J. Madigan of Hay had taken over. twinned the cinema with the Plaza, Hay and renamed it “Picture House”. At this time the cinema held 220 patrons seated. Mr J.R. Brown took over in the late 1940’s, renaming it “Cinema” and seating was reduced to 200 patrons. In the 1960’s Mr W.H. Brown (not known if a relation of J.R.) was the propreitor and was showing one show per day with one change per week. Cinemascope had been installed and the sound changed to G.B. sound from the original Morrison sound system. All seats were 3/–. The proscenium was 30 feet wide with a 29 foot wide screen
This could very well be a tale of two or three different operations. A newspaper report says that the cinema opened in 1949 and was run by the Brown brothers, two travelling showmen, and lasted until the late 1960s. Having spoken to a local trader he seems to think the cinema was in an old barn next to the public car park behind the buildings in the main street, and it is some sort of warehouse now. Sounds like a job for Poirot!