Kingsway Super Cinema

Stephen Lynch on September 18, 2023 at 1:24 am

@Ken Roe The cinema was built for the Read, Snape, and Ward Circuit and the original build design was John Knight as well. The interior bears a remarkable resemblance to Salford’s Ambassador in much of the details of the plasterwork and other finishings.

An interesting detail is that when Fred Read died in 1933, John Maxwell the chair of the ABC circuit bought up his shares and was co-opted onto the board of the now Snape and Ward Circuit. They sold the Kingsway to Union Cinemas in 1936 and then a year later ABC took over Union Cinemas. I suspect Maxwell wanted to take over Snape and Ward but Alfred Snape was adamant it was not happening and in the Kinematograph Weekly - Thursday 31 May 1934 Alfred Snape announced Maxwell joining the board and at the same time scotched any rumors of an ABC takeover.