Cannon Eastbourne

Located in the East Sussex seaside town of Eastbourne. The Luxor Cinema was opened on 3rd April 1933, and was built for the independent Walter Bentley circuit. The entrance at the left side of the building is surmounted by a large dome, with the auditorium running parallel to the road. Inside the auditorium seating was provided in stalls and circle levels. The proscenium was 40 feet wide, the 25 feet deep stage was used in the early years for cine-variety acts and concerts by famous dance bands of the day. The Luxor Cinema was equipped with a Compton 3Manual/6Ranks organ with illuminated console, which was opened by organist John Howlett.

Taken over by the Union Cinemas chain on 26th October 1935, they were taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in October 1937.

It was re-named ABC in February 1962. The Compton organ was removed from the building in 1972, and the cinema was closed on 2nd May 1973 for twinning. The circle became a 585-seat auditorium. A new proscenium was built in front of the original one. A second screen was created out of a former cafe space, with seating for 159. The stalls area became a Painted Wagon bar.

When the Cannon Group took over the cinema operation in 1986, it was re-named Cannon. The bar in the stalls became an independent bingo club, known as the De Luxe Bingo Club, with the part of building which had become the small auditorium in use as a bar, known as the Luxor & Seven.

Cannon opened a brand new 6-screen multiplex east of the town centre at The Crumbles in August 1990, and the former Luxor/ABC/Cannon was closed as a cinema on 21st February 1991. The bingo club remained open until its closure in May 2011. It had reopened by early-2020 and another past of the building (foyer?) was in use as a children’s soft play area.

Recent comments (view all 3 comments)

Ian on October 25, 2011 at 8:38 am

Photo’s of the ABC / Cannon as a cinema in 1989:–

EXTERIOR

ORIGINAL PROSCENIUM ARCH and STAGE

MAIN SCREEN

MAIN SCREEN

MAIN SCREEN

I think the circle was kept as a single unit, the No 2 screen being located elsewhere (cafe perhaps?)

ODEONesque on July 27, 2013 at 10:58 am

The interior is a pleasant surprise when one considers how unexciting the exterior is, I like it.

garypainter on December 3, 2022 at 10:51 am

When I was there in 2010, the stalls was disused and appeared to have most recently been a social club. The bingo was in a remodelled balcony area which had been reprofiled with terraced seating and a new suspended ceiling. Some of the old ceiling coving and the top of the proscenium arch was still visible.