Screen Cinema
49 Market Place,
Long Eaton,
NG10 1JP
49 Market Place,
Long Eaton,
NG10 1JP
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Star Cinemas
Architects: John F. Dodd, Alfred John Thraves
Previous Names: New Palace Theatre, Ritz Cinema
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Located in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. The New Palace Theatre was opened as a live theatre on 3rd July 1913 with 830 seats in stalls and circle levels. It was designed by architect John F. Dodd. It soon began screening silent films, and in May 1931, it was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system for ‘talkie’ films.
It was renovated in June-October 1936 to the plans of architect Alfred J. Thraves, with the interior gutted of its original decoration, and was given a new plain facade. It re-opened on 19th October 1936. In March 1965, it was taken over by the Leeds based Star Cinemas chain and was re-named Ritz Cinema on 22nd March 1965. The Ritz Cinema was closed on 23rd February 1983 with a packed house viewing “E.T.”.
In 1977 it was taken over by an independent operator. Plans were proposed to convert the stalls area into retail use, and convert the balcony into a 250 seat cinema. The new cinema was opened on 15th September 1983, and was re-named Screen Cinema. A supermarket was located downstairs. The Screen Cinema was closed on 3rd October 1996 due to the death of its owner John Francis. The building stayed empty until 2003, when it was converted into a pub, known as The Litten Tree". The pub was closed on 8th March 2008 due to loss of business after the introduction of the Government no-smoking ban in public buildings. It has now re-opened as a bar & nightclub known as the Box Office.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
A photo of the Palace after The Litten Tree had closed here:– http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4473153208/lightbox/
Greetings to all. John Francis was my uncle. I’m trying to get more information about the cinema to compile for Christmas for my mom. (She’s 84.) Any tips, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
From Long Eaton & Sawley Archive: The New Palace opened on July 3rd 1913 and soon became known as the little theatre with the big reputation. With around 830 seats it wasn’t the largest theatre, but its Market Place position made it a prominent venue at the time and in 1919 seat prices rose front seats 4d, other seats were 6d and 7d. The circle was 1- and if booked beforehand, 13d.
In 1922 the Palace had a Grand Orchestral Pipe Organ installed, and continued bookings of silent films even after Talkies arrived in Britain around 1929. The last silent to be shown was on April 11th 1931. The Palace was then fitted out with the Western Electric Sound System and was refurbished, re-opening on Monday 4th May. In 1936 the Palace underwent complete modernisation, being extended by 30 feet at the rear, and re-opening on Monday 19th October 1936. With the arrival of television in the 1950s, cinema gradually became less popular. A Panoramic screen was fitted in the late 1950s, bringing fresh interest to cinemagoers.
Star Cinemas, based in Leeds, took over the Palace in 1965 and once again the building was completely modernised and re-opened on March 22nd as the Ritz. Star Cinemas continued to run the Ritz until 1977 when Mr. Andrew Boulton took over. By now, it was the only remaining cinema in Long Eaton. It was closed again in 1983, and the building was converted into a smaller cinema with 270 seats and a slightly smaller screen. A new Dolby sound system was installed and the cinema was renamed as The Screen. After a short delay, it opened on Thursday September 15th 1983. The Screen ran until the mid 1990s, but the arrival of the new multiscreen cinemas in Nottingham and Derby finally sounded the death knell of cinema in Long Eaton.