Gaumont Ibrox

In the Ibrox district of Glasgow, the Capitol Cinema was opened on 11th April 1927 by showman Harry Kemp. The entrance hall was small, with almost the entire structure being taken up by the huge 2,062 seat auditorium, along whose side walls brutish Corinthian columns supported Neo-Classical style friezes. The massive, 1,200 seat circle extended almost to the proscenium, with the essential large crush hall occupying the space between the stalls ceiling and the circle stepping’s. But there were very poor sightlines for those sitting near the side walls, where only the top third of the screen could be seen.

The Capitol Cinema was sold to Denman/Gaumont British Theatres in June 1928, but not renamed Gaumont until 1954. It was closed by the Rank Organisation on 5th August 1961 and became a Top Rank Bingo Club, later Top Flight Bingo, Mecca Bingo and then Rank Bingo again, which closed in the early-1990’s.

The building lay derelict until the mid/late-1990’s, when it was reopened as the 740-seat Bombay Cinema (my photograph was taken in December 1998). In September 2004 outline planning permission was granted for demolition and replacement by flats and a car park. The Bombay Cinema closed in December 2004 and demolition eventually started in February 2006.

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