Pavilion Cinema

Located in Chorley, Lancashire, now part of Greater Manchester, on Salisbury Street, off Cunliffe Street. Built in 1888 as a military warehouse, it was converted into a roller skating rink around 1909. It opened as the Pavilion Picture Palace on 14th September 1911, operated by George Testo Sante, a music hall strong man, who also operated the Grand Theatre as a cinema. By 1915, music hall acts were also part of the programme. After the end of World War I, the flat floor of the cinema was raked, allowing for better viewing of the screen. The proscenium was 30ft wide, the stage was 16 feet deep and there were two dressing rooms.

The Pavilion Cinema was the first in town to screen ‘talkies, when an Electrochord sound system was installed in 1929. It was taken over by the J.F. Emery Circuit in 1932 and they operated it until the end of 1933. The sound system was upgraded to a British Talking Pictures(BTP) sound system. In 1954 it was the first cinema in town to be fitted with CinemaScope and the proscenium was widened to 36 feet.

The Pavilion Cinema was closed by 1962 and converted into a bingo club which closed in 1966. In 1972 it was re-opened as a cinema again, but due to Star Cinemas chain barring it from showing first run features (they operated the Plaza Cinema), it was closed after 5 months of operation. It was later demolished and the area was redeveloped for housing.

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