King's Hall Cinema

In Exeter, Devon, the King’s Hall was opened by the mayor on 2nd October 1912. It was built for the Parish of Emmanual as a church hall, though it was really three halls: a large one seating 750 and two smaller halls each seating 250. The large hall was 70ft by 35ft and had a balcony. It was used for all sorts of functions until it was converted into a cinema that opened on 17th October 1921.

The first manager was George Bray. After sound was installed the first ‘talkie’, in 1929, was “The Donovan Affair”, starring Jack Holt.

However, the King’s Hall Cinema closed in 1937, a casualty of the rise of the super cinemas. After lying empty for two years, it re-opened in 1939 as a variety theatre. But the outbreak of the war brought an end to performances, when the building was turned into one of the main factories for J. Whipple & Co Ltd., for their extensive Ministry of Aircraft production work.

After the war it was converted into a warehouse for Ferodo Ltd., and then became a nightclub. By November 2000, when I visited, it had returned to religious use, as the Riverside Christian Centre. It is now (November 2015) called the Riverside Church.

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