Regent Cinema

In Looe, on the south-east coast of Cornwall, the Pavilion Cinema was opened on 17th March 1933 by Thomas Angear. The long, relatively low, building is on a commanding position next to the river and the town’s main bridge. It is not known whether it was purpose-built as a cinema; the design suggests either an adaptation of an existing building, or one designed to house other attractions in addition to the cinema.

The proscenium was 18ft wide. The Pavilion Cinema was acquired by Edwin Pearn on 6th April 1939. He changed its name to the Regent Cinema. A Gyrotone sound system was being used at that time.

When Mr Pearn died, in 1949, Mrs S. B. Pearn took over. Although still operating as the Regent Cinema, almost immediately the auditorium was altered to allow stage plays to also be presented. It appears to have been called the Polean Pavilion for those other uses, but the Regent Cinema for film shows. They ceased around 1960.

In more recent times the ground floor has become home to an indoor market, while a new floor has been added to allow an amusement arcade to be installed above.

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