Himalaya Palace Cinema
14 South Road,
Southall,
UB1 3RT
14 South Road,
Southall,
UB1 3RT
8 people
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Renamed the Coronet, the exterior features near the start of Eyewitness (1956). The heroine goes there after argument with her husband, managing to bypass large queues when buying her ticket. She witnesses a robbery in the manager’s office and is pursued by one of the villains. During the chase she’s knocked down by a bus in front of the cinema – a very large poster for “The Rose Tattoo” (1955) can be seen on the cinema wall. The film actually being shown is a singing western entitled “The Desperados” (a non-existent film – may be an oblique reference to the robbers?). The box office looks genuine, but the rest of the cinema interiors are studio sets. The external fire escape down which heroine is chased looks real. THe manager’s office has a seating indicator propped against the wall.
Recent photo here https://www.flickr.com/photos/93173492@N00/41948117970/in/pool-53328547@N00
We had Gaumont Kalle 21 projectors in this cinema. Along with Westrex sound system in 1960. My chief was Freddy Montieth.
This is TRULY tragic, though I can’t say I’m surprised. Unfortunately, buildings in Southall tend to be renovated to a high standard, having masses of money thrown at them, but then allowed to fall into disrepair. When the conversion was undertaken in 2000, a Holly/Bolly mixture of programming was promised, that being one of the main criteria for English Heritage’s involvement. Quite understandably, given the demographic, this never happened, and the closest cinema for Hounslow area residents remains ‘Cineworld – The Movies’ in Feltham.
I drove past the Himalaya Palace yesterday, and even the boarding that was in situ LAST week has been boarded over, so presumably vandals have been at the place already. Oddly enough for a closed/boarded theatre, all the signage is still in place.
Details for company looking after the Building now
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Himalaya Palace cinema is closed and up for sale !
the front of the building is all boarded up
april 2009 photos, building looking tatty and scruffy around the edges
frontage
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side view of the auditorium showing its curved walls
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here’s some more
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Three exterior views taken over the years:
1. As the Palace Cinema playing the Gaumont release in 1949:
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Re-named Gaumont playing the Gaumont release in 1956:
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Re-named Odeon playing the Odeon/Rank release in 1961:
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A recent exterior photograph here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/grange85/21668410/
Further history and photographs of the Himalaya Palace here:
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Got to say this building is one of amazing survival. I made my firts trip to the movies here and saw “The Railway Children” back in the early 70’s when it was the Odeon. Later I shopped in the market when it was looking ok, then later when not so good and even worse after a fire. Never thought it would show a film again so well done to all concerned.The exterior is an amazing bit of fantasy architecture on a drab shopping street.