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Formerly The Savoy

“The Cannon Cinema was formerly known as the Savoy Cinema. I queued many times outside the rear entrance and previously at the seafront entrance back in the late 50s and early 60s. We had our wedding reception in the dance hall upstairs in 1966.”

The Savoy, now the Cannon cinema

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  • I can remember the Savoy Cinema in the fifties. At this time I was attending Fawcett School and we had been given a consessions to see the film Dambusters for the princely sum of one shilling – shows my age. At that time I was 12 and feeling quite grown up until my mum caught me having a crafty drag. Like a clot, I had not kept an eye out for her and as she worked only a short distance away from the Savoy, she was in a good position to spot me. I managed to talk my way out of it, but I didn’t touch a fag for a long time after that. I enjoyed the film though and that was the most important thing.

    By John Wignall (15/08/2007)
  • I worked from this cinema as a projectionist for the ABC chain of cinemas in the south of England. This cinema had when first opened a ballroom and two cafes, one above the East Street entrance which was closed in the 1960s and another above the sea front entrance and closed in the 1950s. The ball room was also above the sea front entrance. This in later years become the manager’s flat. The odd thing about this cinema was it was built with two projection boxes, one on the roof never used because of the rack, and the other built into and under the circle. It is also the only cinema I have came across that had a park in the basement which is still in use though the cinema has long been closed. After this cinema, the ABC East Street was converted into a three screen cinema and the Astoria Brighton and ABC Hove were closed.

    By R H Scott-Spencer (10/03/2013)
  • When the Savoy opened up, they required six blondes and six brunettes, and my dear Mum – who was then Annie Whatman – was one of the brunettes. My Dad – Dick Bull – worked on the site, when it was being built. I think this could have been where they first met.

    By Charlie Bull (20/04/2014)
  • I worked at this cinema in the early 1990’s when it was the 3 screen ABC. The manager was Mr Ruby.
    There was a kiosk attendant named Gladys (I think) who was working there when they filmed the East St riot scene in Quadrophenia 1978…. she thought it was an actual riot and called the police!

    By Kate (24/02/2021)

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