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Duke of York's cinema

Photo:Duke of York's cinema

Duke of York's cinema

Photo by Tony Mould

A potted history
by John Blackwell

This was Brighton's first purpose built cinema opening on 22nd September 1910 with a showing of George Albert Smith's 'Byways of Byron' (G A Smith was a pioneer Hove film maker with a studio in St Anne's Well Gardens and later in Wilbury Villas). It was constructed on the site of Henry Longhurst's Amber Ale Brewery and the wall of the malthouse forms the north wall of the auditorium. Built in the Edwardian baroque style it is largely unaltered and is still a cinema showing mainly art house films and is perhaps as well known for its pair of black and white striped legs overhanging the parapet.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

As a kid in the late forties and fifties, the Duke of York Cinema was one of our 'lovely places' as we called it. My dad had a stall in the Open Market just down the road. Saturday afternoon, summer or winter we would take a bag of broken biscuits bought from the market and go to the Duke of York's for an afternoon of films. A nice comfortable cinema which we loved.

By Mick Peirson (22/11/2006)

My memories of the Duke of York Cinema was that they didn't issue tickets at the box office, but brass discs instead. I agree with Mike Pierson, a nice comfortable cinema, as I used to attend the cinema during the same period, it being the nearest to where we lived at the time. Regarding the black and white striped legs, until they appeared on the roof of the Duke of York's, they were mounted on the front of the Moulin Rouge Cinema in Headington, Oxford, which was where I first saw them. The present owner of the Duke of York's is, as far as I know, a well known presenter on my local radio station, Radio Oxford, who lives in a house with a shark in its roof. He used to own the Moulin Rouge, from where the legs came from.

By Vic Bath (30/01/2007)

I have been a projectionist at the cinema since 1980, The person that works at radio Oxford, whom Mr Bath mentions, is Mr William Heine, who indeed did own the cinema, but only up until 1995. The present owners of the cinema are City Screen Limited.

By Jimmy Anderson (05/02/2007)

As a child I lived in New England Street in the 1950s and usually visited The Duke of York's cinema every Sunday. My next door neighbour, Auntie Mabel as we called her, was the cashier and her father, a Mr Catlin, was doorman there for many years and on lots of occasions would let my brothers and I go in without paying. So many happy memories of that time.

By Christine Halstead (nee Brindley) (08/10/2007)

When I was about 8 I used to have ballet classes in Headington, Oxford on New High Street. Every Saturday I would walk up the road to see the "shark house" and the "cinema with the can-can legs". I remember being utterly devastated when the cinema was knocked down to make way for what is now a bed shop. Today I discovered for the first time that the legs didn't get lost to history but are now in Brighton. I will have to come and visit them once more.

By Bryony (28/03/2008)

My grand-dad was the projectionist at the Duke of York when my dad was little and he was born in 1944. He used to watch the movie through the window in the small room while his dad was working. I would love to get any information or photos that anyone has of my grand-dad his name was Tom Tillman.

By Charlotte Tillman (07/10/2008)

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