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Cinema

A potted history
Reproduced with permission from the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder, 1990
Photo:Queen's Electric Theatre, 1911: The Electric Bioscope opened on 13 January 1909 as a small 50 seater cinema, converted from a shop. In 1910 it was expanded into a neighbouring property and became the Queen's Electric Theatre, seating 250 and featuring a pit orchestra. This is considered to be Brighton's first cinema
Photo:Duke of York Cinema, c. 1990: Front of Duke of York's cinema with humorous legs sculpture. Photograph Copyright Evening Argus.
Photo:Astoria Cinema, Gloucester Place, c. 1935: Opened on 21 December 1933 by Sir Cooper Rawson M.P., the Astoria had a relatively simple interior including a stage, organ, tea-rooms and restaurant. It could seat 1823 people. A banner above the entrance proclaims the
Photo:Illuminated facade of Essoldo Cinema, c. 1950s: Opening as the 2000 seater Imperial Theatre in 1940, the last traditional theatre to be built in Brighton, it was renamed the Essoldo in 1949 and operated as a cinema until May 1964 when it became a bingo club. The building was used as a bar complex in the late 1990s but is currently closed. This photograph shows the facade illuminated by neon tubes at night. A banner hanging between two vertical neon strips advertises Charlie Chaplin's
Photo:Odeon Cinema, Kemp Town, c. 1940s: Built at the corner of St George's Road and Paston Place on the site of the Sassoon family's riding school, the Odeon opened on 1 February 1934. With 900 seats it was a popular venue, but closed in November 1960 and became a bingo hall in 1962. In this post World War Two photograph, Bing Crosby is starring in

Please note that this text is an extract from a reference work written in 1990.  As a result, some of the content may not reflect recent research, changes and events.

Several pioneers of the motion picture industry lived and worked in Brighton and Hove in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Particularly notable are William Friese-Greene at Middle Street (see "Old Town"), George Albert Smith at St Anne's Well Gardens (see "Hove"), and the first film-maker in Brighton, Esme Collings of Alexandra Villas (see "West Hill").

Regular film shows were given at Hove Town Hall as early as 1895 by these pioneers, while the first demonstration of the 'Celebrated Animatographe' in Brighton was given at the Victoria Hall in King's Road (possibly no.132) on 1 July 1896. The first authentic cinema in Brighton, the Queen's Electric, opened in 1910 in Western Road; the Duke of York's, now the oldest cinema in the town, opened the same year.

The era of the giant cinema lasted from the 1920s until the '50s and led to the building of the Regent, Savoy, Astoria, Odeon and Essoldo cinemas with smaller auditoria in the suburbs. Rationalisation of facilities in the 1970s led to the multi-screen venues concentrated in the town centre. Although there are now only three cinemas (eleven screens) in Brighton, many others have operated over the years with a maximum of seventeen from 1937 until 1939 when there were also five more in Hove and Portslade; several former cinema buildings still remain. An eight-screen Cannon cinema is planned for the Marina, due to open in March 1991.

From 21 until 25 May 1987 the Cannon and Odeon cinemas played host to the first Brighton Film Festival; the second was held on 8-10 September 1989.
For details of all individual cinemas consult the index entry on "cinemas".

Any numerical cross-references in the text above refer to resources in the Sources and Bibliography section of the Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Tim Carder. The following resource(s) is quoted as a general source for the information above: {68-68b,123}

This page was added on 21/01/2007.

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