Cheltenham

Gloucestershire
Cinema Gazetteer

CHELTENHAM

Corn Exchange ~ Victoria Rooms
Palace Picture Theatre ~ Palace

com

The Victoria Rooms were a conversion of the existing Corn Exchange
Hall, that had itself enjoyed a long career of hosting concerts, dances
and other events for Cheltenham. It was the preferred venue for
Poole's Myriorama shows that toured the provinces during the
Victorian era, as it was ideally situated centrally in the Upper High
Street at 113A.

At that time Shakspere Shenton, local theatre entrepreneur was the
lessee of the Victoria Rooms booking various travelling shows. He
announced grand plans in January 1908 for the rebuilding of the
Victoria Rooms as the Palace Theatre, a live theatre with a grand
interior. This included pit, circle and balcony levels with twin boxes at
both circle and balcony levels either side of a tall narrow proscenium.
The plans were by architect Albert Winstanley of Manchester.
Perhaps the reason these plans were abandoned was the
announcement at about the same time of rival plans for an Empire
Theatre to be built on Regent Street, which had strong backers, but
came to nothing.

Another possibility was that Mr Shenton was persuaded that year of
the powerful new medium for mass entertainment, namely films. It is
rather odd that the earliest records of bioscope shows in Cheltenham
appear as late as early 1908 at the Victoria Rooms. They were
visited more than once by Ediscope & Bartrum's Electric Pictures
where a film of the Battle of Trafalgar proved very popular.

By May Mr Shenton had renewed his lease with the intention of
showing animated pictures, a dramatic change of route for a man
who only in January planned a grand live theatre for the site.
It is likely that the Victoria Rooms at that time were ill suited to films
and that Mr Shenton ran into trouble with the required licence for
cinematograph shows when this became applicable from 1910 and
he moves his film shows to the Winter Gardens.

It is at this point that John R Poole of the Poole's family enters the
arena by taking a lease on the rooms for the express purpose of
converting them into a Picture Palace. Interior building works
included a new stage and staircase to the balcony and externally a
new fireproof operating chamber was installed at a cost of £1000
including plush new tip-up seats. Live acts were performed on stage
between films. The Picture Palace opened on 11th April 1910, and
proved very successful as further investments are made and in 1912
the venue was closed for 4-weeks for structural and decoration
improvements.

It is not so clear when Mr Shenton takes over control of the venue
again, but by the 1920s he is operating this cinema as the Palace
Picture Theatre and introduces sound films in 1929. On 6th
September 1931 the cinema is taken by WC & ET Vickery Ltd of
Taunton who ran a number of cinemas in the West Country, then
ownership passes to Hall King Cinema Company of Cardiff in 1936.
By this stage with the Gaumont Palace having opened around the
corner, the Palace would have been quite dated.

Plans are drawn up in 1939 for Chelten Cinema Company Ltd of
Cardiff by architects Healing & Overdciry. These plans show a raft of
internal alterations to the venue and reveal that at this time the
balcony curved around and ran down the side walls to meet the
proscenium and was intricately decorated. The plans do away with
these side wings and create a straight fronted balcony, slightly
extended forward for extra capacity. There is also a replacement
staircase and improvements to the foyer. As these plans were drawn
up so close to the outbreak of war it is not known if they were
implemented. The seating capacity at this time was 752 with 520 in
the stalls and 232 in the balcony.

After the war the Palace is booked in conjunction with the Daffodil
and share an identical programme. Although still very popular the
financial value of this prime retail site in the centre of Cheltenham
proved to much and in 1954 it closed. The final film was Dance Little
Lady and The Master Plan on 9th October.
Initially became a furniture store then TV rental shop before
becoming a clothes store in the foyer areas that were quite long, and
the auditorium is now part of a nightclub. It is believed that nothing of
the interior remains.

This may have been the escape route for the
projection box at the Palace as it is one of the
only parts of the building not altered after
closure.

The opening advertisement for Poole's
Picture Palace, 1910.

Below, a shared programme advertisement
for the Palace and Daffodil cinemas.

Left, the closure notice, placed in the press
advising its customers to support the Daffodil

A rare photograph of the Palace as a cinema,
dating from the early 1950s.

These cuttings courtesy of Stuart Kidd.

Daffodil Picture House

The Daffodil Picture House is really a suburban cinema serving the
well-to-do Montpelier District and a fair walk from the centre of town.
Situated at 18-21 Suffolk Parade this was Cheltenham's first
purpose built cinema.

The cinema was built and owned by the Simpson family who ran a
bakery business opposite, and was a very up market cinema for its
time. The exterior is mainly brick 61ft wide on a plot 100ft deep, with
a shop unit is also included. On the opposite side of the road was a
doorway leading to the Daffodil cycle-sheds. The wide entrance
area leads to the foyer with daffodils set into the terrazzo floor. It is
said that Italian craftsmen were brought over especially to install this
feature. The daffodil motif continued throughout the building
including stencils on the auditorium walls.

The auditorium had a barrel ceiling and decorated panels along the
side walls and a fair sized balcony. The cinema had a total seating
capacity of 780 including a large number of double 'love-seats' that
proved very popular amongst young couples and could be reserved
in advance by phone. The stage was 15ft deep so only small scale
stage shows could be performed.

The cinema opened on 5th October 1922 with Thunderclap run by
Daffodil Picture House Ltd. It saw several alterations, firstly in 1927
when the foyer and lounge were enlarged by builders Billings & Sons
Ltd to plans drawn up by L W Barnard & Partners, architects. The
foyer was 38ft by 28ft and the new lounge area 45ft by 18ft. The
lounge had fine wood panelling and a large fireplace and a
riverscape painting by Bonheur. Work was carried out without
disturbing the film shows.

Sound would arrive soon, with a Western Electric installation. From
18th July to 27th July 1931 the Daffodil closed for a major
redecoration and new carpets. It may have been at this stage that
the more modern grilles on newly installed anti-proscenium walls
were added, removing the boxy appearance of the auditorium and
perhaps helping the acoustics.

The cinema was sold in 1940 to Tenham Cinema Company of
Cardiff. After the war the cinema ran the same programmes as the
Palace in town. When the Palace closed in 1954 this arrangement
changed with concurrent shows at the Ritz and for the first time the
Daffodil opened on Sundays, which proved very successful for a
while.

A new RCA sound system was also installed in the mid to late 1950s
along with CinemaScope. As the cinema had a narrow old
proscenium, this may have been widened at this time or the screen
may have been built out in front of the original proscenium as the
screen measured 36ft by 14ft within a 41ft proscenium at that time.

All of these improvements could not change the fact that this cinema
was away from the centre of town and quite common in this period,
soon attracted rough audiences with
vandalism that put off the mainstream patrons. The cinema closed
to the public on 7th September 1963 with Cape Fear and Island
Escape. However this was not to be the last films shown here.

In 1945 Cheltenham Film Society had been formed and its first
screening took place at the Daffodil in July 1945 with Alexander
Nevsky which attracted a large audience of around 450. Screenings
were also held at the Ritz and Coliseum but from September 1947
the Daffodil became the societies 35mm venue with screenings on
Sunday evenings at 7pm. When the cinema started to open to the
public on Sundays in 1954 the society moved its screenings to
2.45pm, the first being on 10th October 1954.

With the sudden announcement of the closure of the Daffodil, an
agreement was reached for the film society to continue to hold its
screenings at the cinema. This was arranged by the manager Mr
Hammond who was none to impressed to find himself the manager of
a bingo hall, he felt that if the projectors remained, the bingo might
fail and the cinema reopen. However, as the projection equipment
was no longer used or maintained other than by the society the
decision was made to end screenings here in 1964. The final film at
the Daffodil was Vanishing Corporal on 15th March 1964.

The cinema reopened as a bingo hall on 26th September 1963 and
this continued until May 1977 when the building was sold for
£35,000 to become an antiques and furniture centre. This closed in
1989 and the building was again offered for sale and remained
unused and unwanted for nearly 10 years.

Along came Mark Stephens and Ken Bird to save the day when they
purchased the building in late 1996 to convert into an upmarket
restaurant, retaining the name Daffodil. £750,000 was spent on the
conversion including the removal of the raked seating in the balcony
to create a large 1st floor restaurant/bar area in the former lounge
and balcony. Twin stairs were inserted on either side of the balcony
to link this area to the main restaurant in the stalls. The original
proscenium and anti-proscenium grilles are in fact set further back
than the imitations visible to diners as the proscenium wall into which
the kitchen is famously set, is in fact in front of the original
proscenium.

In the process of conversion some original double love seats and
the cinemas projectors were restored and are now on display on the
first floor. This is a fine example of how a good new use can be
found for a former cinema without completely destroying its
remaining features. The exterior is one of the best preserved of this
period of cinema design, although much of the brickwork has been
plastered over.

This superb interior photograph shows the
profusion of love-seats, although placed next
to the aisles so staff could keep an eye on
things! Note the stencil daffodils around the
walls very much as they appear today.

Photo: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

The Daffodil Orchestra would normally be
housed in the orchestra pit. This was
surrounded by a brass rail. A rather odd
statement to claim the use of 'real musicians'

These cuttings courtesy of Stuart Kidd

An advertisement for the
season of films by Cheltenham
Film Society. The screenings at
the Civic Playhouse (see
below) were 16mm only.

NEW THEATRE & OPERA HOUSE ~ THE OPERA HOUSE
EVERYMAN THEATRE

The Daffodil Restaurant www.thedaffodil.co.uk

It is perhaps a measure of Victorian Cheltenham that it was one of
only a few provincial towns of moderate size to obtain a theatre
designed by the very best theatre architect of his day, Frank
Matcham. Well overdue perhaps, as the town had not had a
permanent theatre of substance for some 40 years.

And so, on 1st October 1891 this most modest sized of 'Opera
Houses' seating as it did just 679 opened with a performance from
the great lady of Victorian theatre, but equally modest sized Miss
Lily Langtry. She praised the fine new building before starring with
her own company in Lady Clancerty. Others would follow on this
stage including the mighty Henry Irving and the young Charles
Chaplin. To keep up with its name the theatre also played host to
the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.

The theatre on Regent Street has a balanced facade of brick with
three nice round windows set in the middle above which used to
read Opera House in stone. A fine iron canopy with coloured glass
ran along the facade. The interior layout is typical of the time with
high oval proscenium, pit, circle, balcony and gallery levels and
boxes to either side of the stage. The decorative scheme survives
particularly well and is Grade II listed.

The building changed hands in 1925 when a more diverse
programme was introduced around the popular variety hall
entertainments of the day run by The Cheltenham Theatre & Opera
House Company Ltd. This lead to the Opera House becoming a
venue for talking pictures by 1929. The theatre became a
permanent cinema in 1930 and had been showing sound films for
sometime before then, using Western Electric equipment.

Although a permanent cinema until 1938 live shows took place
regularly, particularly during the war and continued until 1955 when
the theatre was no longer viable. It was purchased by Cheltenham
Corporation they attempted to run the theatre themselves and then
with others without much success and closure resulted in 1959. At
this time the Cheltenham Theatre Association was formed and
securing the necessary support the theatre reopened, with the
rather more modern and friendly name of Everyman Theatre
reopening on 2nd May 1960 with a modernised entrance as a
repertory theatre producing its own productions.

In February 1983 the theatre closed for two years for a £3million
refurbishment that included new foyer areas, stage area
reconstructed, with restoration of the exterior and auditorium.
Reopening 20th March 1986 with My Fair Lady in the presence of
HRH Princess Anne. In later years the theatre has had to book
performers and shows like many other theatres across the country
as repertory theatre cannot sustain such a building.

The building seats 679, 355 in the stalls, 161 in the dress circle, 85
in the upper circle and 78 in the balcony. The proscenium is 24ft
wide and 16 to 18ft high. The building received another
refurbishment in 2004.

This advertisement shows a sound film being
shown at the Opera House in October 1929,
the Winter Gardens were also showing a
sound film that week.

Cutting courtesy of Stuart Kidd.

A fine view of the levels of seating at the
newly renamed Everyman Theatre, 1960.

Photo: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

The Everyman Theatr e www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Further information on the Everyman's history can be found on this well illustrated webpage:
www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Cheltenham.htm

GILLSMITHS HIPPODROME ~ COLISEUM

Mr Cecil Gill Smith converted the former Conservative Club 18-20
Albion Street into a variety theatre in 1913. His architect was H R
Rainger of Cheltenham who retained the original buildings facade
with the addition of a large iron and glass canopy. Behind the
facade was created a good height auditorium of stalls and balcony.
Like many music halls of its time it used the standard horseshoe
format of having long slips running down the side walls from the
balcony to the proscenium. These would later be blocked off by the
creation of boxes that looked chunky, ill-fitting the auditorium.

The theatre opened on 22nd September 1913. The all important
stage was 40ft deep behind a 30ft wide proscenium with 8 dressing
rooms. Little is known about that opening night, however there is
one legend that seems quite unbelievable. It states that one Jack
Judge write the popular song 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' in No.1
dressing room and performed the song for the first time that night.
Whatever the case it was this sort of music hall revue that would
make the Hippodrome a great success.

In 1919 the building was acquired by Mr H G Beard of Gloucester
who renovated the building (perhaps adding the boxes?) and
reopened the theatre on 12th January 1920 as the Coliseum.
Although the entertainment remained much the same some plays
were performed, both professional and amateur. When in 1930 the
Opera House went over to full time films this left only the Coliseum
on live entertainment. For the next year the theatre was home to a
higher class of entertainment. Closing 11th April 1931.

The building reopened as a cinema on 13th April 1931 with Hit the
Deck and The Runaway Bride. The cinema was equipped with a
BTH sound system. The advertising for this 'new' cinema used the
clever wording "Theatre Built for Sound" a statement no one could
deny.

The cinema closed 2nd March 1937 for modernisation. The interior
was streamlined with much of the decoration removed and the boxes
blocked in, perhaps to help with acoustics. The proscenium was
squared off. This interior seated 850 in new rose-pink seating and a
comfortable atmosphere thanks to new heating and ventilation
systems. The decorative scheme was green, rose-pink and peach.
The old canopy was replaced and neon added to the exterior.

The Coliseum was purchased by Poole's Theatres Ltd in 1946 and
on 27th July 1947 opened on Sunday for the first time. The
projectors had been installed around 1941 and were Peerless
Magnarc Kalee 12's. Soon a Western Electric sound system was
installed. With such major players operating cinemas in Cheltenham
at this time the Coliseum was content to screen reissues and second
run material and occasionally a big new film if they could book it.

It was with this formula that the Coliseum continued until 1973 when
the Odeon around the corner was tripled, making it impossible to
book decent product. Reluctantly Poole's sold up and the building
was taken by Star Group who immediately applied for a bingo
licence. When they were refused they simply closed the cinema and
boarded it up until the council relented and granted them the
licence. A less than graceful end for this fine theatre. Closure took
place on 22nd June 1974 with The Devils and Bonnie & Clyde. The
bingo operation ceased in 1985 and the building was split with
snooker upstairs and a nightclub downstairs, with the removal of
much of the interior including the balcony. It has remained empty
and shuttered for several years now.

An early photograph of the Coliseum
showing its fine canopy. The grand doorway
at the centre may well have been the original
entrance to the former Conservative Club.

Photo: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

A superb collection of colour interior
photographs taken in 1974 around the time of
closure. Elements of the original interior are
visible along with the filled in boxes, and
modernisation including the proscenium.

Copyright R Rimell
Photos: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

Left and below the Coliseum with its final
programme, and a part of the interior decoration.

Cast of "My Son Sammy" outside the
Coliseum. It is believed that this was one of
the last live shows at the Coliseum. Note that
everyone is wearing a hat, was this a joke, or
as it happened?

Photo: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

Coliseum's
first films,
1931
"Theatre
Built for
Sound"

LEFT: A typical Poole's
programme from 1972
"It's a Poole Cinema" & "Family
entertainment for 140 years"

RIGHT: The final June 1974
programme.

A delightful cartoon that
appeared in the local press
at the time of closure. The
lady concerned was well
known to patrons.

GAUMONT PALACE ~ GAUMONT ~ ODEON

Theatre

Entering through the 5 sets of double doors, the foyer had
polished walnut woodwork stalls entrances lay straight ahead
while to either side were stairs leading to the restaurant that could
accommodate 100, and the circle. The treatment of the vast
auditorium was unusual, essentially a streamlined design with the
sweeping deep curve of the front of the large circle (seating 774)
spanning 86ft blending into horizontal bands of orange and beige
running along the side walls to a strict rectangular proscenium
opening 45ft wide and 30ft high. With suitable colours and
lighting this could have been a pleasing if unsophisticated plan,
but the whole conceit is then compromised with almost twee like
golden scrolls repeating endlessly up the sides of the proscenium
and the whole then capped by a picture rail like overhang, behind
which was placed the organ chambers. The throw was 121ft and
the theatre was equipped with two Stelmar Lime spots obtained
from the New Victoria Theatre in London.

The original plans show the organ chambers as beneath the
stage along with organist room band room and boiler room. To
the left of the stage is a separate stalls entrance complete with
paybox. Above the restaurant, but below the projection box was
the managers flat. On the plans the two figures on the facade
are placed at the far left and right rather than either side of the
vertical sign.

It is perhaps notable that on the opening day, 6th March 1933 the
guest of honour Cheltenham Mayor Clr J H Trye CBE was openly
critical of the design in his speech. The capacity audience of
1,774 enjoyed the films Rome Express and shorts Seeing Stars,
The Bailiffs and Tea for Two with British Acoustic Sound.
Frederick Bayco from the Dominion Theatre, London playing the
3 manual 8 rank Compton organ that was placed at the centre of
the orchestra pit on a lift. The main organist during the 1930s
was Alfred Furnish.

The film programme was the Gaumont release and was identical
to the Gaumont run Hippodrome in Gloucester. In 1960 the
programme switched to the superior Odeon release, and its
programme was matched by the Plaza in Gloucester. Live shows
were always popular and the Gaumont had a fully equipped stage
22ft deep, raked 18inches and 65ft wide with 5 dressing rooms
and an elaborately decorated safety curtain painted by Frank
Barnes. In addition to the screen tabs, as the Gaumont was a
theatre it was equipped with a long curtain that would be dropped
from the grid. This dark green curtain had tassles and golden
rings along the bottom and had to be operated from the stage by
way of a bell sounded from the box to raise and lower. The grid
was 60ft high. Variety shows were common in the 1950s and in
the 1960s and 1970s rock and pop concerts included The
Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The final concert was Jimmy
Tarbuck on 28th October 1972.

The 'Palace' was dropped from the name around 1937. The
restaurant closed in 1956, primarily a cost saving matter and
initially became a Victor Silvestor Dance Studio opened 13th
September 1957, as Rank had a tie in at this time and provided
such studios in spare spaces at cinemas nationwide. This was
not a very successful enterprise and closed 28th July 1958, the
space later became a Top Rank bingo hall. The cinema
became the Odeon on 16th December 1962. It was Easter 1962
that the Odeon first opened on Good Friday, much to the dismay
of local clergy. The film was Road to Hong Kong and audiences
flocked in.

In 1967 the Compton organ was purchased by the Denby Cinema
in the Brighton district of Melbourne, Australia. From 1st January
1968 work commenced to remove the organ and pack it for its
long journey. This was carried out by Hill, Norman and Beard.
The Denby already had a Wurlitzer Organ and the Compton was
intended for a new restaurant that was not built. Left in storage it
was eventually sold and installed at the Albert Hall Canberra and
played for the first time in nearly 20 years in 1986.

The Odeon's last film as a complete cinema was on 10th
November 1972 with Endless Night, then the stalls were closed
for tripling, while films continued in the circle, costing £90,000 to
become a triple Odeon Film Centre from 1st January 1973
Screen 1, the former circle seated 756 while screens 2 and 3
under the circle in the rear stalls area each seated 124 with
screens 16ft by 6ft. The opening films were Oh You Are Awful,
Fiddler on the Roof and The Decameron, preceded by a day of
public inspection. These two 'art' screens, as Rank called them
at the time also had a drinks trolley service after the council
granted an alcohol licence. This might be surprising today, but
more so at the time, John Bell of the Rank Organisation was
quoted as saying "frankly we were amazed to get the licence"!

The seating was replaced and larger screens installed in a further
refurbishment in May 1985. On 25th September 1987 screen 4
appeared, in the former restaurant area with 90 seats, opening
with Radio Days. Screen 5 was created using the former front
stalls, seating 204 and opening on 6th October 1989, this
resulted in a loss of seating in screen 2, reducing to 104 seats.
In 1997 the final subdivision occurred, when a new screen and
projection box was created over the front stalls seating 228 and
became the new Screen 1, the remaining circle was split into new
screens 2 and 3 with 184 and 183 seats using new projection
boxes. The restaurant remained screen 4 and screens 2 and 3
became 5 and 6 and a reseated screen 5 became screen 7 with
177 seats. This is how one Odeon became seven!

The Odeon hit the national press in 2005 when it was discovered
that homeless Polish man Jacob Rychlewshi had been living on
the former stage behind screen 7. Unfortunately, most news
would be bad for the Odeon from here on, first that the building
had been sold along with many other freehold properties to a
company specialising in nightclubs in early 2006. Then the
opening of the new Cineworld around the corner reduced
admissions by nearly 80%. Despite their best efforts this decline
could not be halted and on 5th November 2006 the cinema
closed after 73 years. The final film played was Step Up finishing
10:45pm. As is the usual case with Odeon cinemas, no time was
wasted with the stripping out of everything that could be reused at
other cinemas, such as seats, projectors and sound systems.

The former Odeon cinema in Winchcombe Street was previously the site
of the 80 year old Highbury Congregational Chapel, adjoining lecture hall
and house. In September 1931 Gaumont British Picture Corporation
acquired the site for Albany Ward Theatres Ltd, their West Country
Division with the intention of building the first super cinema for
Cheltenham.

The church moved to newly built premises taking with them the organ,
pulpit, choir stalls and the windows leaving just the shell. During these
works a lead cylinder was found containing an account of the building of
the original chapel by its founders, its first minister having come from
Highbury in North London. Construction work commended in April 1932,
the main contractor was McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd an experienced cinema
builder, taking some 11 months a long build for this period.

The designer was the Gaumont British company architect William Edward
Trent FRIBA, assisted by Ernest Tulley LRIBA. Externally the 90ft wide
frontage is simply rendered with art-deco elements particularly the
windows set as they are into the corners of the walls. This design was
inspired by Gaumont's Lime Grove film studios in Shepherds Bush that
had a similar treatment. This high flat frontage might have been
overbearing for such a narrow street, but for two nude figures dancing
amongst strips of film, low relief sculptures by Trent's cousin Newbury A
Trent a highly respected sculptor of the period who worked on a number
of Trent's cinema projects. The figures depict 'the spirit and romance of
the film' but I wonder how many of the Gaumont's patrons appreciated
that. The figures originally flanked a tall vertical sign in blue neon with
the cinemas name, the vertical bands of the sign turn to meet the window
glazing bars of the restaurant at first floor level.

Screen 1
above front
stalls, shows
original ceiling,
still painted as
pre-subdivision

Screen 2 rear
circle left and its
twin Screen 3,
both accessed
by vomitory

Screen 4, the
former
restaurant
with fine
ceiling and its
projection box

Screen 5 rear
stalls left and
smaller
Screen 6, rear
stalls right

Screen 7,
front stalls,
the scroll
decoration to
the original
proscenium
still visible

The Gaumont Palace as it
was, the impressive vertical
sign, proscenium and a view
under the large circle.

Photos: Cinema Theatre
Association Archive

Two 1950s views of the Gaumont,
externally the sign has changed, the
restaurant is advertised on the
canopy. Inside, additional speakers
have been added rather crudely,
people enjoying an organ concert.

Photos: Cinema Theatre Association
Archive

On stage
looking up at
the grid in the
flytower and a
lone open
microphone
gathers dust.

The original plans showing cross sections of the three main levels. Right an
advertisement for the Gauont "The SHOW PLACE of the SOUTH WEST"

The Odeon becomes three screens, cover of
publicity leaflet and the opening programme
for the three screens

Two advance tickets, screens
2 & 3 from the 1970s when
Rank's slogan was The Big
Screen Scene.

Odeon celebrates 50, and
special programmes of films
for screens 2 & 3.

RITZ ~ ESSOLDO

Set some distance from the centre of town, in the slightly down
market Lower High Street, the Ritz was the brainchild of local
businessman Mr A S Waters who had already opened the Ritz at
Stroud. Externally the building was singularly plain and it did not get
any better on the inside which was laid out with a stadium plan,
although it did have a large foyer.

The Ritz was opened on 18th September 1937 by the Mayor Rt Hon
D L Lipsom MP with the film The Green Light. Seating for 919 and
had a RCA sound system. The company that ran the cinema was
Cheltenham Entertainments Ltd. During the war a bomb landed on
the cinema, once deactivated the shell was used in the foyer to
collect money for charity.

After the war the cinema was acquired by Twentieth Century Fox
under Twentieth Century Cinemas Ltd, who at this time were trying
to develop their own circuit. In May 1954 the cinema passed to
Essoldo who closed the cinema on 15th May 1954 with Three faces
West and The Case of the Soho Red. During the next two weeks of
refurbishment the cinema was converted to CinemaScope, the first
in Cheltenham and had a 4-track Stereophonic sound system
installed. The cinema reopened as the Essoldo with the largest
screen in Cheltenham on 31st May 1954 with The Robe, Fox's first
CinemaScope film.

The exclusive showing of Fox CinemaScope films soon ended and
the cinema found itself increasingly squeezed by the larger
operators and unable to obtain good product. The cinema closed
on 25th April 1964 with Jason & the Golden Fleece and Invasion of
the Normans. It reopened in May 1964 as a Legalite Bingo Hall with
Roulette tables. It passed to Mecca and is now independent.

A 1960s view of the Cheltenham Odeon at Odeon Cavalcade:
www.mawgrim.sathosting.net/cavalcade/cheltenham.jpg

Some excellent photographs of the closing of the Odeon:
www.jmaxquest.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html

Explore this site for details of the Compton Organs new home and hear it being played:
www.users.bigpond.com/cnmc

Misadventures at Cheltenham Ritz
//mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/robann/me4.htm

CIVIC PLAYHOUSE ~ PLAYHOUSE THEATRE

PHOTO COMING SOON!

The Montpellier Baths were opened in 1806 by Henry Thompson at a
time when the town was becoming quite elegant and popular. However
with such dignitaries as the Duke of Wellington using the facilities these
were not exactly public baths.

Nearly 100 years later in 1898 the baths were purchased by
Cheltenham Corporation and converted into a swimming pool which
they remained until the Second World War. It is perhaps quite
surprising that the council was considering the cultural needs of
Cheltenham in 1945, however the decision was taken to convert the
rather run down pool into an new Civic Playhouse, for amateur
dramatics.

The conversion was quite simple, to cover the pool with a new floor for
the auditorium. Some material from the Winter Gardens, including
scenery was put to use. The new theatre opened on 9th April 1945 with
the play The Man. The Cheltenham Film Society very soon made use
of the Playhouse for its 16mm film shows. These continued until April
1971, the last film was L'Atlantide.

The theatre was damaged by fire in 1950 but was reopened within 5
months. At this time the council were helping to fund the building by
employing certain staff, however in 1957, having taken on the Opera
House, the council decided to pull its funding. The theatre became a
club, able to function using volunteers only and for its facilities to be
rented out to other art groups.

In the 1970s a raked floor was added along with an orchestra pit, and
more recently new seating from the Theatre Royal in Bath, and with
charity status further improvements have taken place.

For a full history of this building visit their
website:

www.playhousecheltenham.org

NEW THEATRE ~ BACON THEATRE

PHOTO COMING SOOM!

The New Theatre was built at Dean Close School in 1991. This modern
facility has been the home of Cheltenham Film Society since 1992 with
two Bell & Howell 16mm projectors. In more recent times screenings
have taken place using digital projection. The theatre is now called
Bacon Theatre.

CINEWORLD

The Bacon Theatre website:
www.bacontheatre.co.uk

Cheltenham Film Society, including the societies history detailing all the
buildings they have used for screenings:

www.sitka.demon.co.uk/cfs06.htm

Work started in 2004 to build a new leisure and shopping development
on the site of the former 1888 Flowers Brewery between Henrietta Street
and Bennington Street. This included an 11 screen multiplex cinema.

The cinema opened on 24th March 2006 as a Cineworld. The complex
got off to a slow start due to parking issues, access from the town centre
and many of the units were untaken. It soon became the preferred
venue for films in Cheltenham resulting in the closure of the Odeon
around the corner.

PHOTO COMING SOON!

Gone but not forgotten: Winter Gardens Kinema

The Winter Gardens in Montpellier Gardens (now Imperial Gardens)
was primarily a glass and iron construction with brick and stone side
walls designed by John Thomas Darby. The building opened in 1879
and originally contained a skating rink and concert hall. Run by
Cheltenham Winter Garden Company Ltd. The venue was used for
dancing, concerts, exhibitions and lots more besides. It should not be
confused with the Town Hall alongside.

It first saw film shows around 1910 when Shakspere Shenton moved his
cinema operation here from the Palace. Known at this time as the
Winter Gardens Kinema, it was also one of the first venues in
Cheltenham to show sound films in the late 1920s. The building made
a late return to theatre use in the 1930s.

By World War II the building was showing its age and no doubt the
large amount of metal in its structure was highly sought-after. The
dome was removed in 1940 and the whole structure dismantled on 1942.

Gone but not forgotten: Albert Hall
Royal Picture House ~ North Street Picture House

This building in North Street was designed by John Coates Carter
and opened in 1910 as the Albert Hall. The facade has a recessed
entrance with three sets of double doors under the facade of two
large windows, that was supported on two columns.

It was converted into a cinema in 1914 opening on 28th September
1914 as the Royal Picture House by T H Poynton. It would seem
that the spurious use of the word Royal caused some offence and
by November the cinema was called North Street Picture House
and was run by S C Field. It is ambitiously stated to have seated
1000.

By the 1920s H G Beard had the Picture House, he was running
the Coliseum at this time as a live theatre. Having successfully
converted the Coliseum into a sound cinema, Mr Beard closes the
Picture House on 25th July 1931. By this time the supply of silent
films would have been almost exhausted, the final films were Youth
and The Chase after Million.

The venue has a new lease of life as a repertory theatre for a short
while until March 1933. During World War II the building is used
by Gloucestershire Aircraft Company to make aircraft frames and
after the war becomes North Street Motors. As a garage it
remained until the 1960s with much of its interior remaining on
display for anyone venturing inside.

Gone but not forgotten: Regal ~ ABC

Gone but not forgotten: Charlton Kings Cinema ?

Very little is known except that an early silent cinema with hand cranked projector showed films in this
suburb of Cheltenham. Most likely this was a mobile operation that visited a local hall from time to time.

The last super cinema to be built in Cheltenham occupied a key
position at the far left of the row of Regency period buildings on The
Promenade and St George's Road, directly behind the grand
Neptune fountain. The site had been occupied by the Imperial
Rooms, a later usage of the Imperial Baths, itself moved here in
1837 from the site now occupied by Queen's Hotel, where it was
called the Sherborne Spa..

This unusual situation led to an unusual cinema designed by Leslie
C Norton AIAA, unusually Associated British Cinemas company
architect William R Glen is merely assistant on this project. Although
the building appears to have a large entrance behind the fountain
and a set of large rooms overlooking the Promenade, infact all of
this was fake, and behind the mocked up windows was the
auditorium. However the four columns that make up this entrance
are from the original building. To enter the cinema you used the
small corner entrance with the oval canopy.

On entering the building there is the expected double height foyer typical
of ABC cinemas but with just the single flight of stairs to the circle.
Running directly under the foyer is the River Chelt. As this was inclined to
flood, it was not an uncommon situation only to be able to sit in the circle
owing to the stalls being under water. The plans show an 8 sided central
paybox in the foyer.

The auditorium is also not typical ABC, with a rather classical approach,
perhaps suiting the town. The interior plaster decoration for this cinema
was undertaken by H H Martyn & Co Ltd of Cheltenham, noted decorative
plasterwork specialists, at a cost of £3000. In the centre of the ceiling is
a flat round area, yet in H H Martyn's paperwork plans for an elaborate
oval dome with enrichments has been planned but not realised. This
round dome feature would make sound design sense as due to the odd
plan the auditorium was almost circular, unusual for a cinema of this
period. The general builders were William T Nicholls Ltd of Gloucester.

After a series of tall oval panels along the side walls is an extended anti-proscenium
running up the walls and across the ceiling around the proscenium. This is made up
of tile like 8 sided panels sited in parallel rows vertically and horizontally with smaller
4 sided panels filling in the corners between the panels. The stalls seated 1165
while the circle accommodated 674. Perhaps this was a deliberate move by ABC to
provide more seats than the Gaumont.

The cinema opened by Mayor Clr John Howell CBE FRCS JP on 2nd January 1939
with The Adventures of Robin Hood with an RCA sound installation and Ross
projectors. The plans had included an organ but with the issues of the river that
would have been impossible.

The first CinemaScope film was The High & The Mighty on 10th October 1954. The
cinema was renamed ABC on 28th August 1962. New Phillips DP20 projectors were
installed in 1973. Unusually the cinema was never subdivided and remained virtually
unaltered until closure when it was the largest ABC cinema in the country, the last
film to fill it was Grease in 1979. Closing on 14th November 1981 with Kentucky
Fried Movie and The Other Cinderella although the late film the previous night was
The Last Picture Show. The building had been sold for £400,000 to be replaced by
the rather ugly Royscot House.

The Essoldo opens with The Robe in
CinemaScope.

Cuttings courtesy of Stuart Kidd

A sound film at the Winter Gardens
Kinema in 1929.

Cutting courtesy of Stuart Kidd

The North Street Picture House remained on
silent films to the end.

Cutting courtesy of Stuart Kidd

Photo: Cinema Theatre Association Archive

The opening advertisement.

Cutting courtesy of Stuart Kidd

An artists impression of the
cinema as featured in the
opening programme.