Devon Cinema Gazetteer

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CULLOMPTON

Victoria Hall

This Victorian hall is situated in Tiverton Road and appropriately enough named Victoria Hall.  It is Grade II listed. In the 1920s until about 1931 a silent cinema operation was based here on Thursdays and Saturdays, including a matinee,   run by Mr W J Brooks of Exmouth.  The cinema had some tip up fixed seats purchased from Albany Ward Theatres Ltd.  The Operation appears to have ceased when the Regal opened.

In 1934 Mr MIT Radford of Cullompton, advised by Mr Brooks sets up Cullompton Mobile Cinema, to take 35mm cinema to outlying villages.  He makes his base at the Victoria Hall where he installs  150 second hand tip up cinema seats.  The sound system is British Acoustic and the two 35mm projectors were installed in a non permanent enclosure.  The first show took place on 01st Spetember 1934 but due to technical difficulties the operation closed some three months later, and Mr Radford disappeared, leaving Mr Brooks to dispose of the 150 tip up seats.

Regal

Opened in the early 1930s by Cullompton Cinema Co. Ltd, the Regal had British Acoustic sound and a proscenium 16' wide.  The auditorium seated 350 and a cafe was included.   The facade predates the cinema which is built behind and accessed via a long narrow wood panelled passage.  The iron gates at the front of the passageway are still in situ and in use. In the late 1950s CinemaScope is fitted and at the same time the seating reduced to 300 and British Thomson Houston sound installed.  The proscenium by this time is an impressive 26' wide.  The cinema was leased by Charles Scott Cinemas during the 1960s and did not close until the 1970s.   Situated in the High Street.

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