Devon Cinema Gazetteer

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DEVONPORT

Globe

The Stonehouse Barracks of The Royal Marines were built in 1783.  Shortly after this a Racquet Court was built there.  Being disused the building was converted into a theatre and stage in 1848.  Known then as Bijou Theatre, much of what remains today date from improvements in 1864 and 1887.  In 1928 cinema shows were introduced.  The proscenium noted as 26' wide and seating 260. The exterior is very plain however the auditorium, which was restored in 1971 remains a fine example of early Victorian design, featuring fake doors on the anti proscenium and a single horseshoe shaped gallery.  The overall design is neo-classical.  The building is not open to the general public and is Grade II listed. Visit www.applausesw.org.uk for further information and pictures.

Forum

Devonport Cinema Company Ltd. Redeveloped a Fore Street shop that had previously been Swiss & Co. bookshop and printers to be the entrance for a new cinema built on a site behind Fore Street where a former Baptist Church had stood.  The Forum opened on 5th August 1939 with Honolulu seating 1,800 and an RCA sound system.  The architect was E Morgan of Morgan, Wilmott & Partners Ltd of Cardiff and built by Charles Tyler of Swansea.  The building was damaged by bombing on 23rd April 1941, however it reopened after repairs only to close for conversion to bingo on 14th May 1960.  CinemaScope had been fitted.

This building shows all to clearly the destruction brought about by the bombing of Devonport and how very little was rebuilt.  The bulk of the auditorium can  clearly be seen as much of the area has not been fully redeveloped after the war.  This narrow entrance would originally have been on the busiest shopping street in Devonport with other buildings hiding the auditorium from view, yet today it lays alone in empty  quiet streets surrounded by a few 1960's blocks of flats.  With a low population and few amenities it is not surprising this cinema closed so early.  The frontage is basically the same as the pre-war design, except less decorated.  Some of the original decoration remains on the highest parts of the frontage.

Gone but not forgotten:   Hippodrome

The Hippodrome, Prince's Street was opened as a live theatre on 14th September 1908.  The theatre was operated by Herbert Taylor who held a cinema licence for the premises. The theatre was rebuilt by architects Marshall & Tweedy in the 1920s, the seating capacity was 2000.   The projection box was on the roof.  The proscenium was 40' wide, the stage 35' deep and there were 11 dressing rooms.  Run by Hippodrome (Devonport) Ltd, RCA sound was installed in 1930, the first sound film shown was Broadway Melody. The theatre passed to County Cinemas by 1937 and then to Odeon control.  The theatre was bombed on 24th April 1941.  The large dome on the roof had been badly damaged and was deemed unsafe.   The building never reopened and was later demolished. Visit www.applausesw.org.uk for further information

Two photographs of the Devonport Hippodrome, left in its prime, with live shows and films, right after bombing, note the lettering of the large sign had been changed. Photo:        Cinema Theatre Association

Gone but not forgotten: Assembly Hall Cinematograph Theatre Camel's Head Picture Palace Wolseley Cinedrome ~ Majestic

The Assembly Hall Cinematograph Theatre at West Ham Terrace (also known as Camel's Head Road) was converted in 1911 to Camel's Head Picture House by Edwin John Brindley.  Passed from Henry Slater to Gwyther Eastlake Prance  in May 1916 he rebuilt it as Camel's Head Cinedrome and passed back to Henry Slater.  By 1921 it became known as Wolseley Cinedrome.  It was also known as Majestic for a while. It passed through several further owners and had periods of closure however Mihaly sound was installed and the last film was On the Air in 1935.  It became a garage and during the war a fire and Police station.  It was situated on a quay, with water on either side of the building.  The land was later reclaimed.

Gone but not forgotten:   Public Hall Electric Theatre

One of the first cinemas in Devonport, a conversion of the Public Hall, the cinema opened as Public Hall Electric Theatre in 1910.  The assistant manager was Gwyther Eastlake Prance, the son of a lawyer from London, he would go on to be one of the most successful cinema operators in the West Country.  The Public Hall had opened on 9th November 1881, with a concert.  Situated on the corner of High Street and Fore Street, film shows are recorded here as early as 1898. By December 1910 the name had changed to the more suitable Electric.  The hall featured an organ, although this probably dated from its Public Hall days.  The cinema closed for extensive alterations on 30th May 1921 and reopened on 4th July 1921 run by Electric Theatre (Devonport) Ltd.  It could now hold 2,300, had a stage and 6 dressing rooms.  Western Electric sound was installed in 1932. The auditorium had a large circle and a modern rectangular proscenium arch.  The building was destroyed by bombing on 23rd April 1941

Gone but not forgotten:   Tivoli Picture Theatre

The Tivoli was a conversion of an auction rooms on the corner of Chapel Street at 8 Fore Street, opposite the Electric Theatre.  It opened with only 325 seats on 26th January 1911.  The venture was financed by local businessmen including A O Ellis, and run as Tivoli (Devonport) Ltd. British Acoustic sound was installed and had become part of Duchy Cinemas by 1939 when it closed, as it could not compete with the new Forum.  The building was destroyed by bombing on 23rd April 1941.

Gone but not forgotten:   Morice Town Picture Palace

This small cinema was at 32 New Passage Hill, immediately opposite the Albert Road gate of the dockyard.  The operation was run by W J Corse from October 1910 and had the screen over the entrance.  The name was strangely changed to Morice Town & District Picture Palace and Edibell sound was installed around 1930. A fire broke out in the projection box at 2.15pm on 17th September 1932 before the cinema was due to open for a matinee.  The building was badly damaged and never reopened as a cinema.

Gone but not forgotten:   Empire ~ Metropole Palladium ~ Picturedrome ~ Alhambra

Opened 1894 as the Empire, this live theatre was situated in Tavistock Street, it became the Metropole by August 1894.  It was renamed Palladium 5th August 1912 and a Cinematograph Licence was obtained to show films.  By the end of 1913 it changed its name again to Picturedrome, then in 1914 the name changed back to Metropole.  Later in 1914 Gwyther Eastlake Prance would become the joint manager of this troubled theatre, along with the Hippodrome. In 1918 the theatre was shut and new owners Mr P Pearce and Mr R Bromhead invested in a complete reconstruction of the building, behind the original frontage, costing £40,000.  Then without opening the new theatre they attempted to sell it at auction on 27th September 1923.  There were no bids. Reopening as Alhambra on 19th April 1924 under the control of Gwyther Eastlake Prance, the theatre remained mostly on live shows, but retained a cinema licence.  The Alhambra closed after showing Third Time Lucky on 6th February 1932.  By this time it was owned by Provincial Theatres Syndicate Ltd.  The building was destroyed by bombing on 23rd April 1941. For more information about this theatre visit www.applausesw.co.uk

Gone but not forgotten:   Hyde Park Military Hospital

The Military Hospital in Hyde Park Road which later became Hyde Park School was operated from 24th November 1915 to 30th June 1918 by Captain E G Smith, a doctor at the hospital.  This war time cinema was for the recovering troops.

Gone but not forgotten:   Royal Naval Barracks

This cinema was opened during the 1930's to serve the Royal Navy personnel, and was situated in the Royal Naval Barracks.  It was run by the Canteen Committee, and later by the Welfare Committee.   Using British Thomson Houston sound, it had 890 seats and closed in the 1960's.

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