Exeterpost1930

This would be the first cinema Watkins would design in a stadium
plan, with slightly rising rear seating rather than a circle. This
represents a personal choice by Watkins, who preferred the
stadium design to a circle. He had observed that sitting under a
large circle was smoky and acoustically it was harder to hear the
film properly, so when given the opportunity Watkins would always
choose stadium plans. The building works were carried out by
McLaughlin & Harvey of London.

The proscenium was illuminated and had 4 steps leading to up lit
grilles on the anti proscenium walls. The stage curtains had a
semi-circular pattern while the screen curtains were silver and
green. Along the side walls were painted panels depicting
medieval scenes. The whole auditorium is dominated by a shallow
dome feature lit from the rim with a central lighting feature. There
were also stalactite like art deco lights hung from the ceiling. This
style of light would be repeated at subsequent Gaumont cinemas.
The interior was by Clark & Fenn Ltd of Clapham London. The
murals were painted by Frank Barnes oil on canvas. The ceiling
was beige, jade green and gold, walls a deeper beige toned fabric
covering. Proscenium in lemon cream colour.The cinema opened
on 16th May 1932 by Arthur C Reed MP at 12 North Street with
1,449 seats. The cinema had a very large stage and a 2 manual 9
rank Wurlitzer theatre organ (obtained second hand from
Gaumont's offices in Regent Street that had belonged to Provincial
Cinematograph Theatres). The organ was regularly played by
Frederick Bayco. The first film was Sunshine Suzie & Once Bitten.
The sound system was British Acoustic.The cinema was renamed
Gaumont around 1937.

The cinema was damaged by bombing on 2nd May 1942 and
closed. It had lost its main ceiling. Fortunately the ceiling eas
reinstated, but to a slightly more basic design than the original and
the cinema reopened 24th May 1943. Unfortunately the organ had
sustained to much damage and was removed. The cinema was
closed for bingo 4th May 1963. The cinema was listed Grade II and
has recently been upgraded to II* status.

The Odeon's position was somewhat distant from the central areas
of Exeter on Sidwell Street. Its south facing facade is dominated
by four ribbed columns and three tall windows that give light to the
unusual split level foyer. The columns still have neon running up
them in the same way (if not the same colour) as was originally
intended. The columns originally were higher, the outer two going
up and over the brickwork and the central two matching them in
height, this would make the Odeon sign almost invisible to the
street outside, but was intended to be seen from far off across
Exeter. The vast canopy which also contained two shop units was
probably unique to Exeter and was a failure as the films
programme could not be displayed on it. The canopy and pay box
were designed by Swanser & Son Ltd of Rock Street, Finsbury
Park, London.

Architect Harry W Weedon ARIBA assisted by designer Robert
Bullivant. The slop of the land necessitated access to the stalls
from a split landing and not from the foyer street level. The stairs
then rise again, past the giant windows to the spacious circle
lounge on the upper level. This spacious lounge would become a
café during the 1940's and 1950s closing in 1964. The
auditorium was impressive with bold streamlined effects, some
similar to Muswell Hill. On the side walls were bas-relief figures in
medieval dress.

The cinema opened with The Charge of the Light Brigade on 30th
August 1937. There were 1,920 seats, 1,176 in stalls and 744 the
circle. The sound system was British Thompson Houston. The
building was closed by bomb damage 2nd May 1942, and was
temporarily repaired. Full repairs were undertaken in 1954, losing
some of the auditorium decoration and the unusual canopy.

The cinema was tripled in 1972, 742 seats former circle, 119 &
118 seats in former rear stalls. A fourth screen was added in front
stalls in 1988 with 344 seats. This reduced the smallest screen to
105 seats. Now modernised and re branded the cinema is still
very popular.

Mr George Northcott a local business man had tried
unsuccessfully to save the Theatre Royal. He offered
£100,000 for the building of a new theatre for Exeter and the
University offered him the land to build it.

The theatre opened on 29th November 1967, seating 433 on
a curving stadium plan with a 52' wide proscenium opening
that is 21' high. The flat stage is 30' deep. The orchestra pit
can be flattened to create extra seating, at the same level as
the stage. There is no attempt at decoration in the theatre or
externally which is plain brick.

The building was designed by architects Sir William Holford &
Partners and is situated in the heart of the campus on Stocker
Road. The theatre has its own producing repertory company.

The theatre is equipped with two Westar 35mm projectors and
a 16mm unit and Dolby Sound. Films are shown here
occasionally.

As with many of City Screen's Picture House circuit this building
is a conversion of an old building, in this case a warehouse on
Bartholomew Street West. The architects were Burrel Foley
Fischer of London and the builder was Bithrey Construction of
Honiton. The screens back onto each other allowing for one
single box projecting in opposite directions.

The cinema opened 11th October 1996 with Twelfth Night.
There are two screens, Screen 1 seats 220 and Screen 2 160.
The projectors are Westar and there is also 16mm and video
facilities. The programme is a mix of art house and mainstream
films. The cinema may suffer from a slightly isolated position and
being tucked down a narrow side street.

The ABC Savoy a large standard ABC by resident architect W R Glen opened in a prime position close
to the Theatre Royal on London Inn Square on 23rd November 1936 (opposite the Plaza). It replaced
the New London Inn, a new inn being incorporated into the side of the building, built by Brazier & Sons
Southampton. The first films were Captain January and A Star Fell from Heaven. There were 1224
seats in the stalls and 734 in the circle. The cinema was equipped with a 3 manual, 6 rank Compton
organ regularly played and broadcast on the BBC by Harold Stringer, a local man. The organ was
removed in 1972. The original sound system was Western Electric, later RCA. Both the Rolling Stones
(1964) and The Beatles (1963) performed here.

The cinema was renamed ABC in 1960 and closed in 1972 for twinning. The stalls became a bingo hall
while the circle became screen 1 with 504 seats. Screen 2 was in the upper part of the stage and
seated 128 opening 25th January 1973 with The Godfather and Our Miss Fred. This conversion gutted
much of the interior. The cinema closed on 14th June 1987 with Top Gun & Personal Services having
been renamed Cannon. As the building was being demolished much of the fittings including lights and
doors were offered for sale on the pavement. It is likely some bits of this cinema survive in homes
throughout Exeter.

With the opening of the Plaza not far from
Albany Ward's own Palladium cinema, it was
clear he needed a much larger and grand
venue for Exeter. He naturally asked his
"owners" Gaumont British to help him out and
here we see the outcome, the Gaumont
Palace. The architect chosen for the job had
already built a cinema in Barnstaple for Albany
Ward the previous year, William Henry Watkins
with his designer Percy Bartlett.

The site acquired had a major drawback, it did
not have a frontage onto the High Street
instead it was set behind buildings with just a
small entrance way on North Street. The site
had previously been occupied by the Yacht
Beverage Co. Ltd. This type of position was
not uncommon and many west country
cinemas had this type of entrance, the best
example being the Tivoli at Tiverton. An
archway of some grandeur was built here to
highlight the cinemas position. Made of brick
and decorated stone and illuminated with neon
strips it even had its own canopy. The main
feature of this facade however is sadly lost.
Set in the centre above the canopy was a
large glass box with three edges each
featuring the name of the cinema and could be
seen from some distance. At night this sign
was lit from within and would have been very
effective. This type of illuminated glass sign
feature would be seen on other work by
Watkins, most notably the Regal Redruth.
There was a separate front stalls entrance on
Mary Arches Street.

Having already designed a fine if small facade Bartlett then had to design a
second facade for the cinema itself set as it was within a courtyard. This was
made more difficult by the fact that the cinema was set at an angle to the
entrance way so the facade would not be seen head on. The solution was a
curved facade 80' wide edged with two large towers each set at a different
angle but drawing you into its entrance. The style as at Barnstaple is sort of
Scandinavian Neo-Georgian (if there is such a thing) using brick with stone
plymths and windows. The foyer was also curving but quite low as the rear
seating of the auditorium extended over the foyer that like Plymouth ran the
full width of the frontage.