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Gazetteer
the Palace Theatre had brief spells of film shows, however
it was always primarily a live theatre. The building has a
fine terracotta facade in Art Nouveau style with a naval
theme running throughout. The exterior still features
paintings of the Spanish Armada by Sir Oswold Brierley,
although his paintings inside do not survive. The entrance
is dominated by a grand Sicilian marble staircase to the
balconies and to access the stalls there is an avenue of
mirrors. Seating for 1900. It closed on 7th February 1959.
It opened briefly in later years but became a bingo hall in
1963. Now disused, it is protected Grade II* and has
recently benefited from external repair.
For further information visit www.applausesw.org.uk
the 1960s of the
Plymouth Palace. A set
of urns decorating the
upstairs lounge.
Photos: Cinema
Theatre Association
article on the New
Palace Theatre.
New Palace Theatre
Mayor Alderman George Dymond, assisted by Lady Astor.
The first films were The Ghost Train and Almost a Divorce.
Leslie James performed on the organ. The architect was
William Henry Watkins of Bristol and was built by Messrs.
McLaughlin & Harvey of London. It was constructed of an
experimental material known as Clinco Compo and brick
faced. Watkins liked bold frontages and this very blocky
exterior is no exception. This represents a battle ship of
the period and the nice tower set on the roof would be the
ships bridge. Its powerful guns and casements can be seen
on the frontage which is 100' wide.
The auditorium seated 2,252, 1,462 in stalls and 790 in the
deeply curved circle. Plus standing room for 1000 at the
sides of the circle and stalls, which had arches to divide the
seating and standing areas, rather like in Provincial
Cinematograph Theatres. Another PCT element was the
dominant dome 65' in diameter which was lit from the rim
and featured a sun burst, coral pink and vieux rose with jade
green and gold. The projection box was however at the rear
of the circle.
pit and was a 3 manual, 8 rank unit. Decorative features included grille
work on the side walls and over the wide proscenium four step colour
illuminated proscenium in tones of primrose, jade green and tangerine.
A large stage was also provided. The foyer was a low single storey affair
with a lounge (80' by 40') above via marble stairs that split half way up.
The sound system was British Acoustic. The stage was 1200 sq.ft.
The Gaumont closed on 2nd December 1961, the last film was Francis of
Assissi and Temple of the Swinging Doll. The organ was sold to Mr Cecil
Howett and installed in the Embankment Methodist Church. The
building was split creating a 1000 seat cinema upstairs using the original
foyer and a new lift, and a ballroom downstairs using a new corner
entrance. This will have destroyed almost all the original interior.
The cinema reopened as Odeon (Odeon Frankfort Street had closed) on
10th September 1962 with the world premiere of Billy Budd and was
collectively known as Top Rank Entertainment Centre. The screen was
50' by 24' and was equipped with 70mm Cinemeccanica projectors and
stereophonic sound. The cinema closed on 9th April 1980 with The Deer
Hunter, to become a roller skating rink and nightclub. The nightclub
remains today.
pictures of other Odeon cinemas
mysite.freeserve.com/cavalcade
Odeon Cavalcade
Gaumont Palace by W H
Watkins FRIBA. Note the
plans show an orchestra
pit yet in the final build
there is only an organ,
this shows how quickly
the switch to sound films
took place.
Plymouth Gaumont Palace, note the
spacious lounge without cafe or bar.
Some photos: Cinema Theatre
Association
Palace of Varieties ~ Andrew's Picture House
St James's Picture Hall ~ Savoy
Reed and John Snowdon had built St James's Hall at 109 Union Street opening November 1866. It
seated 3,000.
By the first cinematograph screening on 9th November 1896 by Robert Pauls Theatrograph the hall
was run by the Livermore Brothers as the Palace of Varieties. The hall closed on 6th November 1897
as the New Palace of Varieties was ready to open and the Livermore's moved out.
The building was taken over by Andrew's Picture House until 1910 when they too vacated for purpose
built premises. In July 1910 Henry N Phillip, owner of the Aberdeen Picturedrome acquired the
lease and redecorated the hall before opening on 2nd August 1910. He had an orchestra. Other
improvements followed including a new projection box over the entrance.
From July 1914 to January 1918 Joseph Mont Gilpin operated the building as St James's Picture Hall
with 900 seats. From 21th October 1918 Harry Knowles and his staff from the Theatre de Luxe
operated here.
The hall closed 30th October 1920 for reconstruction as Savoy, costing £60,000. It opened on 1st
August 1921 with a café and tea lounge and said to have seated 3,350, but other reports suggest only
1,400. The building was run as Savoy Picture House (Plymouth) Ltd, a part of the Biocolour circuit.
The colour scheme was black, cream and old-gold with gas and electrical lighting. By 1927 control
passed to the new Gaumont British Picture Corporation circuit and soon Western Electric sound was
installed. The building was destroyed by bombing in the war and its remains demolished for flats.
Visit www.applausesw.org.uk for further information
cinema could seat around 50 on wooden benches. The cinema was a conversion of first floor rooms
of a house adjoining the old wax works at 110 Union Street. Opened by William Caston in 1908 it was
later rebuilt to seat 250 closing around April 1927. The building was destroyed in the Plymouth blitz.
The theatre was designed as competition for the Theatre Royal. The auditorium had boxes and a
decorative safety curtain. The architect was H J Snell, and cost £7000 to build. Seating or 1,299 in
stalls and circle. Films formed part of the programme from as early as 30th November 1896.
However it could not compete with the Livermore Brothers New Palace of Varieties and closed.
It reopened as Grand Theatre & Picture Palace on 1st March 1909 run by United County Theatres Ltd,
who had redecorated the theatre. The Grand was purchased by Henry Banks Mather in 1932 and ran
with his Ford Palladium under H B Mather Cinemas Ltd. RCA sound was installed, it seated 1,300.
Damaged in the Plymouth blitz it was later used as a warehouse before the auditorium was
demolished for flats March 1963. The facade and entrance block was retained and for a while was a
pub. It has however been derelict along with much of Union Street for a number of years.
Visit www.applausesw.org.uk for further information and pictures.
sloping floor. The colour scheme was red and white and the operating box was over the entrance.
Situated at 166 Union Street this was Plymouth's first purpose built cinema.
Mr Henry Knowles held the licence from 23rd March 1910 and later went into partnership with Mrs
Jessie Eugene Boultwood, wife of Sydney Boultwood of the Picture House, George Street.
Unfortunately a dispute arose and they ended up in court in 1917. Mrs Boultwood won and took
over the Theatre de Luxe with licencee Mr William Ewart Sharp. Not to be shown up Mr Knowles
immediately announced he was moving his operation and all his staff to St James's Hall and on 21th
October 1918 opened in competition with Theatre de Luxe with Man's Law.
By 1923 Harry Knowles had returned to the Theatre de Luxe but it closed in June 1923 and became a
motorcycle showroom. Later demolished.
to Mr R E Wensley, of Bournemouth, Exeter & Plymouth Bioscope Theatres Ltd. who rented the
building at 40 Union Street. The interior was crimson and green with upholstered tip up seats. The
cinema opened on 29th July 1910.
Unfortunately the company was not financially sound and was wound up on 5th February 1911. A
new licence was issued to Mr W J Bartlett by July 1911. By 1923 Major A O Ellis took control until
damaged by bombing on 27th & 28th March 1941, caused closure. The cinema had traded as Empire
(Plymouth) Ltd. during AO Ellis time, he was Managing Director of the company. British Thomson
Houston sound was installed. The building was demolished.
August 1910, having previously operated at St James Hall. This grand edifice featured a facade 40'
high of decorated Portland cement. Above was a figure of Atlas bearing an illuminated globe, the
Andrew Trademark. The main entrance was an arch, with shops to either side.
The vestibule was round and gave access to stalls and stairs to circle. The colour scheme was green
and deep red. The auditorium had a barrel ceiling and arches along the side walls. It could seat
1,500. There was a tea room attached and the screen was 30' by 25'. There was an orchestra and a
traditional style organ. The architects were Messrs Thorley, Rocke & Barron and builder W Blake of
Plymouth.
The building was owned by Arthur Horace Andrews of Andrew's Pictures Ltd, based in London. They
operated a number of cinemas around the country. By 1930 the cinema was in the control of
Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd, who in tern came under the control of Gaumont British
Picture Corporation Ltd. They proposed to pull down the Picture House and using adjoining land
build a new super cinema. The cinema closed in October 1930 for the Gaumont Palace.
between Battery Street and St Mary Street west of the Palace Theatre. Called Picture Lounge it
opened on 6th May 1911 with 500 seats. The building featured an illuminated coloured glass dome
and a statue of a goddess bearing a lamp in the foyer.
By 1915 Mr William Caston of Picture Palace, Harbour Avenue, had taken over and renamed the
cinema Lyric Theatre. Then Mr Frederick Wardle took the building and redecorated it, reopening on
24th April 1916 as New Lyric Picture House with 400 seats. It closed in 1926 and became a dance hall.
Later destroyed in the Plymouth blitz.
may have been in Union Street, ie. at The Octagon.
Carlton ~ Embassy
September 1919. Designed in a Renaissance style by E H H Barron of Plymouth, and constructed by
Mr F T Stanbury. This was a fine building owned by Mr M P Lowe, later by Mr C Lowe.
The foyer featured two staircases with steps made from terrazzo and oak rails leading to the circle
and mezzanine. Access to the box was via a spiral staircase. The top of the building featured two
domes. Seating 400, the stage was 6' deep.
Leased to Harry Knowles in September 1923 until H B Mather Cinemas Ltd. took over in 1931. RCA
sound was then installed. On 8th July 1936 the lease passed to WE & EJ Pope who ran cinemas at
Tavistock, Wadebridge and Okehampton. The cinema was reseated and renamed Carlton. It closed
on 3rd June 1939 as the lease had expired.
A company called Embassy had intended to build a new cinema at Milehouse in the Plymouth suburbs
however with the outbreak of war they had decided to lease an existing building. The Carlton
opened as The Embassy on 8th August 1940 with French Without Tears & Death of a Champion. The
last show was on 20th March 1941. The cinema was destroyed by bombing on 20th & 21st March 1941.
seated 2,500. The drawings by Harry W Weedon show a concave curved tiled facade with a large
window over the entrance with a tower to the right. On either side were shops and two storeys of
flats. Never built.
