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Gazetteer
was an impressive building for such a small town. Seating 400, in a 60' long auditorium, it claimed to have
a 30' wide stage. There had however been a cinema operating on the site since the early 1920s. The
operator had been Frank Charles Elgar, but was not converted to sound, probably due to the rebuild.
The Plaza was then leases to Mr Elgar. British Thomson Houston sound was installed. By 1942 it was
operated by Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd, before The Plaza Cinema (St Dennis) Ltd was registered
around 1949. Trading in this name it appears to have been operated by Duchy Cinemas Ltd. The
proscenium was extended to 24' wide in 1955.
The plans also contain a specification by the builder, Mr Bullock of St Dennis:
"The walls built with mass concrete and plastered internally with lime mortar and external cement
mortar. Roof covered with Asbestos slates. The floor to be G & T boarding on coke breeze. The
vestibule and operators chamber and the walls dividing the staircase from the hall to be built with
concrete blocks and the floor and ceiling of the operating chamber to be reinforced concrete. The
staircase all concrete. Doors, the external doors all to be fitted with panic bolts and internal doors to
have spring catches"
This builders description does not paint a very cosy picture of the finished building. Closed 1960s and was
demolished.