Cornwall Cinema Gazetteer

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TORPOINT

People's Palace ~ Gem ~ Regal

Originally called the People's Palace and Varieties, the Regal was built in 1919 in Antony Road by Mr Teddy Ives a local coach proprietor and shopkeeper.  Opening in the first week of February 1920 it seated 550, and regularly held stage shows on its 30' deep stage.  2 dressing rooms were present along with an orchestra pit.

The site had a terrific drop to it resulting in a 1:4 rake to the stadium plan. The cinema was bought by John William Strutt of Weston Super Mare on 21st September 1932 and renamed Gem, before being taken over by Philip Taylor of Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd in 1941, becoming the Regal.  Alterations in the 1950s levelled out the front seating to give better sight lines.  The sound system installed was British Acoustic.  Previously Imperial and RCA.  The proscenium was 32' wide and a 25' by 11' CinemaScope screen was fitted. The cinemas decline in the 1960s was rapid and newspaper reports of 1973 make much of the cinemas takeover by Robert Ainsworth who has promised no more sex films (after he has shown the ones he has already rented!)  It was said that Mr Ainsworth had previously toured as "Portable Picture Palace" around towns like Liskeard and Tavistock, that had lost their cinemas.  In 1974 the Regal was closed by the council when an inspection described it as a fire risk.  Reopening, the cinema was much improved and featured double love-seats from the recently closed Troy Cinema, Fowey.  However this open period only lasted 18 months and finally closed 28.06.1975, at the time with 300 seats.   The cinema was later converted into a health centre, unfortunately the impressive high facade has disappeared, revealing that much of the structure is lower than the current road level.

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