Arts Cinema

a.k.a. Cosmopolitan Cinema

Photo: Andrew Gale

Market Passage. Googling for "kinema" and "gwydir" suggested that this was built in 1866, which obviously pre-dates its use as a cinema.

• 19??: The Cosmopolitan cinema opens
• 1947: Is purchased by the Arts Theatre Trust. ?? Becomes the Arts Cinema Market Passage
• 1933: opens as part time cinema
• 1935: following experiment, cinema closes to move to Arts Theatre
• 1936: Arts Theatre holds regular film seasons until 1940
• 1940: Cosmopolitan opens full time
• 1943: damaged by fire
• 1947: purchased and refurbished my the Arts Theatre Trust. Reopens as Arts Cinema
• 1999: Closes on 20th June
• 2002: Opens in November as B Bar

Central

a.k.a. Odeon

Photo: Andrew Gale

• 1921: Cambridge Motor Service Co. becomes Central Cinema
• 1929: shows Cambridge's first talkie, Broadway Melody.
• 1929: fire? (FT Unwin)
• 1930: cinema rebuilt (current building)
• 1939: gutted by fire
• 1940: reopens following fire
• 1955: gets cinemacope
• 1972: shows its last film and converts to Bingo

Cineworld

• 2004: (??check date) Opens on the site of the former cattle market

Kinema

Photo: Andrew Gale

Several accounts say that the rear exit to this cinema came out by Dale's clock, and that it was a common pastime to attempt to sneak in the rear entrance with the aid of a friend on the inside. The Pimbo books say (I think) that the projection box was only accessible by a ladder, and seeing the projectionist climb the ladder became a part of the show. Also, it suggests that this cinema was famed for showing westerns (check this).

Tony Jones told me that there was a distinct gap between the town hall entrance and the cinema.

• 1910: opens as the Empire in Sturton Town Hall showing films and variety shows
• 1916: renamed to Kinema and becomes purely a cinema
• 1966: closes. reopens for bingo and films
• 1979: shows its last film
• 1986: Last used for a showing as part of the Cambridge Animation Festival
• 19??: Is demolished to be replaced by student residences

New Theatre/Theatre Cinema

St. andrew's Street n.b. some disagreement over dates here

• 1933: converts to Theatre Cinema
• 1938: Closes
• 1939: reopens
• 1940: requisitioned until 1947
• 1947: is cleaned and redecorated and reopens showing selected films. Building has benn stripped of all furnishings during war.
• 1948: starts staging variety due to shortage of films
• 1956: closes
• 1960/61: demolished

Playhouse Cinema

Photo: Andrew Gale

Photo: Andrew Gale

Mill Road. Is this building the playhouse, or was that demolished? Do a google for "kinema" and "gwydir" and you'll see some suggestions that it was demolished, though the penny-bored wall still exists.

note: penny hole in the wall, due to kids lining up for Saturday matinees

• 1912: due to the success of their Electric cinema on Market Hill, Cambridge Picture Playhouse Ltd issue a prospectus for a new cinema in Mill Road
• 1913: Playhouse Cinema opens. It is Cambridge's first purpose-built cinema.
• 1956: closes due to entertainment tax
• 1960: old playhouse to become a supermarket

Regal

a.k.a. ABC, Cannon, MGM, Virgin

Photo: Andrew Gale

Photo: Andrew Gale

• 1935: plans for cinema on St. Andrew;s Street approved (for Regal?)
• 1937: Regal opens. Marvellous organ
• 1954: installs cinemascope
• 1955: installs stereo sound
• 1971: closes for reconstruction
• 1972: reopens with two screens, ABC1 and ABC2
• 1984: blaze started by cigarette butt
• 1997: closes
• 1999: reopens with Wetherspoons downstairs and Arts Picturehouse 3-screen cinema upstairs

Rendezvous

a.k.a. Rex

a.k.a. County Rink Cinema

Magrath Avenue, behind Shire Hall

• 1911: part of Roller Skating Rink is converted to County Rink Cinema
• 1915: requisitioned
• 1919: cinema reconstructed and reopened as Rendezvous cinema
• 1931: destroyed by fire
• 1932: re-opens
• 1935: enlarged
• 1938: Renamed to Rex Cinema
• 1952: becomes repertory cinema
• 1953: new synchro-screen
• 1967: is used as bingo hall
• 1970: reopens following expensive refit
• 1972: closes suddenly
• 1979: bought by Cambridgeshire County Council for £33,000 and is demolished

Tivoli

Photo: Andrew Gale

• 1925: Cambridge's 2nd purpose built cinema opens
• 1930: installs British Acoustic sound equipment
• 1956: closes due to entertainment tax
• 1986: plans for entertainment centre rejected

Victoria Cinema

a.k.a. Electric Theatre

Photo: Andrew Gale

The Victoria Assembly rooms - what were these, and when were they built? What was the former building (where the Electric was) before it became a cinema? Does it (or the facade) still exist, or is it now demolished? Ian Kitching suggests opened in 1910 and relocated in 1931.

• 1911: opens on Market Hill. Cinematograph licence is refused and restricted to non-flammable film
• 1915: refurbished and reopened as Victoria Cinema
• 1929: final performance, building is converted to Electricity offices
• 1930: Victoria opens with 1500 guests (Ian Kitching suggests 1931) FT Unwin suggests a fire gutted the Victoria in 1930 and it repoened in 1932. Mike Petty doesn't mention this.
• 1952: restyled
• 1956: organ is removed
• 1962: cafe above Victoria converted to Victoria Ballroom
• 1967: 70mm equipment instlled
• 1972: renamed ABC1 and 2nd screen installed
• 1983: Dec ABC Victoria 1 damaged by fire
• 1984: Feb Screen 1 reopens
• 1985: plans for new 6-screen cinema come to nothing and building is sold to become Marks and Spencer
• 1988: demolished, saving facade

Vue

a.k.a. Warner Village

• 1995: Opens as the Warner Village
• 2004: (??check date) Renamed to Vue

History of 138 Gwydir Street (mentions Kinema with photo)

St. Barnabas Centenary Book - mentions Kinema (incl. entrance fee) and suggests that the Playhouse was demolished.

Quite a bit on cinema, including mention of Victoria, Arts Cinema and the Kinema.

Camra mention the redevelopment of the Kinema