lost cinemas

LOST CINEMASLOST CINEMAS

WORDS: LOUISE COLEWORDS: LOUISE COLE

IMAGES: VAD FALCONEIMAGES: VAD FALCONE

Shuttered … silent …Shuttered … silent …

Standing forgotten …Standing forgotten …

Where is the stardust now?Where is the stardust now?

Plush carpets …Plush carpets …

The clean uniforms of the usherettes The clean uniforms of the usherettes ……

Children’s clubs … queues …Children’s clubs … queues …

Jean Harlow … Mickey Mouse …Jean Harlow … Mickey Mouse …

This is the wonder cinema …This is the wonder cinema …

Modern … functional … Modern … functional … the future …the future …

The teenagers pop their gum.The teenagers pop their gum.

He’ll load the film into the projector He’ll load the film into the projector ……

One more time …One more time …

He is He is Mr EntertainmentMr Entertainment … …

The man who changes the reels …The man who changes the reels …

Come to watch the news …Come to watch the news …

Take in a classic before you catchTake in a classic before you catch

The last train home …The last train home …

Dreamland …Dreamland …

Glamour … wonder …Glamour … wonder …

The moving The moving picture!picture!

Where people justWhere people just

like you …like you …

yes, like you, sir …yes, like you, sir …

can see shadowscan see shadows

of themselvesof themselves

in shades of grey in shades of grey ……

The 1920s … prosperity …The 1920s … prosperity …

The talkies …The talkies …

Three shows nightly …Three shows nightly …

Come to the restaurant, the Come to the restaurant, the ballroom …ballroom …

Make a day of itMake a day of it ……

Of course the people came.Of course the people came.

Flocked to the new palaces of light Flocked to the new palaces of light ……

Crushed in the plush seats Crushed in the plush seats

To see To see Clark GableClark Gable, , Greta GarboGreta Garbo,,

The The Marx BrothersMarx Brothers … …

Seats at popular prices …Seats at popular prices …

Come to the Tower …Come to the Tower …

See Bette Davis See Bette Davis s u f f e rs u f f e r … …

Watch Ruby Keeler Watch Ruby Keeler d a n c ed a n c e … …

ShootShoot with the Cisco Kid … with the Cisco Kid …

The man who built the AbbeyThe man who built the Abbey

Gave usGave us

Five exits …Five exits …

Fifteen ventilators …Fifteen ventilators …

An orchestral balcony …An orchestral balcony …

From the fleapitFrom the fleapit

with jam jar with jam jar prices prices ……

To the plushTo the plush

1,000 seater …1,000 seater …

They are warehouses, They are warehouses, supermarkets,supermarkets,

Garages, offices, churches, Garages, offices, churches, nightclubs,nightclubs,

Flats, and derelict spaces …Flats, and derelict spaces …

They are all around you …They are all around you …

You drive past them each day …You drive past them each day …

Calling to you …Calling to you …

Shadows of those days past …Shadows of those days past …

Of MGM, Paramount, Fox, Of MGM, Paramount, Fox, Gainsborough,Gainsborough,

Lubin, Biograph, Universal, Rank, Lubin, Biograph, Universal, Rank,

Minerva, Selig, Columbia, Hepworth …Minerva, Selig, Columbia, Hepworth …

They become part of our lives …They become part of our lives …

Our dates … our drives … our Our dates … our drives … our dances …dances …

They are our They are our dreamsdreams … …

Left where we found them …Left where we found them …

The benchmark of a lost world …The benchmark of a lost world …

““hilarious comedy …hilarious comedy …

gorgeous spectacle”gorgeous spectacle”

Some are snatched from us in their Some are snatched from us in their

Respected old age …Respected old age …

Some a constant reminder …Some a constant reminder …

Of what was …Of what was …

What could be …What could be …

The birth of bingo …The birth of bingo …

The 1960s …The 1960s …

TV …TV …

Hidden in unlikely places,Hidden in unlikely places,

the the dream palacesdream palaces live on. live on.

Sprinkling their Sprinkling their m a g I cm a g I c

into the buildings you see each day into the buildings you see each day ……

Some burn but stay alive …Some burn but stay alive …

A doorway alone since the 1930s …A doorway alone since the 1930s …

Some linger …Some linger …

Depleted … but surviving …Depleted … but surviving …

The super cinema …The super cinema …

Large …Large …

Spacious …Spacious …

Comfortable …Comfortable …

Short-lived …Short-lived …

They live, they thrive …They live, they thrive …

They have died but they remain …They have died but they remain …

LostLost cinemas … cinemas …

LostLost dreams … dreams …

6868 screens in 1939 … screens in 1939 …

1515 screens in 1980 … screens in 1980 …

Independents left today …Independents left today …

22 … …

Thanks for watching …Thanks for watching …

any that we’ve missed, any that we’ve missed,

let us know!let us know!

Lost cinemas …Lost cinemas … ABC, Vicar LaneABC, Vicar Lane Odeon, HeadrowOdeon, Headrow Odeon, Merrion CentreOdeon, Merrion Centre Plaza, Upper BriggatePlaza, Upper Briggate Classic, City SquareClassic, City Square Coliseum-Gaumont, Coliseum-Gaumont,

Cookridge StreetCookridge Street Majestic, City SquareMajestic, City Square Tower, Upper BriggateTower, Upper Briggate Abbey, KirkstallAbbey, Kirkstall Carr Crofts, ArmleyCarr Crofts, Armley Clock, HarehillsClock, Harehills Glenroyal, HorsforthGlenroyal, Horsforth

Crown Electric, WortleyCrown Electric, Wortley Crown, WortleyCrown, Wortley Imperial, Kirkstall RoadImperial, Kirkstall Road Lounge, HeadingleyLounge, Headingley Lyric, Tong RoadLyric, Tong Road Palace, Eyres AvenuePalace, Eyres Avenue Playhouse, Clarendon WayPlayhouse, Clarendon Way Plaza, Wellington RoadPlaza, Wellington Road Shaftesbury, York RoadShaftesbury, York Road Star, York RoadStar, York Road Western, Branch RoadWestern, Branch Road Crescent, Dewsbury RoadCrescent, Dewsbury Road Picture House, PudseyPicture House, Pudsey