it was used for concerts around 1980, Spandau Ballet played one of their first gigs here.
The buildings Charlotte Street tower and lower floors were refaced in glass and white cladding in 2008, no trace remains of the former cinema entrance
this entire side of London Road has been cleared including the Coliseum Pub, and on the site has risen the vast Westfield Shopping Centre including the Showcase DeLux cinema which is ironically directly above where the Coliseum stood View link
recently demolished for the huge redevelopment of the Dalston area, this photo of the site also shows part of the office/apartment complex being built behind the site where the Dalston Gaumont stood View link
photos from august 2009, sadly i didnt get into the auditorium but here are:
exterior of the hotel (the cinema is entered off the main lobby)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860382090/
the stunning lobby, very contemporary update of the art deco original
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860376672/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859589545/
photos from a very sunny day august 2009 with the cinema looking immaculate
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860295902/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860297056/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860298420/
lobby with moulded wall panels
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859513853/
sorry above photos should be listed for the Scandia
here are photos of the Saga from august 2009
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859541005/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860313944/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860311354/
lobby
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859526483/
photos from a very sunny day august 2009 with the cinema looking immaculate
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860295902/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860297056/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860298420/
lobby with moulded wall panels
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859513853/
photos from aug 2009, the cinema has been turned into an urban outfitters clothing store but beatifully restored internally especially the stunning painted auditorium ceiling
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860288448/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860373322/
lobby
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859505311/
canopy and poster cases
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860369654/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859580429/
stairs with wooden panelling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859575145/
auditorium looking back from the stage
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860346572/
proscenium
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860341508/
stunning painted ceiling
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859569541/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860350776/
photos from aug 2009 – hard to take exterior shots as trees have been planted in front of the cinema and almost hide it completely
exterior with neon still lit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860284442/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859496647/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859495489/
lobby with groovy 70’s light
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3860285636/
dragon neon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3859497893/
seen here in 2007, recently upgraded for use as an assembly hall and gym for the school
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/104408684/
here’s a photo i took on a gorgeous sunny December day in 2005
View link
and from the beach in the background behind the wonder wheel
View link
a photo from around 1910-1920 showing the large town house that was demolished to make way for the Elite
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3793473044/
some more photos of the empire
from 1914
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3792648845/
from 1956
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3792647327/
an undated ariel shot possibly 30’s or 40’s showing the Empire top centre with a painted sign on the rear wall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3793479938/
a thin sliver of the rear red brick wall of the theatre remains between the neighbouring old houses and the 70’s office building
it was used for concerts around 1980, Spandau Ballet played one of their first gigs here.
The buildings Charlotte Street tower and lower floors were refaced in glass and white cladding in 2008, no trace remains of the former cinema entrance
an exterior from a few years ago showing the scale of the building and the stage house
View link
this entire side of London Road has been cleared including the Coliseum Pub, and on the site has risen the vast Westfield Shopping Centre including the Showcase DeLux cinema which is ironically directly above where the Coliseum stood
View link
seen here in 1981 and it hasnt changed much since then
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3744336356/
link here to bygone derby website with childhood reminiscence of seeing silent films there
View link
photos from april 2009 – i love this crazy building
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3562394821/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3563216636/
marquee
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3562397647/
lobby and stairs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3562399045/
rear of the building with cafe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3494792224/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3563218060/
photos taken in 1981 during the conversion to shops and nightclub
View link
photo from 2006, looking much the same apart from the loss of the torch lights
View link
press ads from 1948 for both the Elite and Empire
View link
press ad from 1965 for the Elite – note that the Empire in the ad underneath is now a ballroom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3535848338/
photos taken april 2009
exterior from the street
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3563236124
courtyard daytime
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3562419503/
courtyard nightime
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3562416411
entry alleyway and box office
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3563233064/
night time shots july 2009
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3734293585/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3735089356/
an advert from Zig Zag magazine showing the building
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3731914420/
close-up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3731118943/
ariel shots of the demolition taken from the 32nd floor of centrepoint
roof off and upper levels being removed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3730988028/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3730184323/
close up looking down into whats left of the auditorium
View link
older shots as the scaffolding went up
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3730172193/
wonder if the sign was saved?
View link
photos of the building work july 2009, a new metal roof with skylights is on and the exterior is being rendered, its surrounded by green mesh so its hard to see if any of the original detail is being replicated
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3718185062/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3717363323/
a few photos
exterior daytime 2005
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/104253869/
exterior close up nightime
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/121533597/
circle corridor
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/121529204/
the black and white movie playing at the theatre in the movie is narcissus II, here are some screen grabs from the “a night at the adonis"
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3710518398/
box office
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3709707031/
lobby with horny punters waiting to get in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3709706531/
recently demolished for the huge redevelopment of the Dalston area, this photo of the site also shows part of the office/apartment complex being built behind the site where the Dalston Gaumont stood
View link