This was Sidmouth’s first permanent cinema after films had been earlier shown in the drill hall and Manor Hall in the town. Arthur W Ellis a local photographer and film exhibiter converted the Belle Vue restaurant in Fore Street using the local architect R W Sampson. The frontage was part of an old house which became the foyer, with flats above and Sampson built a delightful auditorium on land at the rear, seating three hundred and fifty on one raked floor. As in most early cinemas the screen was painted on the rear wall. It opened on the 17th February 1913 with the film ‘Under Two Flags’. It was just called The Cinema, or to the locals ‘Ellis’s Little Cinema’. It was never converted to sound and closed when Ellis opened his larger Cinema, The Grand, in town in February 1929. The building was then used for numerous retail outlets, eventually becoming Knights clothing store and more recently, in 2010, became Fat Face clothes shop. They made major alterations but much of the plaster work from the old auditorium is still intact.
The entire inside of the building has now been completely striped back to the brickwork with no trace of any wood or plasterwork left, including the removal of the stage and ceiling! This once fine art-deco interior has now been lost forever.
I have a soft spot for this cinema as it was my first managerial post in 1985. The building had tremendous character with parts of its long architectural past still intact, from the 1900s, 30s and recent 70s conversion to a twin. The old stage, fly tower and dressing rooms lay unused behind the huge curved tabs which hid the old house tabs and hand winch, which no one took the risk to turn!
The Kings had a stage and fly tower but was very rarely used for stage shows. This whole stage house has now been demolished and bricked up at the proscenium.
When it was converted to a bowling Ally, the whole of the auditorium was demolished, leaving the huge front foyer frontage and upper stories remaining in front of a low newbuilt section for the bowling.
I have added two photos of the sides and rear which show a fine example of Earnest Robert’s brick box functional cinema architecture. As with all of his cinemas the plainness is in stark contrast to the Art-Deco splendour inside.
Three windows have been inserted into the front elevation which was the old projection box area. Most of the old cinemas
interior is now destroyed or hidden from view by false walls, ceilings and floor.
I worked as a house manager here in the late 80’s and got to know the building very well. I would just like to clarify how it got to its present six screens. In 1974 it was converted to three screens, one in the circle and two in the stalls. In 1975 a fourth screen was added in the upper part of the stage house/fly-tower which was entered from a long corridor down the eastern side of screen one. The new auditorium was entered from the screen end and a projection box built within the old fly-tower on the rear wall. Next to it a staircase, built in the old dock door scenery area, descended to the street. The old stage and dressing rooms became squash courts and offices. In 1977 screen one in the old circle was divided into two, making five screens in total. Later, the squash courts on the old stage were converted into a sixth screen, when a new leisure complex and squash courts were built behind and adjoining the building. Very confusing but this is definitely what happened!
The Gem is listed in the Kinematograph year book of 1940 but then never again. Became a shop and then a
car showroom after the war until demolition in 1982.
Opened 4th Feb 1929.The architect was RW Sampson for Arthur Ellis and the Grand Cinema Company.A fire destroyed the auditorium in 1956.The foyer became a restaurant and the land behind redeveloped.
In the 1955 rebuild the auditorium was turned around with the screen at the high Street end behind the small foyer and entrance.A new projection box was built at the rear of the building. I remember the cinema standing intact but unused in the early sixties.
The frontage and foyer now remain but the auditorium and the rest of the building are now gutted.Another great loss after the demolition of the Odeon to the fine cinemas Stourbridge once had.The original stage lay lost and forgotten behind the new widened cinemascope proscenium along with the dressing rooms. It was used in the 1920s and 30s for Variety and repertory.I remember it in the 60s as the ABC, being very smart and well run with its traditional long ornate auditorium, barrel-vaulted ceiling and ABC house style chandeliers and a steep balcony. The high new wide proscenium ,screen and curtains blended in well.
It is worth going into this bookshop if only to spot the remains of the old cinema. The right hand wall has been knocked through to the adjoining property to enlarge the shop.Note the stars on the ceiling, the top and upper sides of the proscenium, the foyer with its original terrazzo tiling and the old projection box with signs of the ports behind the books plus the fire lantern in the ceiling.The building still has a cinema feel to it!
Inside the Danilo 2023.
This was Sidmouth’s first permanent cinema after films had been earlier shown in the drill hall and Manor Hall in the town. Arthur W Ellis a local photographer and film exhibiter converted the Belle Vue restaurant in Fore Street using the local architect R W Sampson. The frontage was part of an old house which became the foyer, with flats above and Sampson built a delightful auditorium on land at the rear, seating three hundred and fifty on one raked floor. As in most early cinemas the screen was painted on the rear wall. It opened on the 17th February 1913 with the film ‘Under Two Flags’. It was just called The Cinema, or to the locals ‘Ellis’s Little Cinema’. It was never converted to sound and closed when Ellis opened his larger Cinema, The Grand, in town in February 1929. The building was then used for numerous retail outlets, eventually becoming Knights clothing store and more recently, in 2010, became Fat Face clothes shop. They made major alterations but much of the plaster work from the old auditorium is still intact.
Have sent photo of the now demolished stage/screen end of the building.
A slight correction, the opening film in 1937 was ‘Wings of the Morning’ staring Anabella, Henry Fonda and Leslie Banks.
The entire inside of the building has now been completely striped back to the brickwork with no trace of any wood or plasterwork left, including the removal of the stage and ceiling! This once fine art-deco interior has now been lost forever.
I have a soft spot for this cinema as it was my first managerial post in 1985. The building had tremendous character with parts of its long architectural past still intact, from the 1900s, 30s and recent 70s conversion to a twin. The old stage, fly tower and dressing rooms lay unused behind the huge curved tabs which hid the old house tabs and hand winch, which no one took the risk to turn!
I think that the photo of the rear of the auditorium was taken post 1973,after closure as a cinema, as the old exit doors are boarded over.
The architect was Edward G.de Wilde Holding, built for the Wessex Kinema company.
The auditorium of the old cinema behind the shop, has now been redeveloped into housing.
It should be noted that this cinema is a fine example of the work of W.R.Glen, architect.
The Kings had a stage and fly tower but was very rarely used for stage shows. This whole stage house has now been demolished and bricked up at the proscenium.
When it was converted to a bowling Ally, the whole of the auditorium was demolished, leaving the huge front foyer frontage and upper stories remaining in front of a low newbuilt section for the bowling.
I have added two photos of the sides and rear which show a fine example of Earnest Robert’s brick box functional cinema architecture. As with all of his cinemas the plainness is in stark contrast to the Art-Deco splendour inside.
Three windows have been inserted into the front elevation which was the old projection box area. Most of the old cinemas interior is now destroyed or hidden from view by false walls, ceilings and floor.
Danilo now demolished, another part of the history and character of Stourbridge gone forever!
So sad and frustrating, another loss to the character and history of Stourbridge!
I worked as a house manager here in the late 80’s and got to know the building very well. I would just like to clarify how it got to its present six screens. In 1974 it was converted to three screens, one in the circle and two in the stalls. In 1975 a fourth screen was added in the upper part of the stage house/fly-tower which was entered from a long corridor down the eastern side of screen one. The new auditorium was entered from the screen end and a projection box built within the old fly-tower on the rear wall. Next to it a staircase, built in the old dock door scenery area, descended to the street. The old stage and dressing rooms became squash courts and offices. In 1977 screen one in the old circle was divided into two, making five screens in total. Later, the squash courts on the old stage were converted into a sixth screen, when a new leisure complex and squash courts were built behind and adjoining the building. Very confusing but this is definitely what happened!
The Gem is listed in the Kinematograph year book of 1940 but then never again. Became a shop and then a car showroom after the war until demolition in 1982.
Opened 4th Feb 1929.The architect was RW Sampson for Arthur Ellis and the Grand Cinema Company.A fire destroyed the auditorium in 1956.The foyer became a restaurant and the land behind redeveloped.
In the 1955 rebuild the auditorium was turned around with the screen at the high Street end behind the small foyer and entrance.A new projection box was built at the rear of the building. I remember the cinema standing intact but unused in the early sixties.
The frontage and foyer now remain but the auditorium and the rest of the building are now gutted.Another great loss after the demolition of the Odeon to the fine cinemas Stourbridge once had.The original stage lay lost and forgotten behind the new widened cinemascope proscenium along with the dressing rooms. It was used in the 1920s and 30s for Variety and repertory.I remember it in the 60s as the ABC, being very smart and well run with its traditional long ornate auditorium, barrel-vaulted ceiling and ABC house style chandeliers and a steep balcony. The high new wide proscenium ,screen and curtains blended in well.
Clearly this is what is left of the proscenium.
This is the top of the proscenium.
It is worth going into this bookshop if only to spot the remains of the old cinema. The right hand wall has been knocked through to the adjoining property to enlarge the shop.Note the stars on the ceiling, the top and upper sides of the proscenium, the foyer with its original terrazzo tiling and the old projection box with signs of the ports behind the books plus the fire lantern in the ceiling.The building still has a cinema feel to it!
Nice to see this of the Lyttleton, I have fond memories of this fine cinema.Does anyone have any views of the auditorium that they could share?