Embassy Cinema
Reigate Road and Hillview,
Dorking,
RH4 1SY
Reigate Road and Hillview,
Dorking,
RH4 1SY
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Gaumont-British-Picture Corp., Ltd., Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd., Shipman & King Cinemas Ltd.
Architects: Harry Weston
Styles: Art Deco
Previous Names: Gaumont Theatre
Nearby Theaters
Located in Dorking, Surrey. Opened with 1,290 seats on 28th February 1938, the Gaumont Theatre included a café. It was built by Gaumont British Theatres and Provincial Cinematograph Theatres Ltd (PCT). A decorative feature of the auditorium was a backlit freize on the auditorium side-walls stretching from the edge of the balcony to the proscenium. It was decorated by Carshalton based artist Frank Dickenson with Egyptian motifs. The cinema also had a cafe and a fully equipped stage. Gaumont/PCT only operated the cinema for a short time, as Shipman and King acquired the cinema on 4th September 1938, and it was renamed Embassy Cinema.
The Embassy Cinema was closed on 14th April, 1973. From 1976 it became a Kingdom Hall for the Jehovah’s Witness and remained in a good condition. In 1982 the local Council wanted the site to build new offices. The Jehovah’s Witness’s moved out of the building in 1983 and it was demolished in August 1983. A car park is now on the site.
Contributed by
Martin Tapsell
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
Coloured photos taken by the Jehovahs Witnesses as a Kingdom Hall
This was a lovely place and I think a new building for the jovos of questionable design arose on the site. Whatever, a sad loss like so many others.
Quite an art modern style building. Very impressive. Should have remained an enjoyed structure for many years to come.
With respect, the Assembly Hall was kept exactly the same as it had always been until Jehovah’s Witnesses moved out in 1983 and the building was demolished. They had nothing to do with any new buildings that arose after that.