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Sheffield Cinemas and Theatres


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The Pheonix Theatre, Langsett Rd, -

Opened in March of 1911, the Pheonix is one of three theatres in Sheffield built as cinemas, but with the ability to produce stage based variety and revue programmes. Seating was around 640 including the balcony. The original stage was extended from twelve to twenty two feet in the first few years.

The manager from the opening date was Harold Pheonix, an associate of Jasper Redfern of the Central Hall. The unfortunate Harold did not survive the flu outbreak of 1918 and was succeeded by his brother, Cecil. From 1925, the Pheonix became a theatre, staging mainly revue type productions, though some Saturday afternoon film programmes for children were screened. It reopened as a cinema in August of 1933 following the installation of new projectors and sound equipment. Stage performances ceased at this time and the Pheonix continued as a cinema. In 1956 it was sold to the proprietors of the Hilsborough Kinema and finally closed for business on the 10th of September, 1960

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Plaza, Richmond Rd. Handsworth. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s21391

Located at the junction of Richmond Road and Bramley Lane, the Plaza was opened on the 27Th of December, 1937. A modern building, it was built in rustic brick with the tower faced with white faience. The upper part of the tower housed the air conditioning system.

Seating in total was for 1,100 patrons with adequate waiting room provided in the entrance hall and foyer. The entrance was covered by a sweeping canopy and stairs to either side of the balcony. The auditorium decor was of decorative fibrous plaster with the walls in orange fading to a light buff towards ceiling level.Concealed lighting was hidden in ceiling troughs.

Projection equipment consisted of a Western Electric mirrophonic sound system, Kaylee No. 11 projectors and Regal Arc Lamps.

The Plaza had only two managers in it's cinema lifetime, George Turner being the first, who was replaced by Colin Arnold in December of 1957.

The hall had closed for a brief period in July of 1947 for redecoration and refurbishment.

The Plaza was opened for Sunday screenings from April 1953 with a children's Saturday matinee following just under twelve months later. CinemaScope presentations with stereophonic sound were introduced in March of 1955 with "Three Coins in the Fountain".* The cinema closed for redecoration in September of 1962, and a year later saw musical groups and variety acts booked for a series of one night stands. These performances did not feature any film screenings.

The Plaza was taken over by Ken Kerner Entertainments Ltd in 1963, and closed as a cinema in September of of that year.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas

* Film Review from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047580/

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The Regent Cinema, Barkers Pool. Became The Gaumont in 1946 - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08040

Opened on Boxing Day, 1927, the Regent was the city's first "superkinema." The internal decoration was in the Italian Renaissance style with decorated panels, fluted pilasters and ornamental ceiling motifs. Externally, a white faience enclosed a broad entrance with a separate pay box on Burgess Street for the front stalls. Main features of the auditorium were the perfectly proportioned proscenium arch and a huge double dome. The dome was created beneath a series of grills and shutters which could be adjusted to provide extra ventilation as required. Air was introduced into the theatre through a plenum system capable of washing the air before being heated and blown into the auditorium. A necessary job in the polluted city air.

A Wurlitzer organ, complete with lift so that the organist could be seen by the audience, entertained during the intermissions. The organ loft ran the full width of the theatre at roof level and sound entered the auditorium through grills set into the full length of the proscenium arch. The organ is currently in private hands in Suffolk. Seating at this time was a total of 2,300 with 800 seats available in the balcony. A well equipped stage with a depth of 27 feet was lit by a Strand Grandmaster lighting board with four mechanically linked banks. The golden age of cine variety was the eighteen month period after the opening and prior to the introduction of sound. During this time, some famous names to perform were Will Hay, Teddy Brown, Mr Flotsom and Mr Jetsome and the Houston Sisters. Seven backstage dressing rooms were provided.

Films were projected from the lower rim of the dome and the projection box was only accessible from the roof.

A famous newspaper cartoon of the time showed a grandly dressed cinema doorman being asked by a little old lady, "please sir, can anyone come in?"

Info: Sheffield Cinemas / Tsavo

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The Rex Cinema, Mansfield Rd. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08059

The Rex Cinema on the Mansfield Road junction with Hollybank Road, was opened in July of 1939. The exterior was finished in rustic bricks with a tower faced in blue tiles which were also featured in the entrance. A full length cantilever canopy, above which were windows, provided daylight to the balcony foyer. Two shops were also integrated into the frontage, one of which could be accessed from inside the Foyer.

Towards the end of the war, patrons were advised that they would be refused admission if wearing clogs due to the damage caused, especially by iron shod clogs, to the carpets and fittings.

Regarded as a family cinema, X rated films were only rarely booked.

CinemaScope arrived at the Rex in March of 1955 with the showing of Rose Marie. Saturday children's matinees were featured from 1958.

It was not unknown for the Rex to close for two or three days at Christmas, extended occasionally to the full Christmas week.

Destined to become the last surviving suburban cinema in Sheffield, it never featured Bingo and only opened for Sunday presentations in 1981.

A take over by a Leeds based company in that year proved unsuccessful and the Rex closed on the 23rd of December 1982.

The final programme was a showing of Chariots of Fire and Gregory's Girl.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Ritz, Wordsworth Avenue / Southey Green. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s21370

Opened at the end of 1937, the Ritz was one of several cinemas built, to service the newer Sheffield housing estates. Situated at the junction of Wordsworth Avenue and Southey Green, it was a modern rustic brick built building with vertical concrete ribs. An unusual feature was the use of glass bricks to bring natural light into the stairs and balcony area.

Inside, the building tapered towards the 47 foot proscenium arch which featured heavy red curtains. Seating was provided for over 1600 patrons including 440 in the balcony. Sound equipment was provided by RCA with a Phototone system and BTH projectors.

Although there was a sizeable stage, there were no dressing rooms, wings or fly space and backstage access was from the auditorium. Apart from the occasional charity concert during the war, the stage was only used for improvised entertainment at children's matinees.

The first CinemaScope screening was in June of 1955.

Star Cinemas took over the Ritz in 1961 and a month later it was closed for modernization, including new carpeting, seating and the installation of new lighting and projection equipment.

Bingo was first introduced on Sunday evenings, the Ritz never having previously opened for film screenings on that day. It closed as a cinema on the 7th November 1962 switching over to full time bingo. Films returned, however in May of 1965, when they alternated with bingo on Sunday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

The final film performance was on 9th November, 1966.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Roscoe Picture Palace, Shalesmoor. - originally The People's Elactric Palace. http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s19314

Originally called The People's Electric Palace it was established in a converted industrial building and opened in December of 1910 but within a short time became known as The Roscoe. The New Roscoe was opened in April of 1922 using the same building on Infirmary Road as a stop gap until a new cinema could be built. Unfortunalty, the city council's emergency powers forbidding the building of anything but new housing were invoked, and this would cause a delay until November of 1921 when a new building was consrtucted alongside the original which remained open until mid January of 1922.

Seating capacity of the new hall was around 900, including the balcony. The main entrance was at the proscenium end of the building. The first manager was William Dodson Twigg who apart from a break of 12 years from 1924 to 1936, would continue in post until his death in the early 1950s.

Sound was introduced in October of 1930 with a Symplaphone system, a unique choice in the city. It would be replaced in 1938 by a British Thompson Houston system. In 1931 extensive redecoration and seating had been carried out by Friese Green's. This work was completed within ten days and did not affect the normal running of the hall. A novel feature of the redecoration was the introdution of a Japanese rockery garden in what had been previously been the orchestra pit.

1952 brought Sunday opening for the first time. The curved wide screen needed for CinemaScope presentations was installed in July of 1953, but CinemaScope with stereo sound was not screened untill September of 1955. This involved the removal of some of the front stalls seating.

The cinema was closed on 23rd September 1961 just a few weeks after the introduction of Saturday bingo. It reopened after a fortnight when Kenneth Kerner took up the lease of the cinema with bingo on Wednesday evenings. It finally closed as a cinema on the 22nd April 1962 with the complete changeover to bingo.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Roxy, Idsworth Rd. Also known as The Page Hall Cinema. -

Originally named The Page Hall Cinema, it was opened in May of 1920. The mainly brick building was sited on a fairly steep slope with steps leading to the entrance.The ornamental roof parapet featured circular windows. Seating capacity, including the balcony was around 1,300. Six months later a cafe was opened which became a popular venue for whist drives. By 1921 a billiard Room had been added with eight full sized tables. These additions continued and in 1929 a ballroom was added in the area behind the screen with it's own entrance. Sound was not introduced until late 1931, the last Sheffield cinema to make the switch.

In 1945 the cinema was acquired by Buxton Theatres Circuit Ltd and renamed The Roxy.

For the next six months all matinee performances were suspended to allow re-seating and other renovations. The cinema changed hands again just a year later in 1946 and came under the management of Reiss Cinemas Ltd. Jack Reiss was active in the day to day running of the cinema despite being based in Leeds. Sunday openings had been introduced in January of 1946, but were dropped in October of that year, possibly due to the change of ownership. They would be resumed in February 1947.

A fire in January 1958, probably originating behind the screen area, damaged the cinema quite badly and destroyed a new screen installed just two months earlier.

This screen had almost certainly been installed in the for the introduction of CinemaScope presentations. It would be June of 1958 when the Roxy reopened with a screening of Bridge on the River Kwai.

Film presentations ceased in June of 1959 and Bingo took over the main auditorium. The ballroom became a dance school.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

Picture copyright Harry Ainscough http://www.copperbeechstudios.co.uk/archiv...~level6=~cart=~

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The People's Theatre, Staniforth Rd. -

This industrial building was converted to a theatre and opened on Boxing Day, 1896. Within a year it would be renamed The Theatre Royal, Attercliffe, staging dramas, pantomime, comedy and even vaudeville until May 1899. In this year a major reconstruction of the auditorium closed it for six months. The balcony, stalls, pit and stage were all extended. Seating at this time was increased from 750 to 1,100. Although operating as a theatre, throughout the summer of 1906, films only were presented frequently with the addition of a singer appearing on stage. From 1909 onward, a variety act or comic replaced the singer.

For three months, in 1913 it was one of the few cinemas in Sheffield to screen Kinemacolor, and early type of colour process.**

During the years of WW1 the Royal continued to book variety artists at a time when most cinemas had dropped them. By 1919, live performers were only occasionally presented. Sound came to the Royal in 1927 when musical shorts were introduced to support the main silent feature. This was repeated at Christmas of the same year.

Full sound finally came in 1929 when the theatre screened the full length feature "Movietown Follies." It was only the fourth Sheffield hall to change over to sound, and the first in Attercliffe. The Royal continued for another four years and finally closed in June of 1933.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas / Tsavo

** Kinecolor was a process that involved two coloured filters using black and white film and a special sync'd two colour filter on the projector.

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The Star Picture House, Ecclesall Rd. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=v01292

The Star opened just two days before Christmas, on the 23rd December, 1915.

With seating for around 1000 including the balcony, it was an ornate building, with an ornamental dome and Grecian urns lining the roof parapet.

Until 1929 the proprietors were Sheffield Premier Pictures whose directors had links with both the Abbeydale and the Central Picture House. These were severed during restructuring at this time. A bomb dropped during the first night of the blitz, severely damaged the projection room, despite failing to explode. The cinema remained closed for essential repairs, including the removal of the ornamental dome, until October 1941 and it would be another fourteen years before these were finally completed. Projection equipment was Kalee Eleven projectors and Peerless Magna arc lamps. The Magna's were replaced by BTH Xenon arc lamps in 1959.

The Star had one claim to fame, it hosted the student's Rag Day Midnight Matinee. Enough toilet rolls were collected to keep the loo's supplied for months.

Star Associated Holdings took over in 1955. In 1962, Bingo was first presented at the Star and this proved so successful that film performances were dropped on the 17th January 1962.

Bingo continued until 1984

Info: Sheffield Cinemas /Tsavo

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s02712

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The Sunbeam Pictures, Barnsley Rd. - http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...&hl=sunbeam

Set back from Barnsley Road, the Sunbeam, with it's brick and stucco building was designed by architect Walter J Buck, a director of the cinema. A monumental parapet on the front of the building incorporated an embossed rising sun motif. The building of the Sunbeam was delayed for over a year, as the council had a policy at the time, banning non essential building work, to ensure that new house building would not be halted or delayed by a lack of labour and materials. It opened in December 1922 with an auditorium that had seating for around 1,350 including the balcony whose seating was described as luxurious with ample leg room. Within weeks of the opening, prices were reduced in line with other East End cinema's.

In 1930, the Sunbeam changed over from silent to sound films. With hindsight the decision to install the Cinephone system using sound recorded on disc, was a mistake, and Western Electric sound equipment was brought in to replace this in 1932. This followed the introduction of the new international sound standard of an optical soundtrack on film.

In 1935, a covering shelter was built along the side of the cinema and an extended front canopy was installed a year later.

Sunday openings were introduced in 1954 and the first CinemaScope feature "A Star is Born" was screened in April 1956.

The Sunbeam closed on the 2nd September 1961, after a final children's programme of "Son of Sinbad" and "Tarzan's Hidden Jungle."

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Sheffield Picture Palace, Union St. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s21298

Better known as The Palace, Union St, it was opened on the 1st August, 1910. The exterior was in a renaissance style and finished in white faience, a form of glazed terracotta. The seating capacity, including the balcony, was 1000. The cinema was situated next to the Newton Chambers building and was provided with hot water for heating by Newton Chambers until an independent water supply was available.

The Palace had a stage and six dressing rooms and in 1929, for an extended period, cine-variety was presented in an attempt to extend the life of silent films. The Jazz Singer was was screened as a silent presentation with an augmented live orchestra with local vocalist Dennis Allison singing the Jolson numbers.

Apart from a break for war service in WW1, the manager was Len Shaw until a stroke forced him to retire in 1954. A typical showman, Shaw had his own ideas about how a cinema should be run. The Palace did not screen adverts and for a while even removed future presentation trailers from it's programming. A keen amateur cinematographer, Shaw would film local events and on occasion would screen them as part of the Palace's programme.

In the mid 1950s the Palace was the main city centre cinema to screen the new CinemaScope films with magnetic stereo sound.

The Palace's last performance was on the 31st October, 1964.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Unity Picture Palace, Langsett Rd. 7 Wood St. - http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...ost&id=2126

Upperthorpe Picture Palace (Sheffield) Ltd., also the owners of the Oxford Picture Palace, opened the Unity in November, 1913. The exterior was mostly of brick with imitation stone dressings. Entry to the pit was from Gertrude St. Seating capacity was 990 including the balcony. Seating in the pit is described as 'Spartan' whilst the remainder were of the velour upholstered tip up variety. The auditorium had a small stage and dressing rooms though the trials of variety bookings in 1914 was noted to have not been particularly successful. Although rarely in the headlines the Unity was equipped for CinemaScope performances with stereophonic sound.

Notable for never having opened on Sundays, the Unity finally closed it's doors on the 28th March, 1959.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Victory Palace, Upwell St. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=t00094

The Victory opened in October 1921. Externally, the building was undistinguished except for "The Victory" which was displayed in coloured red glass and illuminated at night. Seating capacity was around 850 which included 300 in the balcony. The pit had a separate entrance with the front pay-boxes dispensing stalls and balcony tickets. Twin staircases let up to the balcony lounge. One attraction of the balcony was the availability of twin 'love' seats on the end of each row. A single manual organ, a Clavorchester built by Sheffield company Brindley & Foster, accompanied the films and was also used for recitals. The organist was J.Percy Hall.

By 1924 the owners were in severe financial difficulty and the company wound up and a Leeds cinema owners syndicate took over the running of the hall.

Western Electric sound equipment was installed in 1930 but silent films were still screened for children's Saturday matinees. The Victory opened on Sundays from March 1946 until shortly before it closed on 6 July, 1957. It was only the fourth Sheffield cinema to close since the end of WW2.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Walkley Electric Palace, 28 Fulton Rd, Walkley.

The Walkley Electric Theatre at No 28 Fulton Road, off Howard Hill, was opened as a cinema and variety house in March of 1911 and survived until 1916. The proprietors were L. Ellison and J.D.Bateson.

The address places it on the left hand side going down Fulton Rd from Howard Hill.

No further information at the moment.

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The Western, St Philip's Rd. -

From THE ABC of Sheffield Cinemas

WESTON PICTURE PALACE Upperthorpe St Phillips - Mitchell Street

Opened: mid or late February 1914 Architect: W G Buck

Proprietors: Weston Picture Palace Ltd.; from 1921 Hallamshire Cinemas Ltd

Capacity: 800 (1914); 706 (1935); 610 (1945) Closed: 2-2-57

Subsequent use: Demolished.

At the time the cinema opened the music was provided by a Cinfonium

Info courtesy Ceegee.

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Wincobank Picture Palace, Merton Lane. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08092

The Wincobank Picture Palace opened in June 1914. Of brick construction, the frontage was of terracotta with stone facings. Steep steps led up to an entrance with a mosiac tiled floor. Seating capacity was 550. The projection room was at first floor level and housed a single Butcher's No.12 projector which was hand cranked. Unusually, electricity for lighting was provided by a gas engine, as mains electricity was not available until 1921.

Some alterations and improvements were made in 1919 which included redecoration, but it was to be some seven years before the Palace was closed for two weeks during which time a balcony was added and the pay-box was repositioned. Refurbishment and redecoration was also carried out at this time. The addition of the balcony increased the seating capacity by around 100.

By the mid 1920s, musical accompaniment was being provided by a trio of, a pianist, violinist and either a trumpeter or drummer. In 1930, a Western Electric sound system was installed for the changeover to talkies. The Palace was normally closed for the last week in July to allow for staff holidays at a time when business was slack due to the Sheffield 'works weeks' holidays.

In August 1953 the hall was closed for a week to allow for modernisation work. This included re-modeling the proscenium arch, improvements to lighting and ventilation, and the installation of a modern pay-box. The first film in CinemaScope, "The Robe" * was screened in March of 1955.

The Palace closed in February 1960 having seen it's sister theatre, the Tinsley Palace, close just 12 months earlier.

Review of The Robe from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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Woodseats Palace, Chesterfield Rd. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s02423

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08089

The Palace opened in September of 1911 with a seating capacity of 550. The pit seating was of tip up benches and the pit entrance was from a side passage. Two small shops were incorporated into the front of the building which was finished in green and white terracotta. Inside the auditorium there was a small stage with three dressing room's and a screen which could be flown above the stage for the occasional variety performances. There were no screen curtains.

Films were projected from a single Kinetoprojector with access to the projection room being via a vertical ladder from the managers office. Improvements were made in 1920 when a balcony was added increasing the seating to around 800. The projection room was also re-sited at this time and placed in the stalls area.

In 1955 the cinema was taken over by Star Associated Holdings and after closing for two weeks, reopened with the capability to screen CinemaScope presentations. For the first time, the Palace opened for Sunday performances and Children's matinees were reintroduced.

The Palace closed in September of 1961.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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Grand Theatre, West Bar. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=u03235

The building was originally The New Star Music Hall, but was partially rebuilt and opened as The Grand Theatre in 1887 with some additional changes in 1893. In 1896, Frank McNaghten took over the theatre and introduced a new format with twice nightly variety programmes. Although the potential of the hall was limited, it enabled McNaghten to expand his enterprises and by 1910 he owned three theatres, seventeen music halls and two cinemas, all controlled from his Sheffield office.

The first "animated pictures" were shown at the Grand, as a novelty, during the variety show interlude in 1886.They came to shown on a more regular basis and by the end of 1908 the hall was mainly being used for film performances. At this time it was ranked as Sheffield's third cinema after The Central Hall, Norfolk St. (see under Tivoli) and The Theatre Royal, Attercliffe. (see under The Regal, Staniforth Rd.)

The Grand was closed in 1920 with the intention to demolish it and build a "superKinema" but this proved impossible as it would involve demolishing several cottages at a time of a great housing shortage. The local authority refused to allow the premises to be used for film or variety performances although trade film shows were permitted but these ceased in 1924.

It was then used as a public house but by the mid 1930s was semi derelict and the rebuilding scheme was finally abandoned in 1938, when the local authority purchased the site and demolished the building.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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The Tivoli, Norfolk St / Union St. - http://www.picturesheffield.com- v00238

Was opened in 1905 as the first Sheffield cinema. The original building was a Mission Hall and was renamed the Central Hall by the owner, Jasper Redfern and featured film and variety entertainment..

By 1911 he was in financial difficulties and the company was wound up and a new company took over.

After several months spent enlarging the stage and balcony it reopened as The Tivoli in 1914, but by 1915, variety acts became difficult to find as men were called up to the forces and the emphasis returned to films alone.

During the early 1920s the building was remodelled and the new foyer featured a small lake, fountains and plants.

A serious fire in 1927 forced it's closure for several months and it reopened under the name of The New Tivoli.

It was damaged during the first night of the blitz and never reopened.

The address was originally Norfolk St but this part of it was later to become Union Street.

Info: "Sheffield Cinemas" / Tsavo

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The Tinsley Picture Palace, Sheffield Road. - http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s08076

The Palace was opened in November of 1912, at a time when Tinsley was still within the Rotherham town boundary. Seating was around 600, with at least some of it being on benches. In 1919 it was taken over by The Wincobank Picture Palace Company and within a year had been extensively remodeled. These alterations included changes to the frontage which was originally only to single storey level and an extra 150 seats were added to the capacity. In August of 1922 there was a fire in the projection room though this was quickly brought under control.** Until 1924 the cinema relied on a pianist for it's musical accompaniments but a trio was engaged and in 1926 a small orchestra was introduced. John Madin was a pianist for a time, before moving to the Heeley Palace as organist.

Sound came to the Palace in April of 1930 with the introduction of a Western Electric sound system. Probably the Palace's only claim to fame was that it was the first cinema in Yorkshire to switch to the more powerful alternating current arc lamps.

From 1930 the Tinsley Palace and the Wincobank Palace were run as separate enterprises, although continuing to be under the control of the Wadsworth family.

In 1950 the hall was closed for several weeks for various repairs to be made, at a time when suburban cinemas were finding it increasingly difficult to break even financially and rowdyism was also becaming a problem.

The introduction of CinemaScope, the first presentation being The Robe* in 1955 brought back the audiences for a while, though with hindsight, the writing was on the wall. Having never opened on Sunday's. the cinema closed in February of 1958 without the then common excursion into bingo.

It's sister cinema, the Wincobank Palace, lasted just 12 months longer.

* Review of The Robe from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046247/

** These were not uncommon occurrences as the film used was of highly inflammable cellulose nitrate stock, which exploded, rather than burned.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas / Tsavo

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The Regent Theatre, Upwell Street. - Originally called The Picturedrome.

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s20165

The Picturedrome was opened in March of 1912 on a rather cramped site. Featuring a small balcony it offered not stalls seating but what was described as the pit circle, this being a raised area behind the cheaper pit seats. Seating around 700, the cinema shows were still supported by variety acts.

In 1924, the hall was taken over by Frederick Pheonix, proprietor of the Pheonix Theatre, Langsett road. One of Pheonix's sons was inatalled as manager and the two theatres operated in tandem.

In April of 1925, however, the theatre was leased to a Manchester syndicate who changed the name to The Regent Theatre and reopened on the 4th May. It was ideally suited for use as a revue and variety theatre with four dressing roome and a sixteen foot deep stage and it's own entrance. A concert party brought down the curtain on this particular venture and the theatre closed in May of 1929.

Nearly eighteen months later the theatre once again changed hands when it was leased by East of England Cinemas company and reopened towards the end of December 1930. A sound system was installed by British Talking Pictures but by the end of March 1931 the company went into voluntary liquidation. The cinema stayed open and in 1932 the Pheonix brother's sold the Regent to Barnsley Electric Theatres, a small company controlled by Sheffield builders the Eshsley Brothers, with a financial interest in the Wicker Syndicate.

In 1935, the Eshelby's formed a new company, Regent Varieties and the Regent turned to twice nightly variety and review in May of 1935. The cinema appears to have been closed at this time, but no confirmation has been found to confirm this. The Regent survived as a theatre until closure in June of 1940.

Info: Sheffield Cinemas.

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Although the Cinema and Theatres listings is still 'work in progress', the history of the following venues has been completed.

The Tinsley Picture Palace, Sheffield Rd.

The Tivoli, Norfolk St.

Grand Theatre, West Bar.

Woodseats Palace, Chesterfield Rd.

Wincobank Picture Palace, Merton Rd.

The Western, St Phillips Rd. (incomplete)

The Walkley Electric Palace, Fulton Rd. (incomplete)

The Victory Palace, Upwell St.

The Sheffield Picture Palace, Union St.

The Unity Picture Palace, Langsett Rd.

The Sunbeam Pictures, Barnsley Rd.

The Star Picture House, Ecclesall Rd.

The Sheffield Picture Palace, Union St.

The Peoples Theatre, Staniforth Rd.

The Roxy, Idsworth Rd.

The Rosco, Infirmary Road.

The Regent Theatre, Upwell St.

The Ritz, Wordsworth Avenue / Southey Green.

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