A selection of Twentieth Century cinemas that have been demolished or have had a change of use. Part of The South London Guide with information on local history, property, cafes, restaurants & shops.
Books:
Two Sixpennies Please - Ken George (1987)
Big Five: Lewisham's Super Cinemas - Ken George (1997)
Online:
Ingenious website superimposing photos of lost cinemas over photos of latter-day sites. |
1935 Roxy Cinema opened ay 3 Old Dover Road, SE3, Designed by Bertie Crewe (1860-1937).
1963 Renamed ABC Blackheath.
1974 Closed
1981 Demolished
Current use: Marks & Spencer |
1913 Brockley Picture Theatre opened on the corner of Foxberry Road and Coulgate Street.
1915 Re-named Palladium Cinema.
1929 New independent ownership, now the Giralda Cinema.
1942 Re-named Ritz Cinema.
1956 Ritz Cinema closed down.
2015 Building demolished.
Current use: Flats
|
1913 Crofton Park Picture Palace opened at350 Brockley Road.
Designed by Henley Attwater.
1929 Renamed Rivoli Cinema.
1957 Closed as a cinema
1957 Building was converted to a dance hall by local businessman Leonard Tomlin
1959 Reopened as The Rivoli on Boxing Day, with a large Canadian sprung maple dance floor.
1960 Member's Bar added.
Building use: Dance hall + film shoots. |
1913 Central Hall Picture House opened at 1 Bromley Road, SE6 2TF.
Designed by Edward Albert Stone of the architectural Norfok & Pryor.
1932 Now a Plaza cinema.
1937 Became an ABC cinema.
2001 Closed as a cinema.
Current use: Church |
1911 Lewisham Hippodrome opened at 135-137 Rushey Green, SE6 2EF (on corner of Brownhill Road & Rushey Green).
Designed by Frank Matcham (1854-1920) as a six floor variety theatre.
1927 Converted into a cinema.
1933 Now a music hall, with films only shown on Sundays
1940 Closed due to bomb damage.
1943 Hippodrome re-opened.
1952 Re-opened by Hyam’s brothers as Eros Cinema with only 1,500 seats in use.
1960 Building demolished.
1961 Eros House built on the site. |
1913 Queen’s Hall Cinema opened at 141-145 Rushey Green, SE6 2EF.
Designed by William S. Emden & Stephen H. Egan.
1954 Taken over by Gaumont
1954 Re-named Gaumont Cinema
1959 Gaumont closed down.
1960 Gaumont cinema demolished.
1961 Eros House built on the site. |
1909 Electric Palace opened at 8 Sangley Road, SE6 2JH
Designed by Edward Albert Stone of the architectural Norfok & Pryor.
1909 Balcony added, increasing the seating capacity to 300.
1910 Enlarged to give a seating capacity of 400. Now complied with the new Cinematograph Licensing Act.
1914 Cinema closed down.
Converted into a billiard saloon. In later years became a furniture showroom.
200? Building demolished.
Site use: Housing |
1897 Broadway Theatre opened at 506 New Cross Road.
Designed by William George Robert Sprague (1863-1933)
1916 Broadway Theatre became Broadway Cinema
Improved by George Coles (1884-1963).
1955 Renamed Century Cinema.
1960 Century Cinema closed.
1963 Building demolished. |
1929 Capitol Cinema opened at 11-15 London Road.
Designed by John Stanley Beard (1890-1970) in Neo-Classical style.
1968 Capitol Cinema renamed ABC.
1973 ABC closed down.
1978 Bingo Hall
Current use: Pub
(closed) |
1913 Stanstead Picture Palace opened at 12-14 Wastdale Road) converted shops with seating for 825.
1927 Re-named Stanstead Cinema. Canopy installed over the entrance, which had been designed by the architectural firm Frank Matcham & Co.
1931 Western Electric Sound installed and re-named Astoria Cinema.
1954 Re-named Balmoral Cinema then the New Astoria Cinema.
1955 Cinema closed down.
1968 Converted into an independent bingo club.
1975 Building demolished for housing. |
1913 Park Cinema opened at 232 Hither Green Lane with seats for 600.
Designed by architect Edward Albert Stone of the architectural firm Norfolk & Prior.
1930 Closed for redecoration and installation of sound equipment.
1931 Leslie H. Kemp (1889-1997) modernised the cinema.
1957 Cinema closed down.
Current use: Cafe |
1913 Imperial Picture Theatre opened at 404-408 Lee High Road
Re-named Savoy.
Re-named Pullman.
1959 Closed as a cinema.
1986 Demolished.
Site use: supermarket. |
1932 Gaumont Palace cinema opened at 1-5 Loampit Vale with 3,050 seats.
Designed by William Edward Trent (1874-1948) & assisted by James Morrison & Keith P. Roberts.
1937 Re-named Gaumont Theatre.
1962 Cinema damaged by fire.
Re-opened as the Lewisham Odeon
1963 The Beatles played the Odeon.
1980 The Clash played the Odeon film
1981 Lewisham Odeon closed.
1991 Demolished for road widening. |
1909 Electric Playhouse opened at 210 Lewisham High Road.
Designed by William Hancock;
1922 Building demolished.
Prince of Wales Picture Playhouse built on the site.
Designed by John Stanley Beard (1890-1970)
1933 Taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC)
1946 Re-named Prince of Wales Cinema.
1959 Closed as a cinema.
Demolished.
Site use: Road system |
1912 King’s Hall opened on 15 High Street.
1940 Bomb-damage during the Second World War
1944 Bomb-damage.
1950 Repairs and renovations were carried out by Robert Cromie (1887-1971?) and reopened as Rex Cinema.
1967 Closed and became a bingo hall.
1969 Re-opened as Studios 6/7 a twin cinema.
1985 Became a Cannon cinema.
1986 Closed as a cinema.
1988 Building demolished.
Site use: |
| Visit Lost Cinemas of New Cross |
1931 State Cinema opened at 72-78 Sydenham Road with a seating for 869 in the stalls and 648 in the circle.
Designed by A.C. Matthews.
1949 Taken over by the Granada chain and renamed the Granada.
1971 Closed down and demolished.
Site use: supermarket. |
1910 Queen’s Hall Electric Theatre opened at 22-23 Empire Parade (now 44 Sydenham Road).
1937 Re-named the Classic Cinema
1939 Re-named Naborhood Cinema.
1943 Closed due to bomb damage.
1953 Demolished.
Site use: shops |
Sydenham Picture Palace (1910-1911) 163b Kirkdale.
Rink Cinema (1911-1939)
1909 Skating rink opened at 6 Silverdale.
1911 Reopened as Sydenham Cinematograph Theatre.
1912 Renamed Rink Cinema
1939 Closed as a cinema. |
