Some extra information from the Tyne & Wear Heritage website:
Opened by Armstrong Electric Theatres Ltd on 10 March 1913. The architect was Percy L. Browne. The Scala had a spacious tiled entrance with marble staircases to the dress circle. There were 1200 seats which were upholstered in red plush. Reseating later reduced the capacity to 986. The organ was a 2-manual Vincent. Throughout the 1920s music was provided by the Scala Orchestra. In 1928 the General Theatres Corporation (later Gaumont-British) took over. Talkies arrived in 1930. In April 1936 Sol Sheckman (Essoldo circuit) took over the Scala. The cinema closed on 1 July 1961. It was demolished and replaced by a supermarket.
The Queens Hall Kinema was opened in December 1912. It was a luxurious cinema but quite small. It closed due to the competition from the Havelock cinema in 1917. The exterior architecture of the cinema, without the entrance, remains although it is now a commercial premise. Nothing remains of the interior.
The Roker Cinema opened on the 15th October 1915. The Roker was the first cinema in Sunderland to use ordinary electricity in the 1920’s. The Roker also had an organ which was built in Sunderland. The Roker closed on the 8th April 1961.
The Victory Cinema was formerly the Smyrna Chapel at the junction of Borough Road and Smyrna Place. It opened in 1920 and was an alternative cinema to the Gaiety for the people of the East End. It was damaged by bombs on 15th April 1941 and never re-opened.
Tyne & Wear Heritage website has this extra information for this venue:
Imperial Theatre and Cinema opened in 1926 built on the site of a building called The Laurels. Although built as a cinema it was also used for live shows, the first production being performed by the Hetton Opera Company. ‘Isle of Lost Ships’ was the first sound film to be shown on March 4th 1930. In 1960 Stall Cinemas took over the ownership of the Imperial and films came from the offices of the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. The Imperial closed October 10th 1962 - the last film was ‘The Hangman’. Now demolished.
Full description from Tyne & Wear Heritage website giving date of closure and final film…
Pavillion Theatre built on land known as the show field off Richard Street by Ralph Barton, salt works owner in 1909. The manager was William Travers of Houghton. The theatre doubled as a cinema. Two films were shown each night. Silent movies were accompanied by live music. The last film to be shown when the Pavillion closed on June 6th 1959 was ‘Home after Dark’.
Last operated by the Shann family, according to the website memorylane.co.uk which has a great selection of internal pictures of the family at work during its final year of operation as a cinema.
Also, it was operated by J. B. Milne Theatres Ltd as an All Square Bingo Club, it’s listed in a 1966 Christmas Greetings poster that was on display in all of his cinema and bingo clubs at the time.
Kine Year Book of 1944 has a Western Electric sound system and a proscenium width of 36 feet.
Same details for this cinema as 1942 in the 1944 KYB…
Some extra information from the Tyne & Wear Heritage website:
Opened by Armstrong Electric Theatres Ltd on 10 March 1913. The architect was Percy L. Browne. The Scala had a spacious tiled entrance with marble staircases to the dress circle. There were 1200 seats which were upholstered in red plush. Reseating later reduced the capacity to 986. The organ was a 2-manual Vincent. Throughout the 1920s music was provided by the Scala Orchestra. In 1928 the General Theatres Corporation (later Gaumont-British) took over. Talkies arrived in 1930. In April 1936 Sol Sheckman (Essoldo circuit) took over the Scala. The cinema closed on 1 July 1961. It was demolished and replaced by a supermarket.
From Tyne & Wear Heritage website:
The Queens Hall Kinema was opened in December 1912. It was a luxurious cinema but quite small. It closed due to the competition from the Havelock cinema in 1917. The exterior architecture of the cinema, without the entrance, remains although it is now a commercial premise. Nothing remains of the interior.
From the Tyne & Wear Heritage website:
The Roker Cinema opened on the 15th October 1915. The Roker was the first cinema in Sunderland to use ordinary electricity in the 1920’s. The Roker also had an organ which was built in Sunderland. The Roker closed on the 8th April 1961.
From the Tyne & Wear Heritage website:
The Victory Cinema was formerly the Smyrna Chapel at the junction of Borough Road and Smyrna Place. It opened in 1920 and was an alternative cinema to the Gaiety for the people of the East End. It was damaged by bombs on 15th April 1941 and never re-opened.
Initially converted into Dee’s Supermarket.
Tyne & Wear Heritage website has this extra information for this venue:
Imperial Theatre and Cinema opened in 1926 built on the site of a building called The Laurels. Although built as a cinema it was also used for live shows, the first production being performed by the Hetton Opera Company. ‘Isle of Lost Ships’ was the first sound film to be shown on March 4th 1930. In 1960 Stall Cinemas took over the ownership of the Imperial and films came from the offices of the Tyne Theatre, Newcastle. The Imperial closed October 10th 1962 - the last film was ‘The Hangman’. Now demolished.
Full description from Tyne & Wear Heritage website giving date of closure and final film…
Pavillion Theatre built on land known as the show field off Richard Street by Ralph Barton, salt works owner in 1909. The manager was William Travers of Houghton. The theatre doubled as a cinema. Two films were shown each night. Silent movies were accompanied by live music. The last film to be shown when the Pavillion closed on June 6th 1959 was ‘Home after Dark’.
Eastern Daily Press has a photo of this venue called Picture Palace….
The name reverted back to the Palace under the United Varieties Syndicate Ltd.
Architect was Arthur W. Kenyon
A Mollo & Egan interior, the swimming fish grilles were repeated in several other cinema interiors for Shipman & King.
Has the ‘look’ of a Mollo & Egan interior…
The facade of this cinema masqueraded as the Coliseum in the film The Blue Lamp released in 1950.
Architect? Interior by Mollo & Egan….
Now back in business as Oscars Bar.
garypainter’s link is broken.
Postcode is SW8 3RX, and is now the Fairlee Pharmacy.
Even the last shop has gone now. A Sainsbury’s Local now stands at this location, with the address of 29 Patcham Terrace London SW8 4EX
Postcode is E8 1JY, the location is now a block of flats.
As always, Ron has excelled himself with these archive pictures he’s added!
For a picture of the stage when the Jowett Hall, check out RIBApix numbered RIBA60687, and for the facade RIBA60688.
Last operated by the Shann family, according to the website memorylane.co.uk which has a great selection of internal pictures of the family at work during its final year of operation as a cinema.
Also, it was operated by J. B. Milne Theatres Ltd as an All Square Bingo Club, it’s listed in a 1966 Christmas Greetings poster that was on display in all of his cinema and bingo clubs at the time.