This is a photo of the Late Mr Bob Piercey (Chief Projectionist)I took this photo in 1992 or 93,as well as the one showing the Kalee equipment although the latter was submitted by Mr Rowe from Flicker.
Eric Evans.
Thanks for the info Jeffrey, I must admit I don’t know the area at all, I was just going by the Kinematograph Year Book for 1958. It states that they had British Acoustic sound system,405 seats and continuous performances.
Proprietors Markham Village & District Miners Welfare.
Pity they do0 not have the occasional film show there now, or is there a multiplex to close maybe ?
Just viewed a Welsh language programme on S4C “Wedi Saith, (After Seven) Not a mention of the building having been used as a cinema.
Even had an elderly lady who has always lived in the district reminicing about everything except the movies, I think sometimes there’s a kind of snobbery by some theatre loving people against the cinema.
Otherwise it was a good feature showing both the exterior & auditorium, which looked excellent.
Worth mentioning that the shop next door (Options) was the City Cinema cafe, which I’m sure was open right up to the cinema’s closure.
I only visited the City once, to see the film “Judith” starring Sophia Loren & Peter Finch,a story set in the months leading up to the Israeli nationhood.
Also went up to the projection room, they had American Equipment Super Simplex projectors & RCA sound system.
As I say it was my only visit but frequented the Plaza quite often, hard to beleive tha Bangor now has no cinemas at all. There was talk quite a while ago that a multiplex was coming to Farrar Road, the home of Bangor City FC, but of course the new Asda supermarket has started construction now.
Nothing stays the same forever I guess,Bangor’s new ground looks nice though, but that story does not belong on this site !
Mr W J Kenny (Billy). the cinema’s former manager has sadly passed away at the age of 80.
He started his cinema career at the age of 14 as a trainee projectionist at the former Palladium Pwllheli,where he worked for 10 years (Interrupted by national service in the british army. He carried on as a projectionist in the services as well.
He was working as the 2nd projectionist at the Palled when the post of Chief Projectionist came up at The Town Hall Cinema, (now Neuadd Dwyfor) in 1955 at the time of the cinema’s refurbishment and transistion to Cinemascope.
When Dwyfor Council took over fro Pwllheli Corporation in 1974, he became the manager, previous to the council’s reorganisation the borough treasurer was acting manager.
He began a succesfull Children’s Theater in the late 70’s (Theatr Plant Pwllheli) which carried on for many years.
He retired in September 1993 at the age of 62 when the building started on it’s second refurbishment.
At the time of writing I have 191 hits on my Flickr photostream,so I assume most of them would have clicked on to this link.
It would be nice if some of them could contribute stories about the Crescent, they do not have to be experts on cinemas or anything, just interesting or humorous anecdotes.
Incedentally my original introductory contribution has been altered by someone else,I had no idea that this cinema opened in 1937 or of when the Paramount circuit took over, but of course the more info the better.
Just uploaded three more photos kindly loaned by Mrs Elisabeth Williams of Nefyn.
These are of three of the Palladium Cafe’s staff,the cafe closed in 1966, 9 years before the cinema’s closure.
Just had a look in the Kinematograph Year Book Cinema Directory for 1958, the only cinema listed here is the Lodge.
Western Electric sound System, 1,020 seats, procenium width 32 ft wide,and the screen 29ft 6in wide, by 15 ft high.
The proprietors were Ferry Cinema Co, Ltd.
I’ve just seen the other excellent photos, nice to see Mr Lewis and Elisabeth Griffiths (Liz) who was the cashier.
Liz sadly passed away last year.I’ve also had trouble trying to include photos since the site changed it’s format.
The cafe which Mr Jones mentioned closed in 1966 11 years before the cinema itself, I never understood why as it was a very popular place,but I guess they had to save money somewhere,they also cut to one house only in the seventies, except maybe during the summer months.
Nice to see the picture of John Hughes the Chief projectionist above my introductory contribution on the Palladium,I guess Mr Morris Jones posted it, anyway it’s very good.I also have a photo somewhere of John, when I find it I’ll try to include it on this site.
The film advertised on the still box is probably the"Dragnet" that was released in 1947,the tv series with Jack Webb according to IMDB started in 1951.
I was also interested in Mr Morris'comment about changing the records on the single 78 rpm turntable in the minimum amount of time, as a schoolboy I always wondered how the Town Hall Cinema (Neuadd Dwyfor)were able to play continuous music,I soon found out when I started there as a trainee projectionist,it never occured to Me that they had two turntables.
Fantastic to see that the Gem is now once more a cinema, never thought it would when I saw the building back in 1992.
Bit puzzled with the entrance though, could that tiny door possibly be the main one ? How do they handle queue’s, or is there another entrance somewhere to the side of the theatre, although none is visible on the google picture above.
We went to the archives in Caernarfon when we celebrated the cinema’s 75th aniversary in 1986, I was also there for the 50th in 1961.
Why so hostile with words such as ‘pontifcating'I’m sure you will want to answer this again, so I’ll let you have the last word as I will not be carrying on with this matter.I’m not on this site to throw insults at people we’re all here to help each other,correcting contributor’s is fine but not through belittling people.It’s also supposed to be against the sites rules
Also one surely cannot class halls as being cinemas just because of the odd travelling film show,any hall could have held these,& as I stated before Pwllheli is celebrating it’s centenery as a fully registered cinema this year.
I Was not writing about any Neuadd Goffa, but Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli,which you yourself stated quite rightly on the appropriate page opened in 1902.I worked longer in this building than any person living or now dead, and please no quips that I must have been there in 1902 ! !.
Being a projectionist I of course know all about the old fire regulations,
which were still enforced for many years after the demise of the highly inflammable nitrate fims, and yet the present isolated box at Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli was not built until 1930, to accomodate the advent of sound equipment (2 projectors etc)
The strange thing is that the projection booth during the silent days was at the back of the stalls under the balcony, it looks no bigger than a telephone kiosk
and certainly not as high as one.
I’ve often wondered how this was legal.
I wasn’t disputing Capelmawr’s comment’s, I was just explaining that I thought it could have been the projection booth, as I did not know the length of the building from the road to the back.
It would be nice if he could send the picture on to this site, although I’m myself am having difficulty inserting them since the Cinema Treasures changed it’s format.
Mr Bob Piercey certainly looked after this machine with loving care.
Eric Evans.
Just uploaded another photo of the former equipment, please just click on photos.
Palladium Cafe Staff.
Palladium Cafe Staff.
This is a photo of the Late Mr Bob Piercey (Chief Projectionist)I took this photo in 1992 or 93,as well as the one showing the Kalee equipment although the latter was submitted by Mr Rowe from Flicker. Eric Evans.
Thanks for the info Jeffrey, I must admit I don’t know the area at all, I was just going by the Kinematograph Year Book for 1958. It states that they had British Acoustic sound system,405 seats and continuous performances. Proprietors Markham Village & District Miners Welfare.
Pity they do0 not have the occasional film show there now, or is there a multiplex to close maybe ?
Just viewed a Welsh language programme on S4C “Wedi Saith, (After Seven) Not a mention of the building having been used as a cinema. Even had an elderly lady who has always lived in the district reminicing about everything except the movies, I think sometimes there’s a kind of snobbery by some theatre loving people against the cinema. Otherwise it was a good feature showing both the exterior & auditorium, which looked excellent.
Worth mentioning that the shop next door (Options) was the City Cinema cafe, which I’m sure was open right up to the cinema’s closure. I only visited the City once, to see the film “Judith” starring Sophia Loren & Peter Finch,a story set in the months leading up to the Israeli nationhood. Also went up to the projection room, they had American Equipment Super Simplex projectors & RCA sound system.
As I say it was my only visit but frequented the Plaza quite often, hard to beleive tha Bangor now has no cinemas at all. There was talk quite a while ago that a multiplex was coming to Farrar Road, the home of Bangor City FC, but of course the new Asda supermarket has started construction now.
Nothing stays the same forever I guess,Bangor’s new ground looks nice though, but that story does not belong on this site !
Mr W J Kenny (Billy). the cinema’s former manager has sadly passed away at the age of 80. He started his cinema career at the age of 14 as a trainee projectionist at the former Palladium Pwllheli,where he worked for 10 years (Interrupted by national service in the british army. He carried on as a projectionist in the services as well.
He was working as the 2nd projectionist at the Palled when the post of Chief Projectionist came up at The Town Hall Cinema, (now Neuadd Dwyfor) in 1955 at the time of the cinema’s refurbishment and transistion to Cinemascope.
When Dwyfor Council took over fro Pwllheli Corporation in 1974, he became the manager, previous to the council’s reorganisation the borough treasurer was acting manager.
He began a succesfull Children’s Theater in the late 70’s (Theatr Plant Pwllheli) which carried on for many years. He retired in September 1993 at the age of 62 when the building started on it’s second refurbishment.
At the time of writing I have 191 hits on my Flickr photostream,so I assume most of them would have clicked on to this link. It would be nice if some of them could contribute stories about the Crescent, they do not have to be experts on cinemas or anything, just interesting or humorous anecdotes. Incedentally my original introductory contribution has been altered by someone else,I had no idea that this cinema opened in 1937 or of when the Paramount circuit took over, but of course the more info the better.
Just uploaded three more photos kindly loaned by Mrs Elisabeth Williams of Nefyn. These are of three of the Palladium Cafe’s staff,the cafe closed in 1966, 9 years before the cinema’s closure.
I think the arc lamps are Vulcan.
Please click on photos for picture and info on the projection room.
Hi Picturedrome, Iv'e finally managed to get my photo on site, thanks to Dr Beryl my niece. Please click on the photos tabs.
Just had a look in the Kinematograph Year Book Cinema Directory for 1958, the only cinema listed here is the Lodge. Western Electric sound System, 1,020 seats, procenium width 32 ft wide,and the screen 29ft 6in wide, by 15 ft high. The proprietors were Ferry Cinema Co, Ltd.
I’ve just seen the other excellent photos, nice to see Mr Lewis and Elisabeth Griffiths (Liz) who was the cashier. Liz sadly passed away last year.I’ve also had trouble trying to include photos since the site changed it’s format.
The cafe which Mr Jones mentioned closed in 1966 11 years before the cinema itself, I never understood why as it was a very popular place,but I guess they had to save money somewhere,they also cut to one house only in the seventies, except maybe during the summer months.
Nice to see the picture of John Hughes the Chief projectionist above my introductory contribution on the Palladium,I guess Mr Morris Jones posted it, anyway it’s very good.I also have a photo somewhere of John, when I find it I’ll try to include it on this site.
The film advertised on the still box is probably the"Dragnet" that was released in 1947,the tv series with Jack Webb according to IMDB started in 1951.
I was also interested in Mr Morris'comment about changing the records on the single 78 rpm turntable in the minimum amount of time, as a schoolboy I always wondered how the Town Hall Cinema (Neuadd Dwyfor)were able to play continuous music,I soon found out when I started there as a trainee projectionist,it never occured to Me that they had two turntables.
Fantastic to see that the Gem is now once more a cinema, never thought it would when I saw the building back in 1992. Bit puzzled with the entrance though, could that tiny door possibly be the main one ? How do they handle queue’s, or is there another entrance somewhere to the side of the theatre, although none is visible on the google picture above.
We went to the archives in Caernarfon when we celebrated the cinema’s 75th aniversary in 1986, I was also there for the 50th in 1961. Why so hostile with words such as ‘pontifcating'I’m sure you will want to answer this again, so I’ll let you have the last word as I will not be carrying on with this matter.I’m not on this site to throw insults at people we’re all here to help each other,correcting contributor’s is fine but not through belittling people.It’s also supposed to be against the sites rules
Also one surely cannot class halls as being cinemas just because of the odd travelling film show,any hall could have held these,& as I stated before Pwllheli is celebrating it’s centenery as a fully registered cinema this year.
I Was not writing about any Neuadd Goffa, but Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli,which you yourself stated quite rightly on the appropriate page opened in 1902.I worked longer in this building than any person living or now dead, and please no quips that I must have been there in 1902 ! !.
Neuadd dwyfor did not start until 1911, It will be celebrating it’s centenary as a cinema this year.
Being a projectionist I of course know all about the old fire regulations, which were still enforced for many years after the demise of the highly inflammable nitrate fims, and yet the present isolated box at Neuadd Dwyfor Pwllheli was not built until 1930, to accomodate the advent of sound equipment (2 projectors etc)
The strange thing is that the projection booth during the silent days was at the back of the stalls under the balcony, it looks no bigger than a telephone kiosk and certainly not as high as one. I’ve often wondered how this was legal.
I wasn’t disputing Capelmawr’s comment’s, I was just explaining that I thought it could have been the projection booth, as I did not know the length of the building from the road to the back.
It would be nice if he could send the picture on to this site, although I’m myself am having difficulty inserting them since the Cinema Treasures changed it’s format.