House lights hung from four of the grilles. The first I recall were the Star Cinemas house-style of five-pointed stars in the horizontal cross-section. They were replaced around 1960 by drum fittings against the grilles, which gave a very stark light. I may be being misled, but the two small dimple shapes at the height of the ceiling curve are probably where two naked, clear light bulbs hung: the cleaning lights. Occasionally, someone would flick a wrong switch and their glare would hit the atmosphere.
Light through windows at the back shows how the seating extended to the very rear wall. There was a stepped seating area under the projection room. All those seats were doubles, very plushly upholstered. However, the occupants had the disruption of rear cross-aisle traffic interrupting the view of the screen. It occurs to me that, originally, the region under the projection room may have had a number of elevated family ‘boxes’ (the rear of the circle at the Torbay Cinema is an example); ripping those out at the 1933 refit would account from how an additional 37 seats were fitted in. It’s an idea!
House lights hung from four of the grilles. The first I recall were the Star Cinemas house-style of five-pointed stars in the horizontal cross-section. They were replaced around 1960 by drum fittings against the grilles, which gave a very stark light. I may be being misled, but the two small dimple shapes at the height of the ceiling curve are probably where two naked, clear light bulbs hung: the cleaning lights. Occasionally, someone would flick a wrong switch and their glare would hit the atmosphere.
Light through windows at the back shows how the seating extended to the very rear wall. There was a stepped seating area under the projection room. All those seats were doubles, very plushly upholstered. However, the occupants had the disruption of rear cross-aisle traffic interrupting the view of the screen. It occurs to me that, originally, the region under the projection room may have had a number of elevated family ‘boxes’ (the rear of the circle at the Torbay Cinema is an example); ripping those out at the 1933 refit would account from how an additional 37 seats were fitted in. It’s an idea!