Lounge Cinema

Sadly the Lounge closed suddenly in January 2005.Competition from 3 multiplex cinemas in the vicinity finally forced the single screen Lounge out of business. Tragic!

As I am not sure how long the Lounge website will remain, I have copied the closing statement :-

The Lounge cinema, one of the best known leisure institutions in Headingley, has been closed down by it’s owners, Associated Tower Cinemas (ATC), following declining attendances and mounting losses after a tough five years. The closure has resulted in the redundancy of three full time employees, and some part time employees. In a statement issued today (10 January) ATC said that the closure was a sad blow for the company and its employees involved. The Lounge has been losing money for over five years. We simply cannot compete against the newer Multiplex cinemas and what they have to offer. At this stage ATC has no alternative plans for the Lounge site and they are seeking an urgent meeting with planners and local councilors to discuss how it can be redeveloped. ATC’s other smaller Cottage Road cinema in Headingley is not currently affected by this decision but its future is being reviewed as to its long term viability. For further information please contact: Malcolm Cowing at Brahm Public Relations on 0113 230 4000 or 07770 512266

The Lounge Cinema opened in 1916. The Kinematograph Year Book, 1944 gives a seating capacity of 778.

I filmed this cinema shortly after the multimillion pound refit. It looked great and there seemed to be optimism around - but a single screen cinema of that size [one of 3 suburban cinemas in Leeds within 2 miles of each other] just wasn't a viable investment I guess. very sad.
Terry Ladlow

It certainly was sad. We were all shocked when it closed.
The building now stands all empty. I have moved the Dolby digital into our sister cinema (and sole survivor of Assosiated tower cinemas) Cottage Road Cinema (headingley picture house).The lounge seats and carpets went to a "rival" cinema, hyde park.
The building was indeed beautiful and its a sad loss to see the closure. All the staff and locals are very sad about this.
Steve Moore

The closure of this cinema is a terrible loss, one that needn't have happened. There was a total lack of imagination on the part of the managers with regard to the schedule. Showing recent blockbusters, which put the cinema in direct competition with the local multiplexes was never going to be a viable strategy, but they chose to ignore this. On the other hand there are many arthouse and foreign films that, despite good reviews, never get a showing in Leeds.

I recently tried in vain to find somewhere to see "The story of the weeping camel", and before that "Old Boy". In the middle of a student area, the Lounge would have been a perfect complement to the only other art cinema in Leeds, the Hyde Park.

They should at the very least have tried changing their strategy rather than plowing regardless on until the credit ran out.

I am deeply suspicous of the motives of the cinemas owners. There is now talk of turning the building into yet another nightclub in an an area that already has far too many, permanent residents are outraged. I wonder if this was the plan all along.

Another view of the now closed Lounge Cinema here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/40180369/in/pool-cinemasignage/

The Cottage Cinema (also in Headingly) has been saved from closure by Northern Morris Cinemas Ltd who own other cinemas in Northern England such as the Rex in Elland and the Regal in Lancaster.

The Lounge cinema should have never closed because Leeds has fewer cinemas.The Odeon in Leeds City Center closed and more...
I live in Bramley Leeds.The nearest cinemas to me are Odeon - Leeds and Bradford.And Warner Village Cinema which is now Vue Cinema.
I hope in the future someone from a cinema company buys it or the council turns it into a Cinema Museum.

I heard tell that plans to demolish the Lounge for a nightclub were ditched by the Council in Leeds, and quite rightly too. In the meantime, the building stands neglected and rather forlorn - I understand the interior was stripped out pretty much straight away after closure and it looks as if the exterior may not last much longer without being desecrated. Pity Charles Morris couldn't have saved this cinema as well but greed seems to rule when it comes to the survival of these buildings, and the ATC were in the end only interested in the profits from their adjourning bar, The Arc.

Great ideas. But a single-screen of the SIZE of the Lounge couldn't work with art-house movies. It was just TOO big for that. If it had been a twin then that would have had a reasonable chance - but the Hyde Park Picture House is only just over a mile away and it's doing just that. It was a great place to see a movie, but just not practicable with the size and location. I think Charles Morris of Northern Morris cinemas would have seen this and reasoned that it would need a LOT of money to turn it into a twin and make it viable. Charles has done great things for cinemas in the north and it's just gratifying that he saw the Cottage Road cinema, half a mile away,as being one which could survive.

Sad photo's of the derelict Lounge in 2007 here:-

http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/369952124/
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/369952121/
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/369952119/

A few photo of happier days in 1986 here:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2134920281/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2135700282/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2134919879/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/2134919651/

The Lounge Cinema can be seen in this 1930s postcard.

Here is another photo.