Coronet Cinema

103-111 High Street,
London, W11 3LB

11 people favorited this theater

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Related Websites

Coronet Notting Hill (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Gaumont British Theatres, Rank Organisation

Architects: William George Robert Sprague

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Styles: Neo-Classical

Previous Names: Coronet Theatre, Gaumont Theatre, Gaumont Notting Hill

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 440207.727.6705

Nearby Theaters

News About This Theater

Mar 10, 2004 — Today's Newsreel
Mar 3, 2004 — Notting Hill's Coronet Saved?
Feb 26, 2004 — Historic London Cinema Under Threat

Viewing: Photo | Street View

Opened as the Coronet Theatre (a playhouse) in 1898 with 1,143 seats located in stalls, balcony and gallery. It went over to screening films full time in 1923. In 1931 it was taken over by Gaumont British Theatres/Provincial Cinematograph Theatres(PCT) and re-opened on 17th August 1931 with 1,010 seats.

It was re-named Gaumont Theatre in 1950 and continued through to 1977 playing the Gaumont and Rank releases. It was taken over by the independent operator Panton Films from 27th February 1977 and re-named Coronet Cinema, with a reduced seating capacity of 399, using the stalls and balcony seating areas only.

Today, the main original auditorium is virtually intact, however a second screen with 151 seats was erected on the stage in 2002. The main original auditorium now has a seating capacity of 380, with 220 in the stalls and 160 in the balcony(the gallery is unused). In May 2004 it was purchased by a church, but it remains open as a cinema. It is a Grade II Listed building.

Contributed by Ross Melnick, Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 57 comments)

kiwidownunder on July 7, 2007 at 10:58 pm

I have left some comments in the past on this site,and great to see the old lady still going strong.
Havent heard much from previous staff to date.I was there up to the time that it was sold to the present company concerned by the Rank Organisation.I also relief projectionist round many great Odeon sites.
I have a new email address .nz

monophonic on November 7, 2007 at 5:43 pm

I was 2nd in 67 or 68 but not for long as I went back to being a chef. Rita Swan was chief and the relief manager was an old boy called Vincent Tildsley who with his Mastersingers had had a hit with Pedro The Fisherman in the film The Lisbon Story. On duty he wore a well worn eveing suit and a pair of brown hushpuppies also very worn.I remember Martin Lamb coming as a relief a couple of times.Does anyone know what happened to Rita as I would love to catch up with her and her fella Ken who I think was the chief befor her.
posted by Melvyn Marsh on 9 Nov 07 at 1.40am

Sharkbytes on November 8, 2007 at 3:36 am

Hi Melvyn, this is Terry Sharkey, Manager at the Coronet (Gaumont) for a few years from 1967 (Not 1965 as I said above). I recall Vincent Tildesley with great affection. He was a character with a long family entertainment background. His brother was (I believe) Peter Haddon who had a theatre company for many years at the beautiful Victorian Wimbledon Theatre. The Lisbon Story was on stage at London’s Hippodrome (Now Talk of the Town) Leicester Square from June 1943 and Vincent Tildesley’s Eight Royal Mastersingers are listed among the principals with Patricia Burke and Noele Gordon. Singers were drawn from such ranks as Dâ€™Oyley Carte Opera. Fans can find Vincent and his singersâ€™ version of Pedro on Parlophone F1993 (78rpm) and an EP on SCXSP652. Robinson Cleaver is on the organ. Stirring stuff – if anyone still has a machine to play it!

Rita Swann was an Absolute Ace projectionist in the tiny projection room that was all the space that the ancient theatre conversion allowed. Audiences rarely think about that vital person in the Hollywood chain, only when things go wrong. When Rita was on watch they never did. Early experiments in automation in the sixties saw a thing called Projectomatic. (Youâ€™ll know it Melvyn) But for those unfamiliar with 2000 foot spools and mercury-arcs Iâ€™ll explain. Projectomatic had bits of silver sellotape stuck to the film- perforations which would trigger impulses to change-over the machines every 20 minutes, dim houselights, pull stage-curtains (remember when local cinemas had curtains!)and even put the lime on the ice-cream lady. (Remember ice-cream ladies?). Unfortunately its inventor had forgotten that projectionists wax prints to ease the film through the projector, and wax is a good insulant, so often preventing the impulse working. But with Rita things would always go like clockwork.

Oh dear. This note has turned into a book-chapter. But thatâ€™s the Coronet for you. Long may she prosper.

lostmemory on November 10, 2007 at 3:34 pm

Here is a recent close-up view of the Coronet Cinema.

Ian on January 1, 2008 at 9:04 am

Some interior shots taken in 1988 can be found here:–

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