Cannon Hinckley

Trinity Lane and Hollycroft,
Hinckley, LE10 0BH

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Cannon Cinemas, Classic Cinemas (UK), Danilo Cinemas, Essoldo Circuit (Contol) Ltd., S.M. Super Cinemas, Ltd.

Architects: Ernest S. Roberts

Firms: Satchwell & Roberts

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: Danilo Cinema, Essoldo Cinema, Classic Cinema

Nearby Theaters

Auditorium Screen 1 old balcony

Built on the site of a former hosiery factory in 1936 to designs by Ernest S. Roberts, a prolific cinema architect in the Birmingham area. G. E. and W. Wincott of Nuneaton were the contractors for the building. It opened as the Danilo Cinema on 26th July 1937 with Jack Buchanan in “This’ll Make You Whistle” and Ralph Morgan in “The Outer Gate”. There was a personal appearance by film & stage star Judy Kelly. The Danilo Cinema was one of a chain owned by Mortimer Dent, including those at Brierley Hill, Redditch, Cannock, Longbridge, Stoke-on-Trent and Stourbridge.

The cinema had 1,250 seats, two dressing rooms and a smallish stage, and was the last super-cinema to be built in Hinckley. In 1970 it was re-opened as the Essoldo and in 1972 was bought by Classic Cinemas and so renamed again. In August 1973 it re-opened as a three-screen cinema, later becoming the Cannon, which in turn closed in May 1993, the last functioning cinema in the town. It was subsequently an indoor sports club (c.1999) and is now (2005) disused.

Contributed by Tim Parry

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Peter Williams
Peter Williams on May 30, 2013 at 3:00 pm

Saw many films here from about 1966 onwards. I left the area in 1969. My dad was a grocer and one of his customers used to take me. My friends mum did, and so did mummy on Saturday afternoons.Was amazed it was still going in the 90s. My dad sped past the Christmas we left, and i never saw it as a cinema again. But i didnt like this cinema as much as the Gaumont. Its competition up to 1968 but i used to attend them both regularly often on Saturday afternoons as a little boy.I still have fond memories of the films i saw at the Danilo as we knew it then.

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