Windmill Theatre

Picturedrome on October 31, 2012 at 3:25 am

This wasn’t built as a cinema. It was built as the “Palace of Light” for the showman C. B. Cochran, and opened 4 July 1908. It originally had 1,000 light bulbs on the exterior. Cochran was well-known at the time, and presented all kinds of live performances, usually called “Cochran Revues”. However, he didn’t present films. It was renamed the Gem in 1910, which is when it probably became a cinema. Incidently, there are hardly any purpose-built cinemas with original frontages dating from before 1911. The front of the Picture House in Birmingham survives. The Electric in Portobello Road, the Bedford (Edit: since demolished) and the Kensington, both in Liverpool survive. All 3 opened in December 1910. There might (arguably) be one or two more from 1910, but it has to be admitted that original cinema facades are now an endangered species.

Ian on August 9, 2007 at 4:52 am

Two more interior photos here:–

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lostmemory on December 9, 2006 at 12:20 pm

Some background and a small photo can be found here.