Palace Cinema
37-39 Guildhall Walk,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2RY
37-39 Guildhall Walk,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2RY
1 person
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The Palace Picture House opened on 21st February 1921 with "King Solomon’s Mines. It was located on Commercial Street in the centre of Portsmouth, which today has been re-named Guildhall Walk. It was designed by local Portsmouth architect A.E. Cogswell and the facade is in a highly decorative Oriental style. Inside the auditorium the decoration was rather more restrained. The screen was on the inside of the front wall of the cinema, so patrons entering the auditorium walked in from behind the screen. The Palace Cinema was always under independent ownership throughout its cinematic life.
By the 1970’s it was advertising itself as the Palace ‘Continental’ and was screening adult sex films. It closed as a cinema in 1981 and after a while was converted into a nightclub.
Since at least 1999 it operated as the Club Uropa. By 2014 it was known as the Astoria.
The former Palace Cinema is a Grade II Listed building.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The former Palace Cinema as photographed in 1986 soon after its conversion into a nightclub:
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/138490982/
A march 2009 photo with the facade in splendid condition:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/3370134442/
Iremember the Palace very well. It was the place you would take your girlfriend for a bit of a grope in the back seats whilst watching the sex films on the screen. All good fun.