Regal Cinema

The Regal Cinema, Rawmarsh (Near Rotherham) opened on 5th October 1931. Built at the top of Rawmarsh Hill on High Street it was then one of the most luxuriously equipped cinemas in South Yorkshire. It was built by Heeley and Amalgamated Cinemas Ltd. of Sheffield, who also owned the Electra Palace Cinema in Parkgate, about half a mile away. The architect being Harold J. Shepherd of Sheffield.

It seated 1,054 patrons and like many small town cinemas it had a stadium style auditorium with a more steeply raked balcony at the rear. The main entrance was in High Street, the stalls having their own entrance and paybox down the side of the building.

The hall was panelled with ‘Insulate’, a fibre board which not only helped the accoustics but also gave the cinema warmth. Its colour scheme was in primrose, vermillion, red and ivory. Ornamental plasterwork framed the proscenium arch which was 32 feet wide and the screen had black and gold tabs. The opening film was Maureen O'Sullivan in “Just Imagine”, which played Mon-Wed with “The Sea Beneath” playing Thurs-Sat during its opening week.

The Regal Cinema was taken over by the Star Cinema Circuit (as were many of these South Yorkshire town cinemas) in January 1955, closing on 23rd February for installation of Cinemascope and modernisation, reopening on 28th February with Robert Taylor in “The Knights Of The Round Table”.

The Regal first closed as a cinema on 9th March 1963 with Norman Wisdom in “On The Beat” re-opening as The Regal Casino with Star Bingo. Films returned on a part time basis on 29th March 1964 playing Mon/Wed/Fri & one house Saturday with Cliff Richard in “Summer Holiday”. Bingo was played on Tuesdays & Thursdays plus Saturdays at 8.00pm after the earlier film show.

Its final film was on the 5th April 1967, another Cliff Richard film “Finders Keepers”. It then returned to full time bingo. A road widening scheme of High Street meant that the Regal Cinema lost its frontage and foyer. Entrance to the bingo hall was by the original stalls entrance down the side of the building. Snooker succeded bingo and now the building is used as a supermarket.

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