New Gallery Cinema
121-125 Regent Street,
London,
W1B 4TB
121-125 Regent Street,
London,
W1B 4TB
2 people
favorited this theater
An important survivor in central London’s Regent Street, the New Gallery Cinema ceased operating as a cinema on 13th September 1953 and thus almost uniquely avoided being altered for CinemaScope.
Originally built in 1888 as an art gallery, it became the New Gallery Restaurant in 1910, converted to plans by architect Frank T. Verity. This did not last too long as it was converted into a cinema to the plans of architects William Woodward & Sons, opening on 14th January 1913 as the New Gallery Cinema. All was to change again, when it was radically altered and enlarged by architects Nicholas & Dixon-Spain re-opening on 12th June 1925 for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres(PCT).
There is a spectacular Greek frieze, 256 feet long running along the walls which was the work of artist Gertrude Halsey. A Wurlitzer, Model ‘F’ 2Manual/8Ranks theatre organ was installed with the pipes concealed in two chambers on the right-hand side of the screen. It was the third Wulitzer organ to be installed in the UK and the first in the West End of London. It also became the first organ to be broadcast and the first to be recorded. The opening solo organist was Jack Courtney. The projection box was located at the rear of the centre dome in the auditorium ceiling, which created a very steep throw onto the screen.
The 1,450 seats were split between stalls and single balcony. It became a noted cinema for the premieres of the Walt Disney cartoons in the 1930’s (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” ran for over nine months in 1938).
However it was slightly off-West End and after the war struggled for business. When the Seventh Day Adventist Church made an offer for the building in 1953, Gaumont British Theatres, who by then owned the building, were happy to sell. The church retained all cinema facilities for the occasional showing of religious films and although modernization was carried out, no major alteration to the auditorium has ever been attempted.
In the 1990’s, the church moved out and the building stood empty and unused for over 10 years. The building was converted into a Habitat furnishings store in 2006. Most of the original cinema decoration has been retained and restored, and the original Wurlitzer organ had been renovated and was played to shoppers on certain days of the week. However this was halted in 2008. In December 2010, the Wurlitzer organ was played again, but there is doubt it will be a long standing engagement, as Habitat have announced the store will close on 19th March 2011, with Richard Hills playing the instrument for final time(for now) on 5th March 2011.
The New Gallery Cinema is a Grade II Listed building.
Contributed by
Ian Grundy
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
Malcolm….Nice story, thanks for sharing it with us. The only question that I have is regarding the specific mention of ‘had the usual piano accompaniment’. The New Gallery Cinema was the third cinema in the UK to be equipped with a Wurlitzer Theatre Organ (it was installed in June 1925 and was opened by organist Jack Courtnay) and I would have thought that this would have been used to full advantage, together with the full orchestra that this prestigious West End cinema had.
The Wurlitzer organ is still in situ at the former New Gallery Cinema (now recently converted into a Habitat furniture store) and is played regularly on (I believe) Thursday afternoons and Saturday lunchtime.
Also still surviving is the early sound film clip of George Bernard Shaw which I remember seeing on tv a while ago.
Hi Ken, many thanks for your reply to my article.
As I am simply rewriting and, where possible, improving on the tales left by my Father, these having been transcribed by a mate of his from tape recordings, I am unfortunately unable to verify that all the content is 100% correct. Taking into consideration how long ago it was, and that at the time he was only nine years old, then the I must accept that there will be errors, but luckily there are experts such as yourself who are able to dot the i’s and cross the t’s for me. It still gives interested people a window, even thougha little dusty, looking into the world as it was then.
Having read the notes on this website regarding the Wurlitzer installed at the New Gallery Cinema, it does appear that my Father and Grandmother would probably have been entertained by that, as opposed to the usual piano, unless of course the Wurlitzer was experiencing some teething troubles. I have sadly no means to check what the management were offering in the way of backround accompaniment at that particular performance. Nevertheless the tales I am working on are quite intrigueing and as my Grandmother was an avid cinemagoer it makes it all the more interesting to read about other cinemas such as The Canterbury and Gatti’s in the Westminster Bridge Road which she visited very regularly whilst living in the Lambeth Walk during the 1920’s.
I shall indeed someday try to pay the New Gallery building a visit and listen to that same Wurlitzer that you describe and generally do a bit of ‘Ghost Hunting’ around Lambeth, though sadly, I shall not be able to ‘enjoy’ the thrill of being covered in sparks and ashes deposited by the passing trains through the skylight of the Canterbury on a hot evening and the fleas at Gatti’s you can keep anyway.
Hi I wonder if anyone has any reminiscences, reminders etc of the opening of Snow White and Seven Dwarf’s in 1938
As a young boy living in Great Titchfield Street, just off Oxford Street, London. The New Gallery was one of my local cinemas. I remember seeing “Treasure Island” there with Robert Newton and “Appointment With Venus”. The main memory of this cinema was the showing of a free colour one hour film of the great health dangers of cigarette smoking. I vividly remember see a human lung full of tar,it was very explicit and horrible. I have never ever smoked to this day. Thank you “New Gallery” Malcolm Epstein, aged 65 2nd December 2006
View link
my April 2007 photo of the ceiling dome.
my photo of the Wurlitzer organ is blurry, but I was told it is now played Thursdays about lunchtime.
Two more interior photos of the auditorium taken in February 2010:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4389546342/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4388777717/
A vintage photograph of the entrance and another of the auditorium, plus photos of the Wurlitzer organ console:
http://www.ukwurlitzer.co.cc/1034.html
Concerts on the Wurlitzer resumed in December 2010 and it is currently played on the first Saturday of each month at 4pm. However, Habitat have announced that the store will be closing down on March 19th 2011 and thus the building faces an uncertain future.
video of a recent performance of the organ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXTzDvhYwX4
http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/news/show/3208-former-new-gallery-cinema-regent-street-to-be-converted-for-burberry but it had a balcony.