Majestyk
Quebec Street,
Leeds,
LS1 4DS
Quebec Street,
Leeds,
LS1 4DS
4 people
favorited this theater
Located in Leeds city centre at the junction of Quebec Street and Wellington Street, by City Square. Opened on 5th June 1922, and designed by architects Pascal J. Stienlet and J.C. Maxwell for Leeds Picture Playhouse Ltd., the Majestic Picture Theatre suited its name entirely. The wide spacious auditorium, with a single balcony, was richly decorated with wall motifs and an enormous plaster frieze. It had its own Symphony Orchestra and an organ.
Together with the 1911 Picture House (demolished) and the 1932 Paramount Theatre (Odeon Headrow closed 2001), the Majestic Cinema was one of the premiere cinemas in the city throughout its life.
It was taken over by the Provincial Cinematograph Theatres chain (PCT) in December 1925, and they were taken over by Gaumont British Theatres in February 1929.
It closed by the Rank Organisation on 10th July 1969, after the Odeon had been twinned, and the Majestic Cinema immediately became a Top Rank Bingo Club.
It became a popular nightclub known as the Majestyk, with another nightclub Jumpin' Jacks located in the basement.
The Majestyk Nightclub was closed in late-2008, and became a concert venue, which Jumpin' Jacks continues as a nightclub. Proposals to convert the building into a casino were refused and went to appeal in June 2009.
Since 14th June 1993, the Majestic Cinema has been designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.
Contributed by
Ian Grundy
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
An interior shot of the partitioned-off balcony showing the domed ceiling and part of the frieze here:–
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A 2007 shot of the exterior – the nightclub has now closed, and the Majestic is rumoured to become a Casino, this may well involve restoring the interior.
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A few shots – including interior – from 1986 here:–
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Only ever went to Leeds Majestic once and that was to see a re-run of ‘The King And I’ in 70mm. Another fine Leeds cinema no longer in use for that purpose.
Bingo was initially played during afternoons in the Majestic Ballroom from 1961.By 1967 it had taken over the ballroom completely.In 1969, Rank closed the former Coliseum/Gaumont which was now on Top Rank Bingo and moved the entire bingo operation into the Majestic Cinema.The final film shown at the Majestic was Clint Eastwood in ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ on 10th July 1969.
Another exterior view can be seen here.
saw , the sound of music, here. What a great screen…sadly missed
At the intersection of Wellington Street and Quebec Street.
an exterior from a few years ago showing the scale of the building and the stage house
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Some Todd-AO / 70mm Roadshows at the Majestic:
SOUTH PACIFIC – 21st Sept 1958 to 27th June 1959 (40 weeks)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC – 18th April 1965 to 30th Sept 1967 (128 weeks)
DOCTOR DOLITTLE – 24th Dec 1967 to 27 April 1968 (18 weeks)
STAR! – 21st July 1968 to 23rd Nov 1968 (18 weeks)
OLIVER! – 22nd Dec 1968 to 26th April (18 weeks)