Roxie Cinema

Located on the corner of Wardour Street and Meard Street, in the Soho area of London’s West End. Wardour Street was the heart of film distibution in the UK for several decades and the Bijou Cinema was a preview theatre, located in the basement of a building, its entrance being on the corner.

In the early-1970’s it became the Bijou Cine Club, screening uncensored sex films. From 15th July 1976, it was taken over by Derek Hill, who had been operating the New Cinema Club in various venues in the 1960’s, and it was re-named the Essential Cinema, screening independent and art house films.

In October 1981, it was taken over by new management and began screening gay adult films. Now known as the Roxie Cinema, it went back to independent programming from 1984, and was closed on 25th March 1987 with Sandy Dennis in "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" and Kris Kristofferson in "Trouble in Mind".

It was converted into a trendy gift shop, known as the Roxie Cinema Shop, but this had closed by March 1991. Today, it has been converted into offices, used by a consulting company named Capgemini.

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