Classic Grand

20 Jamaica Street,
Glasgow, G1 4QD

Unfavorite 1 person favorited this theater

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Cannon Cinemas, Classic Cinemas (UK)

Functions: Live Music Venue, Nightclub

Styles: Italian Renaissance

Previous Names: Grand Central Cinema, Classic-Grand Cinema, Cannon-Grand Cinema

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 440141.847.0820

Nearby Theaters

Classic Grand

In Glasgow city centre, the second and third floors of a fine Venetian style warehouse were converted into the Grand Central Cinema, which opened on 9th August 1915. The simply decorated but spacious 750 seat auditorium had a horseshoe-shaped balcony and its excellent sightlines ensured its popularity. In the early days the cinema had an orchestra, and later on it was the first to show De Forest talking films. In the 1950’s it showed ‘specialised’ films, mainly sexploitation and horror, but it closed in the mid-1960’s.

It lay derelict from 1966 to 1973, when it was purchased by Classic Cinemas and re-opened as the Classic-Grand Cinema. A new, stalls only luxury auditorium with curtained walls and suspended ceiling was built within the existing shell and initially family-oriented double features were shown. But these met with a poor response and the cinema reverted to its previous ‘artistic’ policy. It was sold with other Classic Cinemas to the Cannon Group in 1985 and renamed the Cannon-Grand Cinema. It lingered on until 4th May 1992. In 1996 the auditorium was reported to be unused and becoming derelict. By December 1998, when my photograph was taken, the building was occupied by Penelopes nightclub and Las Vegas amusements. The building suffered a fire in 2001. By 2013 it had become a nightclub/live music venue named Classic Grand.

The Classic Grand building is Listed Grade B

Contributed by David Simpson

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

Ian
Ian on December 9, 2013 at 3:54 am

A more recent photo of the exterior:–

CLASSIC GRAND

madorganplayer
madorganplayer on October 23, 2019 at 7:58 am

A coomon theme amongst a lot of Glasgow cinemas destroyed by fire

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.