ABC Brighton
75-79 East Street,
Brighton,
BN1 1PP
75-79 East Street,
Brighton,
BN1 1PP
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The Savoy Cinema opened 1st August 1930 by Associated British Cinemas, and was designed in an Art Deco style by Wiliam R. Glen. It’s interior had a Japanese theme and had 2,300 seats, increased to 2,630 seats in 1948. Unusually, the cinema had an underground car park with 300 places. Additionally, it had two restaurants, two cafes and, at one time, a dance hall. The cinema was re-named the ABC Cinema in 1963 and suffered various changes of name until it reverted to being the ABC Cinema in 1997. The cinema can be seen in some scenes of the film “Quadrophenia”.
The cinema was closed in 1999 and was converted into a casino, restaurant, bars and, eventually, a night club which has ceased functioning. Only the Grosvenor Casino section was open in summer 2007. It uses the building’s secondary entrance on the sea front located at 9 Grand Junction Road. By 2011, the main entrance on East Street and foyer was in use as a Chinese restaurant.
Contributed by
chris perman
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
The ABC was quadrupled in 1975 and had an 850 seat cinema in the former circle and 3 screens in the former orchestra stalls which seated 346, 284 and 231. The main screen in the former balcony closed in May 1991. The 3 smaller screens continued until they were closed on 20th January 2000.
Here is a 2005 photograph by woody; It shows the secondary entrance that gave prominence to the building on the sea front Promenade:
View link
A photo of the main (East Street) entrance here – after conversion to a pub.
View link
More photo’s of the Brighton ABC (under Cannon) here:
Exterior:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/374503284/
Screen 1:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/374503282/
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/374503280/
Restaurant or Dance Hall:-
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/374503278/
i really need some info about the night club in Unit 5 (floor 1 and 2, east street) — Toppers? —
cllr roy pennington
Another exterior here :–
View link
Here is a link to a photograph of the Savoy Cinema in 1930 and a potted history of the building:-
http://www.terramedia.co.uk/brighton/Savoy.htm
A shot as the Cannon Cinema here:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4859017863/
Like the Forum in Liverpool, the initial designs for the Savoy and the Forum cinemas were by F C Mitchell who was Savoy Cinemas architect.
The exteriors of both cinemas are substantially as designed by Mitchell.
The Promenade facade of the Savoy is a twin of the curved corner of the Forum, as drawn by Mitchell on the first plans of the Forum.
I only remember this cinema when it was 3 screens, however, it was a good place to watch a film and always seemed to be busy. I understand that the owners found it hard to make it pay its way, but it was a loss to Brighton when it closed. We need another cinema and an operator should be found to re-open the East Street section of the building again as a cinema.