Empress Cinema
Oldham Road,
Miles Platting,
M40
Oldham Road,
Miles Platting,
M40
2 people
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A rare survivor and dating from 1912, it is unusual in retaining baroque style organ cases either side of the screen opening.
It has a splendidly bombastic facade in red and cream brick but became in a parlous state.
It has been closed and disused for many years – it’s last usage was as a bingo hall.
Sadly, the building was destroyed by a fire in June 2006. It was designated a Grade II Listed building from 2000.
Contributed by
Ian Grundy
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
The Empress closed as a cinema in 1961 and became a bingo club which continued until it closed in 1995. In recent years it has been in use as a warehouse.
A 2000 exterior photograph of the closed and derelict Grade II Listed, Empress Cinema here:
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/ic15/31.jpg
The cinema was destroyed by fire in June 2006.
further photos pre-fire here :
View link
and here :
View link
Found a few more details of the cinema.
From manchestercivic.org.uk:-
A less certain future faces the Empress Electric Theatre on Oldham Road, Miles Platting, which opened in 1912 in the very early days of purpose-built cinemas. Its now somewhat forlorn facade of red Accrington brick harks back to the 19th century, giving it an industrial appearance but with almost castle-like cornice adornments.
Inside the walls are adorned with luxurious French Rococo-style plaster panels. The proscenium and flanking twin organ cases are in a more serious classical vein with paired columns, niches and medallions symbolising music and the performing arts. The organ case embraces dummy organ pipes, as in a church, and vestiges of early cinema organs of this type are now extremely rare. Some years ago the Empress, too, became a bingo hall, and it is now a paint store.
The Empress was one of the most beautiful buildings on Oldham Road, even in its rotting, derelict state. I was overjoyed when it was granted listed status. It is so sad that Manchester Council allowed it to stand empty and neglected until sadly, it was set alight and destroyed. It seems that this country has very little respect for historic cinema buildings. Of the three on that stretch of road, the Empress was by far the most appealing and the one most likely to have benefitted from restoration.
This is another photo of the former Empress Cinema.