Focus Cinema

55 Market Street,
Longton, ST3 1BW

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Additional Info

Previous Names: Cinema Theatre, Cosy Cinema, Longton Cinema, Criterion Cinema

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Focus Cinema

Located in Longton, Staffordshire, one of the Potteries towns close to Stoke-on-Trent. The Cinema Theatre was opened on 14th October 1911 by the London Cinematograph Company. It had a 30ft wide proscenium. In 1923 it was renamed Cosy Cinema and in 1927 it had been renamed Longton Cinema. In 1929 it was renamed Criterion Cinema. In 1930 it was equipped with a AWH sound system, which was replaced by 1944 with a British Acoustic(BA) sound system.

On 19th December 1950 it was renamed Focus Cinema. By 1953 it had been equipped with a GB-Kalee sound system. It was equipped with CinemaScope on 29th August 1955 when the first film screened in that process was “Vera Cruz” starring Burt Lancaster.

The Focus Cinema was closed on 16th June 1962 with Elizabeth Taylor in “Little Women”. It was demolished in 1963 and a bank was built on the site, which by 2019 had been converted into four retail units.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

David Rayner
David Rayner on October 23, 2021 at 7:16 am

Photo above probably taken in March, 1963, just before demolition began. The clue are the small patches of snow on the roof and pavement. The remnants of the bitter winter of 1962 – 1963.

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