City Cinema
66 Bridge Street,
Newport,
NP20 4AP
66 Bridge Street,
Newport,
NP20 4AP
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Rumour has it that the cinema will close in January 2008, with the landlord having plans to redevelop the building, sadly ending the long history of film & theatre at this site.
Now operated by REEL cinemas and trading under their name this cinema currently offers new films at lower prices than the multiplexes.
Interior shot of the theatre here:
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As a young Assistant Manager working for ABC in the mid 1970’s, I have a close assosiation with this cinema, and that still remains so today, therefore a brief history to bring it upto date.
The ABC Bridge Street Newport, (site of the former Lyceum Theatre), opened on 28th November 1968 with “Half a Sixpence”. Arcitect C.J.Foster, there house arcitect together with Alan Morgan designed the the almost square building occupying a whole block of its own on Bridge Street. The seating was 1322 on a stadium plan, although the auditorium was very plain, the huge screen from wall to wall was very impressive and still is today.
The open plan lobby also at this time had a fully equiped kitchen to cater for lunches and light snacks.
The ABC was converted to a Three Screen Complex from the 4th December 1980 seating 572 in Screen 1, 190 in Screen 2, and 126 in Screen 3. The main cinema now occupying the front section of the former auditorium, and the two smaller screens the rear part of the former auditorium. The origianl projection room remained and was able to serve the 3 cinemas by just repositioning the projectors.
The ABC became the only remaining cinema in Newport after the closure of the Odeon in 1981 and Studios 1 and 2 in 1986.
Ownership changes saw Cannon operate the cinema, and the cinema was renamed “Cannon” until 1995 when it was reverted back under ABC, and again renamed ABC.
In 1997 ABC had nearly £50,000 worth of new sound equipment installed in preperation for the opening of a new Virgin (now UGC) 13 screen multiplex on the outskirts of Newport, but the success of the new multiplex forced ABC owners to close the cinema on 15th April 1999.
The cinema remained closed for over a year until a London Based Company leased the cinema and following a £500,000 refit, reducing the seating in Screen 1 to 406, 171 in Screen 2, and 117 Screen 3, re-opening on 15th December 2000 now renamed “Metro”, but just 13 months after its high profile launch the cinema closed for a second time.
Operation of the cinema then passed to another London Cinema Exhibition company who reopened the cinema 3 weeks later, the cinema now renamed “City”, however again this did not prove a success for the company, and when it was about close for a further time, discussions took place between the owners of the cinema and a local South Wales cinema exhibitor who pursuaded them in 2003 that run under a local consultancy with local hands on management the cinema could compete with the out of town multiplex.
This has now proved to be a success in 2004, and the future of the City Cinema now looks on course for a successfull future.
My first visit to this cinemas was in the 1970’s for the screening of JAWS. A friend and I travelled by bus from the valleys and joined a huge crowd which trailed around the cinema. At this time it was a one screen ABC, the Odeon was not showing JAWS and it was the biggest movie that year.
Having seen movies in valleys cinemas this was our first big town cinema experience. The auditorium was massive and very impressive although lacked much of the art deco type features we were used to from the older valleys cinemas.
Even so it was a wonderful experience with a full house and a great size screen. There was also proper presentation in those days with the magic of the house lights and the tabs. I think there were also Pearl and Dean ads on screen with the famous two white pillars and blue background, which I always marvelled at when presented at the Welsh Valley’s cinemas.