The Cinema Theatre Association here in the UK welcomes the news that the Coronet will now be retained and run as a cinema. We also welcome proposed plans to restore the historic fabric of the building in the near future (suject to consultation with English Heritage, The Theatre’s Trust and the Cinema Theatre Association I hope)
I regularly attend this cinema in preference to going for the multiplex ‘experience’ as it has an exciting atmosphere and feel to it, rather than sitting in a ‘black box’. Ok. the cinema has been a bit run down over many years, but this is now a great oportunitity to make this cinema the centrepoint of the neighborhood again.
Notting Hill has been for many years a cinemagoers paradise as can be vouched for by the now successful restoration of the Electric Cinema, Portobello Road, (one of England’s oldest cinemas, still in operation since 1910, and the Gate Cinema (operating as a cinema from 1911) almost adjacent to the Coronet in Notting Hill which now operates as a succesful ‘art house’ cinema. To have three cinemas operating in one area just shows the enthusiasm of the locals and cinema buffs who attend them. Could it also be that they are all Listed buildings as well, I wonder?
Anyway, long live the Coronet, and I hope the current owners have a long and successful tenure there.
Sad news, the Coronet closed on 12 May 2004, one day earlier than announced. The final film in the main auditorium was ‘Van Helsing’. EasyCinemas were hoping to buy the building and continue its cinema use, but were outbid by a church who plan to use the building for their services, but they say they may still occasionally screen ‘family orientated’ films.
The Coronet was built as a drama theatre, opening on 28th November 1898 at 103-111 High Street, Notting Hill, in West London. It seated 1,143, the architect was W.G.R. Sprague. It became a full time cinema from November 1923 and this continued until its recent closure. Only 2 years ago a 2nd small screen was added, located on the stage. It was the last cinema in London that still allowed smoking in the auditorium. It is a Listed Grade II building.
The Paramount Opera Theatre address is 2 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris area 9. It opened in 1927 for Adolph Zuker’s Paramount Pictures. Seating was for 1,920 in stalls, mezzanine and balcony. The architect was Frank T. Verity who also designed the Plaza, Lower Regent Street, London, UK for Paramount Pictures in 1926 which closed in 2002 and has been gutted for retail and multiscreen cinema use. The state of the Paris Paramount when I was last there about 7 years ago was that it had been converted into 7 screens during the 1970’s. The largest (screen 3 holds 800) Screen 1 in the basement holds 400, Screens 2 & 4 hold 60 and 400 and screens 5, 6 & 7 range from 90 to 125 seats. The facade of the building was still impressive and there was some original decorative features in the large main entrance foyer.
Opened as the Princess Picture Theatre with 700 seats. The proprietor was W.B. Holt. Later it was operated by Ashton New Theatre Ltd and became part of the H.D.Moorehouse circuit. Its final years were under the operation of Orr Enterprises Ltd of Coventry.
Opened as the Oxford Picture House it was built for a company of the same name. Seating is given as 792. It was later called the Oxford Super-cinema. After Cinemascope was installed the proscenium was altered and the seating capacity reduced to 768.
The Palladium is listed as having 450 seats in 1937. By closure it had 350, possibly due to Cinemascope being installed which would reduce the seating capacity.
The Cinema Theatre Association in the UK is organising a “Films Return to the Astoria” evening on Saturday 28th February 2004 at 8pm.
The classic Billy Wilder film “Sunset Boulevard” will be the first feature film to be screened in this landmark cinema building since it closed as a full time cinema 33 years ago in September 1971. After closing, it became The Rainbow Theatre, famed for its many rock and pop concerts. It lay empty and deserted for almost 15 years until the current occupants the Universal Chuch of the Kingdom of God took control and in recent years have restored the building to its original ‘atmospheric’ splendour. The Astoria is located in North London close by to Finsbury Park tube station (Piccadilly Line/Victoria Line) and Main line rail station.
The Cinema Theatre Association here in the UK welcomes the news that the Coronet will now be retained and run as a cinema. We also welcome proposed plans to restore the historic fabric of the building in the near future (suject to consultation with English Heritage, The Theatre’s Trust and the Cinema Theatre Association I hope)
I regularly attend this cinema in preference to going for the multiplex ‘experience’ as it has an exciting atmosphere and feel to it, rather than sitting in a ‘black box’. Ok. the cinema has been a bit run down over many years, but this is now a great oportunitity to make this cinema the centrepoint of the neighborhood again.
Notting Hill has been for many years a cinemagoers paradise as can be vouched for by the now successful restoration of the Electric Cinema, Portobello Road, (one of England’s oldest cinemas, still in operation since 1910, and the Gate Cinema (operating as a cinema from 1911) almost adjacent to the Coronet in Notting Hill which now operates as a succesful ‘art house’ cinema. To have three cinemas operating in one area just shows the enthusiasm of the locals and cinema buffs who attend them. Could it also be that they are all Listed buildings as well, I wonder?
Anyway, long live the Coronet, and I hope the current owners have a long and successful tenure there.
Sad news, the Coronet closed on 12 May 2004, one day earlier than announced. The final film in the main auditorium was ‘Van Helsing’. EasyCinemas were hoping to buy the building and continue its cinema use, but were outbid by a church who plan to use the building for their services, but they say they may still occasionally screen ‘family orientated’ films.
The Coronet was built as a drama theatre, opening on 28th November 1898 at 103-111 High Street, Notting Hill, in West London. It seated 1,143, the architect was W.G.R. Sprague. It became a full time cinema from November 1923 and this continued until its recent closure. Only 2 years ago a 2nd small screen was added, located on the stage. It was the last cinema in London that still allowed smoking in the auditorium. It is a Listed Grade II building.
The Paramount Opera Theatre address is 2 Boulevard des Capucines, Paris area 9. It opened in 1927 for Adolph Zuker’s Paramount Pictures. Seating was for 1,920 in stalls, mezzanine and balcony. The architect was Frank T. Verity who also designed the Plaza, Lower Regent Street, London, UK for Paramount Pictures in 1926 which closed in 2002 and has been gutted for retail and multiscreen cinema use. The state of the Paris Paramount when I was last there about 7 years ago was that it had been converted into 7 screens during the 1970’s. The largest (screen 3 holds 800) Screen 1 in the basement holds 400, Screens 2 & 4 hold 60 and 400 and screens 5, 6 & 7 range from 90 to 125 seats. The facade of the building was still impressive and there was some original decorative features in the large main entrance foyer.
The Palace was operated by the H.D.Moorehouse circuit from 1931 until 1956. It had 501 seats.
Opened as the Princess Picture Theatre with 700 seats. The proprietor was W.B. Holt. Later it was operated by Ashton New Theatre Ltd and became part of the H.D.Moorehouse circuit. Its final years were under the operation of Orr Enterprises Ltd of Coventry.
Opened as the Oxford Picture House it was built for a company of the same name. Seating is given as 792. It was later called the Oxford Super-cinema. After Cinemascope was installed the proscenium was altered and the seating capacity reduced to 768.
The Palladium is listed as having 450 seats in 1937. By closure it had 350, possibly due to Cinemascope being installed which would reduce the seating capacity.
The Cinema Theatre Association in the UK is organising a “Films Return to the Astoria” evening on Saturday 28th February 2004 at 8pm.
The classic Billy Wilder film “Sunset Boulevard” will be the first feature film to be screened in this landmark cinema building since it closed as a full time cinema 33 years ago in September 1971. After closing, it became The Rainbow Theatre, famed for its many rock and pop concerts. It lay empty and deserted for almost 15 years until the current occupants the Universal Chuch of the Kingdom of God took control and in recent years have restored the building to its original ‘atmospheric’ splendour. The Astoria is located in North London close by to Finsbury Park tube station (Piccadilly Line/Victoria Line) and Main line rail station.