Empire Cinemas - London Haymarket

Bit of a damp smell in screen 1 tonight, and very cold. Hope it’s nothing major!

Here is a couple of pictures from the 80’s I believe of this lovely triplex cinema View link (should work for non facebook members too and the last picture is the Virgin plan of the cinema)
Here’s some more pictures: View link

It’s a shame Brief Encounter left and they decided not to continue with theatre production like they were thinking about, but of course the recession started…just bad timing I guess.
Oh, black and white films downstairs were never going to happen by the way, but the normal art housey type of films the cinema played back then.

Spartacus was wonderful (but not a big fan of it) and the intrude was way longer than it should have been as it was repeated…but it was nice to see the film on the big screen.

Upstairs in the large auditorium this past week, the movie “Synecdoche, New York”

A sign at the theater states there will be presentations in “digital” of “Spartacus” I’m curious as to whether that classic has been put into 2 k or 4 k (the digital that some new movies are presented in, though neither would likely equal 70mm) or DVD or blue-ray (neither of which would equal 35mm)?

A few weeks ago they announced Brief Encounter' would extend until mid-October. I can now tell you that in the next 2 or 3 weeks a further announcement will be made stating that it will now run until Feb 22nd 2009….at least!
To back up what Jason has just said above , I can not recommend this show enough! It is simply stunning and I saw it for the 3rd time last Sunday afternoon.
What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The tickets are only £39.50 top price- most plays in the West End are topping at £55-60. Bargain!

Lol I don’t think I’ve ever seen a full set of those bulbs in all the years they’ve been there. They are so obvious!

This theatre may have been part of 20th Century Fox Film Corp. but it was never owned or operated by the FOX chain of theatres. At one time they operated several theatres in Canada ( under the National General Corp.) That is about as foreign as that chain ever got with movie theatres!

No, not at all, no problem. I was young!!!! and obviuosly hadnt got my bearings around London by then! I have now !lol
I saw it at Swansea Odeon and then again in Marble Arch.

Thanks Ken for clarifying the distributer details. Also I now suddenly recall that we left the cinema in bright daylight so it must indeed have been a trade or press showing as you suggested.

Hi Ian, I recall the musical at Her Majestys in 1984 but it was the film I saw, I still have the soundtrack album and book somewhere. It may not have been the actual premiere but some sort of special advance screening for trade clients. My father worked as a senior manager for Granada Motorway Services at the time. I really recall the foyer and staircase from the upper circle as much the same as it is at todays Cinema Haymarket. The reason it was shown here (if only once) may be that the film was a 20th Century Fox release and I think they still ran the Carlton at this time?

A close up shot.
View link

I wonder if they will operate the original plan of black and white movies to complement ‘Brief Encounter’ the stage show.

Some more history and memorabilia on the Carlton Theatre here:
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/CarltonHaymarket.htm

Thats very interesting that the two smaller screens have been ‘mothballed’ -does this spell the end of cinema in this building. What with the projector and screen being removed etc etc.
Live theatre returns to The Carlton for the first time since the late 1920s early 30s.