Photos favorited by Kinospotter

  • <p>CinemaScope advertised at the Centre Tower at the opening in 1954.</p>
  • <p>The auditorium at the Centre Tower at the opening in 1954.</p>
  • <p>This picture shows the Mollo design of the auditorium plaster grilles. Note the usherette with torch beam in the bottom left of drawing.</p> <p>Ron Knee</p>
  • <p>Michael Egan was four years younger than Mollo and responsible for all their drawings, whereas Mollo was spontaneous. In 1939 at the outbreak of war they both served as Second Lieutenants in the Army special operations unit for camouflage. Both were decommissioned in 1946. Egan returned to his designing career, for shops, banks and cinema alterations. Mollo never returned to cinema employment and concentrated on collecting historic arms and uniforms. he died aged 80 in 1981. His eldest son John became a well respected film costume designer, designing costumes including those for the Star War films.</p> <p>Ron Knee</p>
  • <p>Eugene Mollo a brilliant designer whose early career began as a scenic artist, being only sixteen when he was employed by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballet Russes, training and working under such luminaries as Max Ernst, Matisse, Picasso, Henri Laurens and Leon Bakst. later coming to London and enrolling at the Royal Academy of Art, where he studied painting on a three year course Graduating ARCA Diploma for painting on 20th July 1928 two of his paintings are held at the Victoria & Albert Museum. It was here whilst studying he met his future wife, also a student and a painter. Soon after his first son John was born he had taken a position as Head scenic artist by the interior designers Marc Henri & Laverdet at the new Astoria theatre Streatham, where he designed and painted all of the Egyptian murals, including the outstanding Lotus Room (see Streatham Astoria) It was while working here he met Michael Egan who had been employed as a draughtsman. Later in 1931 they founded the firm Mollo & Egan, with Mollo as designer and artist, Egan as draughtsman responsible for designing the metalwork and fabrication for their fibrous plaster interiors. Their first interior was for Architect Robert Cromie the Playhouse Theatre Dewsbury 1931.</p> <p>Ron Knee</p>
  • <p>This original photograph of the Regal auditorium was taken the day before the official opening, showing the interior as designed by Eugene Mollo. Featuring outstanding splay wall panelling. The six panels were constructed in Mollo & Egan workshops in London by Alexander Bilibin then transferred to site for installation, each panel slightly overlaps so to conceal light battens fixed within the recesses that illuminated each panel. The initial metal designs were made and forged in a metal frame by Bilibin, then muslin or hessian was dipped into plaster before being wrapped onto the metal detail, a process known as ‘Stick and Rag’ when dried a formulated metallic gold paint was sprayed over the whole completed panel. The application of plaster onto the metal made each panel extremely heavy, great skill and team work was required for the lifting and fixing operation which was always supervised by Bilibin. Mollo & Egan were certainly busy during 1937 and 1938 as similar panels with additional wall and ceiling designs were also installed in the Embassy cinema, Fareham and the Regal cinema, Bridlington. The six decorative grilles were fixed into position three either side onto the splay walls, then a fourth fibrous plaster section was completed on site. For this panel, plaster was applied into a fabricated frame and whilst drying Mollo worked his sgraffito designs into the plaster by free hand, when dry, the matching formulated gold paint was applied. This same procedure was carried out on the wide boarder which enclosed the completed four panelled sections also the fluted ceiling, which was finished in metallic silver, shedding indirect lighting the entire length of the auditorium. The carpet viewed in the stalls gangways was also designed by Mollo, in an Art Deco modern style and fitted throughout the Regal. A better view of the carpet can be viewed within the restaurant area photograph on Cinema Treasures the Regal Bridlington, also a similar decorative interior had been carried out, however, the auditorium splay wall panels there are finished with a three stepped end section. These can be viewed so vividly by the terrible Bingo overpainting, also the central ceiling fluted lighting features have been entirely ripped out. Both actions would have Mollo spinning in his grave. It was announced on 15th July 2020 the Regal Bridlington, had closed.</p> <p>Ron Knee</p>
  • <p>Nighttime shot of the Cinemark Hollywood USA Movies 15 attractor in Garland</p>
  • <p>lockdown 2020 / 2021</p>
  • <p>The new Northgate signage reflecting opening title in 1966</p>
  • <p>CINECENTER CLOSED -</p> <p>ARE AWAY FOR A MOMENT TO GET TOILET PAPER</p> <p>lockdown 2020/2021</p>
  • <p>That’s “American in Paris” star Leslie Caron in the Warfield Lobby making a personal appearance in 1951 in support of the film in San Francisco.</p>
  • <p>“American in Paris” is playing at the Warfield Theatre and star Leslie Caron in the making a personal appearance in 1951 in support of the film in San Francisco. Here’s a nice display.</p>
  • <p>Visiting showman Lester Pollock creates an 18 foot standee to promote the 3D film “Arena” in 1953</p>
  • <p>Sunday November 12, 1978 flier image credit Gina Schock. Pictured top right, Gina would later become the drummer in The Go-Go’s.</p>
  • <p>Opened with Henry Fonda in “Battle of the Bulge” in Cinerama on March 24, 1966.</p>
  • <p>2021 shot of the Cinemark Allen 16 and XD</p>
  • <p>lockdown 2020 / 2021</p>
  • <p>auditorium Grand Cinema</p>
  • <p>“My Spy” was one of the many COVID-19 impacted films that didn’t make it ever to the Warren Theatre which closed March 16, 2020 and didn’t reopen.</p>
  • <p>March 19 2020</p>