Cannon Watford
84-86 Merton Road,
Watford,
WD18 0WY
84-86 Merton Road,
Watford,
WD18 0WY
2 people
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“[Shirley-Ann Mallary, the manager] gave George Michael his first job. He was an usher/doorman. He was there quite a while. He penned one of his songs, Careless Whisper, going back and forth on the buses. I remember him doing it in the foyer one night. He was in his late teens then, living in Bushey with his parents. She really liked him.” –Malcolm Mallery, the projectionist at the time George worked there, and husband of the manager, in an obituary for Shirley-Ann
George Michael worked at this cinema for 9 months (he was 17-18) as a ticket taker, when it was the Empire, before he embarked on his music career. There’s video on Youtube of him standing in the concessions taking about working there.
Closed on June 22, 1996.
As of February 2020 the foyer space is occupied by a barber shop, unclear what the rest of the building is.
Interior taken in 1996
i worked at this cinema in the early 90`s i remember when we did a rocky horror picture show themed evening all of us that were staff dressed up and welcomed the visitors. as i rembember was told that george micheal worked there when he was about 14. i remember as well when eastenders over took the parking when they shot a couple of scenes in the road opposite they where the scenes where ian and cindy where going to the solicitors about their divorce,
Front and rear shots of the Empire in it’s Cannon days here:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4520329444/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4519692921/
We believe it must have closed in 1996
Another picture, after closure, during conversion to the community centre here:–
View link
Photo of exterior from 1989 here
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There’s a picture of the facade in Dennis F. Edwards “Watford A Pictorial History” Phillimore, 1992, illustration 125. This is from the author’s own collection. It would seem to have been taken soon after 1916, as the hoardings advertise Lady Tree (Maud Holt) in “Still Waters Run Deep” (1916) showing Next Week, and “Mr Lyndon at Liberty” London Film Company, from 1915 book by Victor Bridges, for the current week.