New Vic Cinema

Great Victoria Street,
Belfast, BT2

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Torchlight
Torchlight on October 24, 2018 at 1:56 am

Just to clarify my last comment re the takeover in April 1951. The man behind this acquisition was George Lodge, who by this time already controlled the Imperial cinema in Corn Market and Warden Ltd., the owners of the Royal cinema in Arthur Street and the Grand Opera House (next door to the Hippodrome). Lodge was, undoubtedly, the most significant figure on the Belfast cinema and theatre scene from the late forties until the early sixties.

Torchlight
Torchlight on October 23, 2018 at 11:55 am

ABC’s lease expired in July 1938 and a new operator, David Forrester Theatres Ltd (who had built up a chain of theatres and cinemas in England), took over. Forrester changed the bill to a mix of live performances and films. By 1940, though, the Hippodrome had come under local control again with G. L. Birch taking charge. Films became,again, the predominant entertainment but live performances were not overlooked. In April 1951 it was acquired by Warden Ltd, the owners of the Grand Opera House next door. In 1960 the Hippodrome was sold to Rank (as was the Opera House) and became an Odeon on 16 October 1961. It was announced on 11 November 1974 that Rank had sold all its Northern Ireland cinemas (14 including a number which had closed) to a group of local businessmen, who had formed a new company, Belfast Cinemas Ltd., to run them. The cinema changed its name to the New Vic on 21 April 1975.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 7, 2012 at 3:36 pm

See my comment on the Gaumont Belfast page for information about another possible Bertie Crewe-designed theater in Belfast.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on February 6, 2008 at 3:33 pm

Photographed in use as a Bingo Hall in the late 1980’s. The original ornate facade is covered over. Note the adjacent Grand Opera House on the extreme left:
http://flickr.com/photos/21816505@N08/2105700422/
A view of the stalls seating area:
http://flickr.com/photos/21816505@N08/2104923899/
A view of the circle seating area:
http://flickr.com/photos/21816505@N08/2104924867/
A view of the auditorium and proscenium, as seen from the circle:
http://flickr.com/photos/21816505@N08/2105703590/