Studio 5, 6 & 7

Located on the Wicker in the City Centre, close to the Wicker Railway Bridge. The Wicker Picture House opened on 14th June 1920 with Lillian Gish in “Broken Blossoms”. The exterior was in white faience with Grecian urns running along a top parapet. With circle and stalls, the cinema sat 1,080. Sound arrived in May 1930. It was taken over by J.F. Emery Circuit in 1937, and they operated the Wicker Cinema until 1955.

The roof of the cinema was damaged during the Sheffield blitz in 1940, closing the cinema until April 1941. Sunday opening was allowed from August 1944. The cinema was acquired by the Star Cinemas Group in 1955, and in 1962 was closed for re-modernisation. The frontage was refaced with cedar wood, while a new canopy and blue and white aluminium fascia was erected with a large illuminated ‘Studio 7’ sign, as the cinema was now to be called. The interior was completely refurbished and Studio 7 was billed as the ‘International Film Theatre’.

Following a serious fire, the cinema was closed for five months. Further modernisation came in 1967 when a new ‘Vistarama’ floating screen was installed along with 70mm and the walls were covered in orange pleated drapes. The cinema re-opened with The D'Oyly Carte Opera’s film of “The Mikado”. Studio 7 was the only cinema in Sheffield to show Lee Marvin in “Paint Your Wagon” in 70mm due to Paramount falling out for a time with the ABC Circuit.

Tripling came in 1974 and the cinema renamed as the Studio 5,6 & 7. Studio 5 was the old stalls area seating 280, while Studios 6 & 7 were a subdivision of the circle, seating 110 & 123. It screened mainly ‘X’ certificate films. Star Cinemas closed the Studios in December 1982. After four years of closure, an independent exhibitor reopened the triple cinema in April 1986 with more family orientated programming. It finally closed for good on 20th August 1987 and has since been demolished in the 1990’s for part of the new Sheffield Ring Road scheme.

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