Ionic Picture Theatre
614 Finchley Road,
London,
NW11
614 Finchley Road,
London,
NW11
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This cinema was unusual as the projection room was at the rear of the stalls. In later years the open arcade was glazed-in to enlarge the foyer area. The circle boxes were never occupied to my knowledge.
The exterior of the original Ionic can be seen in “Offbeat” (1960) when a Scotland Yard detective walks past a poster advertising the comedy crime film “Law and disorder” (1958)
This cinema was cosy and harked back to the days of silent cinema as it had side boxes which were seldom, if ever occupied. Despite its small screen it was a very pleasant venue in which to see the movies. Efforts to ‘list it’ were too late to save it. It made a positive contribution to the street-scape that the later supermarket failed to achieve.
Thanks to Kenroe for posting the pictures. Unfortunately, the view from the street obviously wasn’t taken with the Ionic specifically in mind, although you can just about see the building. I wonder if there are any other photos – perhaps from the 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s? I’m not holding my breath, but maybe some will eventually appear.
A vintage photograph of the auditorium, viewed from the circle in the 1960’s:
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The Ionic Picture Theatre can be seen on the right of this vintage photograph from the 1920’s:
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