Corsham Film Theatre
Pickwick Road,
Corsham,
SN13
Pickwick Road,
Corsham,
SN13
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Styles: Streamline Moderne
Previous Names: Picture House, Regal Cinema
Nearby Theaters
The Picture House was a small independent cinema that was opened on 13th October 1930 with Paul Whiteman in “King of Jazz”. It had a 23 feet wide proscenium. It was equipped with a British Acoustic(BA) sound system. It was renamed Regal Cinema in 1935 and a Morrison sound system was installed.
It was overshadowed by the first run Odeon and ABC cinemas in the nearby city of Bath. Thus, the Regal Cinema mainly showed third run material on three-day cycles. In 1945 it was equipped with a British Thomson-Houston(BTH) sound system. It operated as the Regal Cinema until 9th April 1966 when it closed with Frank Sinatra in “Von Ryan’s Express”.
Under new ownership, it was re-named Corsham Film Theatre on 19th June 1969. It closed on 8th June 1976 with Dean Jones in “Mr. Superinvisible” and Giacomo Rossi Stewart in “War Between the Planets”. It was demolished in May 1985 and shops were built on the site.
Contributed by
Editha Pearce
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
Memories I used to be the projectionist there when it was the Regal Cinema and was owned by Mr Norman Jefferies circa 1964
It ran a pair of Ross GC3 projectors with peerless magn arcs with RCA sound system.
Kind regards,
Rai Woods
Hi Rai, My name is Sandra. I am the daughter of Norman and June Jefferies (born 1965). I hope you are keeping well. I am trying to find photographs, or the name of, the two very old projectors that were displayed in the foyer of the Corsham Film Theatre. Mum used to have Spider Plants on them :–) They were both hand operated projectors. I see that you were a projectionist at the Regal Cinema, but I am wondering if you knew of, and remember them?
Opened by local Fairground operator H. Andrews on 13th October, 1930 at a cost of around £1.500, the Picture House had Kalee 7 projectors, a shallow balcony of just 2 or 3 rows, and was fitted with British Acoustic sound equipment. The first film shown is thought to have been ‘King of Jazz’, a 1930 musical review starring Bebe Daniels and Bing Crosby amongst others.
Passing to the ownership of Mr. A.J. Stratford in 1935, the name was also changed to the Regal Cinema. Seating capacity was declared as being for 270, with the sound system now by Morrison. Ten years later, in 1945, the sound was changed to BTH.
By 1956, Mrs. D.E. Tilley was in charge who made improvements to the cinema for fire safety reasons. Projectionist Mr. Norman Jefferies bought the cinema, and took control from 3rd August, 1958, he also ran the Regal Electric Co. and used his skills to make further improvements. He operated the cinema with his then, new, Wife from 1960 and had fitted Cinemascope as well as a false ceiling to improve heat retention in the auditorium.
The final night of the Regal Cinema came on 9th April, 1966 with the showing of ‘Von Ryans Express’ starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard. This wasn’t to be ‘The End’ though!
An extension was made with the intention to create a second screen, with the original auditorium retained. A new entrance foyer was also created. Most of the work was done by Mr. Jefferies and his wife June. And so, on 19th June, 1969, the Corsham Film Theatre was opened, but with the original auditorium only.
The stalls floor’s rake had been altered in angle to meet up with former balcony level area, thus creating a single level stadium plan cinema seating 180. A new, larger screen and tabs in red had been fitted. Original seats had been recovered and were set out in alternating rows of red and green. Although an area for a second screen and projection room had been built, they were never fitted out, as by 1971, the Jefferies had purchased a former church hall in Bath and set about converting this into a twin screen cinema.
The Corsham Film Theatre was closed on Thursday 8th June, 1976 showing ‘Mr. Superinvisable’, work continued on the new Bath twins. It was intended to be re-opened in late July, but when the Gemini Cinemas took off, it was then stated that the CFT was no longer viable with little local support.
The cinemas never re-opened. Plans were drawn up by Mr. Jefferies for 4 shops in 1985 which were approved by the planners. The building was demolished in May 1985 for the shops to be built.