Continentale Cinema
Sudeley Place,
Kemp Town,
Brighton,
BN2 1HF
Sudeley Place,
Kemp Town,
Brighton,
BN2 1HF
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Yes Kalee12s they were Davell. I used to work at the Paris cinema in the 50’s as projectionist, and did some spare time work/helping out in Kemp Town. A cold place in the winter, but so many interesting people and such charm. great memories. I first showed “The boy with the green hair” there. Miss those day.
The stage of the theatre/cinema was a tin hut to the rear, it had a dimmer board stage right. A hole was cut into the rear wall of the building to form a proscenium arch. For some years Myles Byrne had a office on the stage and it was just as cold as the theatre/cinema was.
this cinema features in a scene towards the end of ‘The Yes Girls’ (1971)
[url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068002/[/url]
Another photo, just after closure, here:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/5246201140/
I remember going to the Continentale back in 1963, when on holiday with my late father. We went to see a double horror show. I remember the tabs were very noisy when they opened and closed. Several years later I visited the box. If I remember correctly they had Kalee 12s, but I can’t be sure. Is there anyone who knows for sure?
Here is a link to a page showing a vintage photograph and a potted history:
View link
A photo of the Continentale before closure here:–
http://flickr.com/photos/12494104@N00/352007842/
Back to 1970s Brighton! The Continentale was just round the corner from my seafront hall of residence. There were advantages to teacher-training in Sussex! I saw “The Killing Of Sister George” here, amongst others. I recollect the gas lighting on the walls. Admission then was 35p, compared to 55p at the Kingswest Odeons. The advertising across the front proclaimed it as “Brighton Film Theatre”, an attempt, no doubt, to borrow some respectability from the real BFT. It was possible to hear the radio playing from within the box and on more than one occasion the projectionist showed the reels in the wrong order!
Out of interest, this was one of a chain owned by the Miles Byrne’s group. When I was offered the chain in 1980, the package was made up of twelve cinemas.
I work as freelance projectionist and often worked at this cinema if I had nothing else to do. All the equipment was old but worked. It was heated by a number of wall mounted gas fires. As for the films?
Yes it did show so called sex films, but it also ran its fair share of first and second run films over the years. Mr Miles Byrne and his partner were also distributors of “B” movies for many years. In 1980 I had the chance to buy this chain of cinemas from Mr Miles Byrne’s, having worked in most of the I turn the offer down.
Continentale is in Sudeley Place BN2 1HF
I would like to know what road the Continentale cinema is on in Brighton, East Sussex.