Ritz Luxury Cinema

157-159 Chesterfield Road,
Mansfield, NG19 7JG

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Additional Info

Functions: Auto Showroom

Styles: Art Deco

Previous Names: Ritz Cinema

Nearby Theaters

Ritz exterior

Located in the northwest of Mansfield. The Ritz Cinema was opened on 24th September 1936. It was independenly operated and seating in the 650-seat auditorium was on a single floor in a stadium style, with a raised stepped seating area at the rear. In February 1938, a Hammond electronic organ was installed. On 20th March 1938, the auditorium was totally destroyed in a fire. The front of the building, foyer and projection box were not damaged.

The auditorium was rebuilt and the Ritz Luxury Cinema re-opened on 30th July 1938 with Jean Harlow in "Saratoga". The seating capacity had been slightly reduced to 622, but the decorative scheme was similar to the original auditorium. The proscenium was 28 feet wide.

The Ritz Luxury Cinema was closed on 4th May 1958 with Bing Crosby in "Just For You" and William Holden in " The Turning Point". It was converted into a car showroom, which remains open in 2010 as Mile Hill Garage-‘Miles of Smiles’.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

surf_digby
surf_digby on September 21, 2012 at 6:08 pm

This was not just a cinema. It was the Ritz Super Cinema, allegedly the “most luxurious cinema in the district”, with concealed lighting capable of complex combinations. It was the only cinema in Mansfield (until the building of the Odeon multiplex) to have its own car park.

Nowadays it’s a shell. The auditorium has been stripped out, although you can still see traces of the proscenium and where the concealed lighting in the ceiling once was.

dave
dave on January 17, 2022 at 5:40 am

Now (Jan 2022) ‘JCT 29 Select’ Car sales.

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