Plaza Cinema
207 Oxford Road,
Manchester,
M13 9SS
207 Oxford Road,
Manchester,
M13 9SS
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Associated British Cinemas Ltd., Star Cinemas
Styles: Neo-Classical
Previous Names: La Scala Cinema, Roxy Cinema
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Located on the corner of Oxford Road and Booth Street East, in the All Saints area, close to Manchester city centre. The La Scala Cinema was opened at Whitsun in 1914 (31st May 1914) with a seating capacity of 2,300. It was built for Bernard Rhodes and initially the entrance was on Booth Street East, but it was soon moved around the corner to the main Oxford Road. The La Scala Cinema also had a ballroom and a café.
On 22nd August 1928, it was taken over by the Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain. Taken over by an independent operator in October 1945, it was re-named Roxy Cinema. It was closed in January 1958, for a total modernisation.
Re-opened as the Plaza Cinema on 27th February 1958 with Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments" presented in VistaVision, with Charlton Heston appearing ‘in person’ at this northern UK premiere presentation. The seating capacity had been reduced to 1,704.
Taken over by the Star Cinemas chain who closed it on 6th January 1962, it reopened on 10th January 1962 as a bingo club. The auditorium was sub-divided with the former balcony operating as a bingo club and films being screened in the former stalls films with Victor French in “The Quick and the Dead” on 21st October 1962. In July 1965, the final programme was Dean Martin in "38-24-36"(Canzoni Nel Mondo) and Flora Romeiro in "How I Lived As Eve". It was demolished in 1970, and the Manchester Aquatics Centre was built on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
Whitsun was Sunday, 31st May, in 1914, opening day for this venue.
The Plaza closed as a cinema on Sunday January 6th 1962 and reopened as the Plaza Casino on Thursday January 10th with the opening ceremony being performed by actress Pat Phoenix (Coronation Street’s Elsie Tanner). In October films returned following subdivision of the auditorium. Unusually the circle became the “Casino” (i.e bingo club), while the stalls was used for films retaining the original stage. Films returned on Monday October 21st with The Quick and the Dead, advertised as the Manchester premiere, but after that it was almost always second runs and revivals.