City Cinema
66 Bridge Street,
Newport,
NP20 4AP
66 Bridge Street,
Newport,
NP20 4AP
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments
Was this the last large one-screen cinema built for ABC? ( Rank had recently built a new Odeon ,similar in size, in Swansea,recently demolished after many years as a night-club.) The subdivision of large cinemas seemed to begin soon afterwards, initially into two with early ABC examples retaining large screens and capacities (e.g.Leicester and Shaftesbury Avenue).
I loved reading about the Bridge Street Cinema as I used to live in the area (Risca) and at the time it was the main cinema I would go to to see main stream movies such as E.T, Star Wars etc. Having now moved away I find it interesting that I am now a guest in the hotel which was built out of the cinema. A weird feeling indeed!
I loved the film (link above) very interesting and very well presented.
To be a bit more exact the ABC opened on 28 November 1968.
Ian, the photo from 1989, brings back all the memories, i was there 1990/91 for work experience from school in Pontypool
Martin, the projectors were Philips/Kinoton FP20 and FP30s, only the lamphouses were Peerless
and yes screen 1 (and I do mean the screen not the auditorium) was the biggest in Wales
when I moved here to Glasgow I got a job as trainee projectionist at the Cannon Film Centre (5 screens) and cinema 2 being of a similar design and late 60s date and equipped for 70mm was the biggest screen in Scotland
A photo of the foyer of the former cinema:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/5056767338/
Nice Website Martin:)
O.K.
please visit my website www.walesvintagecinema.com
martin
Hi
I was involved in the above film and was glad to give my own tribute to this very special cinema.
the film is very professional in its finish and quite sad as well.
Anyone who visited the cinema over the years would im sure acknowledge it was a great place to see a film.
I pass the Building every day on my way to work and still get a pang of sadness to think that I will never see a film in there again.
the exterior is prettymuch the same and you could still tell that this “hotel” started out life as a 1960s ABC cinema. but now in place of the familiar ABC sign there is “Travelodge” and in place of the huge auditorium are many hotel rooms. were there were seats now beds lay in their place. now customers sleep as residents instead of patrons and film fans.
this cinema had a 40 year history of film presentation its huge screen showed films such as Jaws,superman ,ET, Jurassic Park and Star Wars.
Those who visited in the 90s Saw the cinema pretty much as it looked in the 1960s as the interior didnt change alot .
People didnt realise it at the time but when they visited the ABC in Newport they were seeing a film in great surroundings with great staff serving you in an old fashioned “wonderful” way.l
Go to Cineworld Newport and that is gone forever. your ticket is ripped by a spotty tennager and you watch your film on the big screen in sterile unispired surroundings. the romance is dead .
Visitors might be interested in this video made by students in Newport, it is a celebration of the former ABC cinema in Newport Gwent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYqBijhCZmo
the conversion of the cinema into a hotel is now all but complete. and looks as though it will be open will be open very soon. the cinema interior was completely gutted and rebuilt during the last 10 months. the exterior was also changed slightly with some of the brickwork rendered and painted. the entrance to the hotel is going to be through what was the original cinema entrance.
martin
James
the projectionist from above. I have tried e mailing you several times with no success. I would love to hear from you.
get back to me.
martin
The building is now gutted and the hotel windows are beginning to appear all over the walls. What a shame to loose such a great cinema.
Dear Mr Trainer,
I was the Projectionist you met when you visited the cinema last November. Please contact me.
Yours faithfully,
James Arran McDonnell.
the cinema closed on 3.4.08.
demolition of the interior is now in full swing.
the interior will now be redeveloped and the buildings use changed to a hotel.
martin
Hi All
this cinema is going to close for good on thursday 3.4.08.
thus ending a long history of entertainment venues on this site (to include the Lyceum Theatre/cinema).
the present cinema building is almost 40 years old and was the last purpose built Functioning city centre cinema in newport.
hope to see a few of you on the last night to say good bye to the ABC.
martin
Yes Martin, planning permission is almost certain now for a Travelodge hotel and the cinema is operating on a week to week basis, but once closed the cinema will have to stripped of all its seating and equipment before the developers move in.
the cinema is going to close unfortunatly. It hasnt been viable for many years. It only costs £2.50 admission per person through the week
the cinema is just not busy and its a miracle that it is open at all. there is a large cineworld multiplex nearby and most people go there now.
I can remember queing around the block to see a film at the ABC and that wasnt to see a blockbuster either it was just popular.
the ABC Newport was always run in an “old Fashioned” way it was run as a 1960s cinema until it closed in 1999 and I loved it for that.
the cinema decor and furniture was all 1960s
the usherettes had there own uniforms the doorman and manager wore suites befitting their positions.
and the usherette would sell ice cream in the auditoium before the main feature. and they would shine their torch to show late comers to their seats.
There are plans to keep the exterior of the building as is and to cut holes in the brick work for windows. as the building may gutted and refitted be used as a hotel.
the delay in closure is i think due to a delay in gaining planning permission although that is hearsay.
martin
Even allowing for the day that no-one came to a performance (see above) this extension would seem (to me) to indicate that the cinema is still viable – however marginal this may be.
the cinema has had a slight extention on its lease, so is now due to close in May.
the cinema closes on thursday the 17th so if you want to go and see a film there before it closes better hurry. I went to see I Am Legend in the large screen 1 this week .You do really feel very small sitting in the huge auditorium.
HI Peter
I noticed that the Cinema had reached its 40th year. the Cinema is exactly the same age as me.
it is amazing that it has lasted this long really, espescially during the last 7 year where I think that the various owners have had a real struggre to keep it open.
I visited the cinema Last November to say farewell and to visit the projection room one last time.
The manager came up half way through the films and told the projectonist to turn off the bulbs on all three projectors as there wasnt a single person in any of the screens watching the fils. Very sad.
The cinema has had a few different names sice the year 2000 including “metro” “city” and “reel”. but it will always be The Newport ABC to me. “GOODBYE ABC"
Martin trainer
It looks as though no-one noticed but the cinema just passed its 40 years of operation on 28th November and sadly it is due to close in January 2008. The main reason being the current lease ending, and the major redevelopment of Newport City Centre over the past year has not helped business. Plans by the landlord are to redevelop the site for a hotel, it seems replacing cinema seats for beds.
Sad to read that the cinema is to close. Some of us still prefer to see films in the town centre.
Unfortunately the City/Reel has suffered from the poor tripling undertaken previously which seemed to change the acoustics of the large auditorium making the dialogue almost unintelligible( on a film which won an Oscar for sound) on my only visit under this company’s management.
It was interesting to see the opening brochure in a recent exhibition revealing that only 42' of the screen would be used for scope .
City Cinema WILL close in January ‘08.