Cinema
Balmoral Avenue,
Whitehead,
BT38
Balmoral Avenue,
Whitehead,
BT38
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Functions: Community Center
Previous Names: Picture House, Strand Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Picture House in Whitehead, County Antrim, opened on 28th July 1937. It was operated by Supreme Cinemas Ltd. and was of the stadium type with seating for 750 patrons. RCA Photophone sound installed, and Simplex projectors were used. There were two performances nightly, at 6.30pm and 9pm. By 1953 the Kine Year Book was referring to it as the Cinema, with 500 seats. It closed in September 1961 but reopened, as the Strand Theatre in 1962. It is unclear whether this was for films and/or live shows, but it closed again in 1966, only to be reopened by Supreme, presumably for films.
However, it soon closed for good. The building was used as a store for a number of years. Eventually it was purchased by the Whitehead Community Association and converted into a community centre, which opened in 1981. It remains in that use today.
Contributed by
David Simpson
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
During a visit in September 2014 I was kindly given a copy of the opening programme, starting 28 July 1937. (See scan.) The building is referred to as “The Cinema”, although the 1940 Kine Year Book has it listed as “Picture House”.