New Empire Picture Theatre
1A Haddington Street,
Hove,
BN3 3YQ
1A Haddington Street,
Hove,
BN3 3YQ
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Blatchington Assembly Hall, Blatchington Hall, Empire Picture Theatre
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In June 1910, Harry Scriven put forward a planning application to Hove Council to convert the former Blatchington Assembly Hall into a cinema.
The Empire Electric Theatre opened on December 10, 1910, with a capacity of 350 all on one level. The front rows consisted of benches. The Gaumont Chronic projector was acquired from the recently closed Congress Hall Cinematograph Theatre in Park Crescent Terrace, Brighton.
Harry Scrivens son Eddie was projectionist and the manager was the former actor Walter Flint, who was also the pianist and drove around Hove with Eddie on the roof filming local newsreels which were screened at the Empire Picture Theatre three days later.
A 70 seat balcony was added in 1913 and a Vivaphone System was installed. From 1914, it referred to itself as “The first Hove Empire” in advertising, to help distinguish it from the Electric Empire in nearby George Street, Hove.
Throughout the 1920’s a free magazine about forthcoming attractions was produced by Cornfird Bros. of 71 George Street, Hove.
In 1924 the 3D Plastigram anaglyph system in shown and in 1926, the licence was transferred to Elizabeth Scriven upon the death of her husband.
During 1930, it was acquired by William Fuller, who renamed it the New Empire Cinema and it underwent a complete refurbishment, during which new larger and more luxurious tip up seats were installed, giving it a reduced over all capacity of 246 (188 in the stalls and 58 in the balcony).
It closed in 1933 due to the recently opened Lido Cinema (later Odeon), Hove. It was demolished and in recent years the site has been used as a Co-Operative Food.
Contributed by
Nick Prince
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Recent comments (view all 1 comments)
The photo with the car, captioned as taken at the time of opening is I think later, around 1929. A local journal gives the date 1929 which is one year after the release of the Cavalier.