Bijou Cinema

In Cleveleys, Lancashire, in November 1998, John Langtree announced his intention to open - wait for it! - a “news theatre”.

A life-long film buff, for some time John had been giving film shows at children’s parties, old people’s homes and the like, but he always dreamt of operating a ‘mini-cinema’ where he could show old Pathe newsreels, cartoons and short subjects to entertain families, shoppers and local residents. In addition, he was acutely aware that the town had not had a cinema since the Savoy Cinema (see separate Cinema Treasures entry) had closed way back in 1963.

He found the ideal premises in an empty amusement arcade - perhaps rather ironically adjoining the former Odeon/Orion Cinema (also see separate CT entry), which had closed even further back, in 1961.

Authentic cinema seats were sourced from the King Edward Cinema in nearby Blackpool (again see separate CT entry). Judging by a photograph in the local paper, only 16mm projection was used.

The Bijou Cinema opened in August 1999 and presented these short subjects from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. It is not clear whether a particular one or two hour (say) programme was repeated throughout the day, or when there were changes to the programme, but John must have got through an awful lot of 16mm film! Patrons paid just £1, and could stay for as long as they pleased, indicating that each ‘programme’ must have been of a reasonable length.

It was, indeed, in essence, a ‘news theatre’, but classic feature films were shown, at least occasionally, in the evening, although a letter to the local paper remarked that, while complimenting John on his endeavours, there was a disappointing attendance for an evening screening of the Doris Day/Howard Keel starrer “Calamity Jane”.

Unfortunately, this admirable venture did not last, and it closed relatively quickly, in early-January 2000. Permission was granted for a change of use to retail, and the building became home to His'n'Hers clothing store.

In a final touch of irony, the former Bijou Cinema was demolished in June 2010 when the adjoining Odeon/Orion Cinema came down. An Aldi superstore now stands on the site.

And, to complete the story, in August 2006 Cleveleys finally got the true ‘big screen’ experience back, with the opening of the 8-screen Vue (again, see separate entry).

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