County Theatre

In Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, it is not known precisely when St. John’s Theatre opened. However, a programme, held in the Cinema Theatre Association Archive, dated Monday 29th November 1920, contains an extensive section headed “About Ourselves”, and expresses thanks to the local authority for help in obtaining the necessary “Musical and Cinema Licences”. So presumably St. John’s Theatre had only very recently opened (there is no indication this programme is for the opening presentation).

Including “theatre” in the name suggests cine-variety, at the least. However, this programme is for an “All Picture Programme”, with feature film “The Call of the Road”, starring Victor McLaglen, supported by “Pathe Sunbeams”, “Pathe Pictorial” and “Pathe Gazette”.

Supporting an opening date around 1919/1920 is the fact that St. John’s Theatre was not listed in the 1914 Kinematograph Year Book, but it is in the 1923 edition, albeit that, by that time, it had been renamed the County Theatre. The proprietor was E. O. C. Howell, and the resident manager was W. E. Spriggs.

By 1928 the lessee was C. O. Brettell, with Mr Spriggs remaining as manager. Interestingly, this entry lists “Pictures, Plays and Variety”.

By 1932 a Western Electric(WE) sound system had been installed, and then the County Theatre was acquired by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) on 22nd October 1936.

The County Theatre closed on 31st October 1951.

The building became home to a car showroom, then was used for storing furniture by Pickfords.

St. John’s Theatre had been constructed within a Georgian property. In January 1986 Pickfords announced they would be moving out as soon as a buyer could be found, and a development company wanted to demolish the building and replace it with 23 old people’s flats. Despite objections from English Heritage and The Georgian Group the scheme, Castle Gate Mews, was allowed to go ahead, circa 1990.

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