Ambassador Super Cinema

Designed in an Art Deco style, by prolific cinema architect John Knight in 1928, the Ambassador Super Cinema was the only remaining example of Knight’s many theatres in the northwest area of England.

Built for the Snape & Ward circuit, the Ambassador Super Cinema opened on December 24th 1928, the opening films were Emil Jannings in “Vaudeville” and Conway Tearle in “Enemies of Society”. There was also a variety programme on the 16 feet deep stage. It had a 40 feet wide proscenium, six dressing rooms and an orchestra pit, which contained a Jardine ‘Rex Gloria’ 3 Manual organ. The Ambassador Super cinema featured a strong symmetrical façade, a projecting centrepiece flanked by Italianate style towers, and fluted Art Deco style moulding the full width of the façade at cornice level.

The theatre’s interior was very well preserved. The foyer had a marble staircase with metal balustrade on fluted posts and windows with decorative coloured glass. The auditorium had a coffered ceiling and a fluted frieze matching that on the exterior, as well as a narrow balcony to rear.

The side walls were decorated with stepped panels under shell moulded plaster hoods - both of these mouldings inspired by the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs. Decorative shields with winged helmets and drapes at beam ends to ceiling coffers.

By 1963 it was operated by the G.B. Snape Group of Assoc. Cinema Companies chain. The Ambassador Super Cinema closed on 28th November 1964 with Sean Connery & Tippi Hedron in “Marnie”. It was converted into a Mecca Bingo Club, who kept it very well maintained.

A preservation group were attempting to raise the funds to purchase, renovate, and develop the building into a community media and arts centre.

Although this was designated a Grade II Listed building, the Ambassador Super Cinema was stripped of its designation and was sadly demolished in April of 2004.

Recent comments (view all 44 comments)

brianw on September 19, 2004 at 4:46 pm

Hi Andy
If Possible could you email me any photo’s of the insibe of the cinema looking from the stage area to the projection room and inside the projection room
many thanks. Brian.

adtv on September 19, 2004 at 5:26 pm

Hi
I dont have any unfortunately.
Regards

Andy

Ken Roe on September 11, 2005 at 12:09 pm

According to the developers, this building had ‘little architectural merit’! I wonder if future generations will say the same about what has been built on the site!

This is what was lost…..
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/17/lg/10.jpg

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/17/lg/11.jpg

http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/ewm/17/lg/23.jpg

….and that’s just the outside!

May all concerned in this wanton destruction of our Heritage, hang their heads in shame.

ormus on January 10, 2006 at 3:02 pm

Ive been driving past this building for about 40 yrs now. Fantastic building. What a great shame its now just another mini housing project.
We simply cant demolish glorious buildings like this, time and time again.
Salford council should resign, en mass.

Ian on May 29, 2007 at 5:56 am

A couple more pictures taken just prior to demilition here:–

View link

View link

ODEONesque on July 25, 2013 at 12:01 pm

As per usual listing status means nothing when money talks.

Mr_BTH on April 26, 2015 at 3:18 am

The Ambassador was a lovley cinema. My farther was the sound engineer so we would go there once a month. I used to work with one of the projectionist, a man called Don Collier. In 1982 a freind and I removed the 2 BTH SUPA projectors. I rebiult them and used them in my home cinema.

UKmender on November 21, 2020 at 8:21 am

Interesting, Mr_BTH. I also used to work with Don Collier and assisted him at The Trocadero and The Imperial. His day job was running my local fish & chip shop on Cavendish Street, Ordsall, along with his wife and kids. He it was who told me that, as Snapes were closing houses, or converting them to Bingo, The Ambassador, or simply The Ambass, as it was known in-house, was used to store all the projecting equipment removed from elsewhere. There were supposed to be row upon row of the ‘Big Guns.’

Stephen Lynch on August 20, 2023 at 6:49 pm

Having a rummage through my old “Ambassador Project” files from when we tried to save the Ambassador Cinema on Langworthy Road and found the facsimile we did from the original December 1928 opening night souvenir programme for The Ambassador Super Cinema, so I thought I might share an upgraded version of it on here. https://heyzine.com/flip-book/27b694514d.html (Best viewed on a tablet or desktop)

Stephen Lynch on September 17, 2023 at 7:41 am

I was part of the Ambassador Project group that tried very hard to save the Ambassador from the developer’s bulldozers there is a webpage all about the Ambassador the architect and the original owners https://bit.ly/TheAmbassadorSuperCinema