Regent Cinema
Encyclopedia
The Regent Cinema was a cinema
in Brighton
, England. It was opened by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres on 27 July 1921 and was one of that company's first super cinemas. It was demolished in 1974.
in the art deco
style, with interiors by Walpole Champneys and murals by Walter Bayes. The proscenium was designed by Lawrence Preston of Brighton College of Art. There was one screen, with 2024 seats.
with orchestra, Ship Cafe
and upstairs dance hall
. In January 1929, the cinema was closed for 18 months due to fire damage on the stage end and auditorium. In July 1967 the ballroom was converted to a bingo hall.
The cinema closed on 14 April 1973, with the final showing being Cabaret
. It was demolished in 1974, the site being occupied by a department store.
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England. It was opened by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres on 27 July 1921 and was one of that company's first super cinemas. It was demolished in 1974.
Design
The building was designed by architect Robert AtkinsonRobert Atkinson (architect)
Robert Atkinson, OBE was an English architect primarily working in the Art Deco style.Atkinson was born in Wigton, Cumberland and studied at University College, Nottingham before studying abroad in Paris, Italy and America. He was a talented draughtsman and worked for C.E. Mallows from 1905...
in the art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style, with interiors by Walpole Champneys and murals by Walter Bayes. The proscenium was designed by Lawrence Preston of Brighton College of Art. There was one screen, with 2024 seats.
Location
The Regent Cinema was located on Queens Road in Brighton, on the site of the historic Unicorn Inn (which was built in 1597 and demolished in 1920.)History
In 1923 the building expanded with a Georgean RestaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
with orchestra, Ship Cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and upstairs dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...
. In January 1929, the cinema was closed for 18 months due to fire damage on the stage end and auditorium. In July 1967 the ballroom was converted to a bingo hall.
The cinema closed on 14 April 1973, with the final showing being Cabaret
Cabaret (film)
Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
. It was demolished in 1974, the site being occupied by a department store.
External links
- Photograph of the main entrance from March 1971, retrieved from Odeon Cavalcade
- Regent Cinema history and photographs at Brightonfilm.com
