Cinemas of Exeter - some histories

Histories for all the known cinemas of Exeter can be found here - links to longer histories are found in some entries.

Magic lantern shows were a popular entertainment in Victorian times. Two or more projectors were often used, and along with special slides, apparent movement was created, all to tell a story. However, the showman could not create real movement on the screen. In England, a show in February 1896 by the French Lumier Brothers changed all that when they demonstrated moving pictures for the first time.

By July of the same year, travelling picture shows, mostly using R W Paul's Theatrograph system, were being shown in many parts of Britain. The following is a list of cinemas in Exeter, in chronological order from the very first film show. Separate links are given for individual histories.

1896 - 1919

Victoria Hall Picture Palace 

Queen Street

Exeter's first film show was given on, or about, the 5th October 1896 at the Victoria Hall. Film shows became a fairly regular event at the Victoria Hall, and Exeter's first film show with sound, was given in 1901 at the venue. By 1909, Columbia Animated Pictures were being shown at the Victoria Hall.

1898

Hancock's Gigantic Carnival

In September 1898, Hancock’s Electrical BIOGRAPH of ‘LIVING PICTURES’ visited Exeter with a film show. The show was in a fairground trailer. They continued to visit Exeter with their film shows until around about 1908 when cinemas became more established.

1901 - 1961

Theatre Royal 

Longbrook Street

After a tentative start, the second venue to show films in Exeter was the Theatre Royal, when in February 1901, three weeks after the death of Queen Victoria, the Theatre Royal presented film of her funeral, along with 60 animated scenes of army life and the opening of Parliament. The Theatre Royal continued to show films from time to time, until it closed in 1961.

1905 - still open

Barnfield Theatre

Barnfield Road

The Barnfield Theatre had long been known for magic lantern shows, often with an educational slant and accompanied by a lecture. In March 1906, the Barnfield presented its first film show with a “Bioscopic Lecture on Mountaineering”. In November 1909, The Furthest South Expedition Bioscope Company presented film of Shackleton's expedition to the Antarctic at the Barnfield.

1907 - 1942 as the Plaza

Royal Public Rooms - Hippodrome - Plaza - New London Square

The Royal Public Rooms became the venue for a film show in February 1907 with a lecture incorporating film about the life of trawler fishermen.

1908 -1942 as the Plaza

Hippodrome 

Royal Public Rooms - Plaza - New London Square

The Royal Public Rooms was converted into the Hippodrome and opened in November 1908, with a variety show followed by the "HIPPODROME PICTURES Showing all the Latest up-to-date Events."

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The Cinema Act of 1909 came into force on 1 January 1910 - this meant that the existing venues had to be modified to improve the safety of the premises with regards to fire, which was a constant threat because of the highly flammable film stock. Projectors had to be housed separately from the audience in a fire proof casing and new venues were opened that were specifically designed to accommodate the Act. The City Council also used the Act to prohibit the showing of films on a Sunday. The Hippodrome was the first to apply for a license, followed by the Barnfield Hall with their “Kinematography and Colour Photography” and the Victoria Hall as the “Victoria Hall Picture Palace”.

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1910 - 1937

Empire Electric Theatre 

Next to St Lawrence Church, High Street

In August 1910, Exeter's first building converted into a cinema, the Empire Electric opened in Wilson's Restaurant, noted for its steak and chips at 1/6 (one and sixpence) with a large archway entrance topped by an illuminated globe and the banner “You know one half of the world, we show you the other”. A new front had been added, to what was an ordinary shop. It was only 19 feet wide and could seat a maximum of 300 patrons, in the latest tip-up seats. The entrance was by the screen, to separate the fire-risk, projection equipment from the only means of escape, although this could degrade the picture with light from the door. It is not known what the first show was, although it was apparently given to selected guests including city officials. Later, the same year, the Empire was advertising continuous shows from 2 pm to 10.30 pm with prices of 3d, 6d and 1 shilling. It closed in 1937.

1910 - 1913

Queen's Hall - Palladium

93-94 Paris Street

What would become the Palladium Cinema, opened as the Queen's Hall in late 1910 with seating for 1,000 people. The bad influence of cinema on children became a concern at this time and when the Queen’s Hall, showed “Dante’s Infemo” in January 1913 they banned anyone who was under 16 from attending the show so as not to incur the wrath of the public. In December 1913, the cinema chain Albany Ward took it over and renamed it the Palladium.

1911 - 1924

Franklin Picture Palace

101 Fore Street

The next purpose built cinema was the Franklin Picture Palace which opened on 3rd February 1911 in the Assembly Hall of the Franklin Temperance Hotel and Restaurant, which was the building to the left of the present Thomas Moore shop. It was run by C Holland, son of the hotel owner. The Exeter character, Artful Thomas worked at the Franklin Cinema as an attendant - one of his jobs was to walk up the aisle spraying disinfectant over the audience. It closed in 1924.

1912 - 1937

City of Exeter Palace

Renamed the Lounge 80-81, Fore Street

In April 1912, the City of Exeter Palace converted Shephard & Co, a grocer's shop, next to the Chevalier (Hogs Head) into a cinema which could seat 300. It was renamed the Lounge in the 1930's. The last film to be shown was A Midsummer Night's Dream with Victoria Hopper on 1st January 1938. After that is was converted back into a shop, only to be lost in the blitz.

1912 -1937

King's Hall - St Thomas

The King's Hall was opened in October 1912 by the Mayor as a Church Hall. It originally contained two small 250 seater halls and a large 70 ft long main hall that had a capacity of 750.

Cinema was still in its infancy when it was built, but sliding shutters were installed to allow daylight film shows to be projected. In May 1915, an advert for the King's Hall stated “The most wonderful combination of Pictures, Lectures, and Music ever produced” - and the film; the story of the Creation staged by a Christian society. The Flying Post wrote:

"To delineate the subject two miles of film are used, and these with pictures and panoramas require eight hours to present upon the canvas. Because of its length the production is divided into sections, which are shown in rotation, so that to witness the whole one must attend four performances."

This film was the sensation of the year, no doubt helped by the fact that entrance was free.

In October 1921 the building became a full time cinema run by King's Hall, (Exeter) Ltd. In 1929, it was the first cinema in Exeter to install a sound system by British Talking Pictures. It was closed in 1937, along with at least two other cinemas in Exeter, no doubt, due to competition from the recently opened Savoy and Odeon. In 1939 it became for a short time a variety theatre before being requisitioned by Whippell's for work for the Ministry of Aircraft, manufacturing aircraft parts.

After the war, the building saw a variety of uses. In 1956 it was Ferodo Ltd, who manufactured brake linings and in 1967 it was listed as empty. On the 27 September 1974, it became a nightclub, and restaurant, known as Mecca Zhivago & Bali Hai. Its first Monday of admission was to Sounds of the 70's at a special low price of 40 pence. It later became Okies, Roots, the Riverside Club and the Powerhouse, each time, opening to a facelift, and closing shortly afterwards. The Stranglers played there when it was Roots on September 25 1978 in their Pubs and Clubs Tour. In the 1990's, the King's Hall lay empty for long periods, although it did have a brief existence as an indoor Quasar laser gun centre, complete with black walls and a complex internal maize. In the last few years, the building has returned to its roots and opened as a thriving Assemblies of God, Christian place of worship known as the Riverside Centre.

1913 - 1940

Palladium - Queen's Hall 

Paris Street

Albany Ward renamed the Queen's Hall, the Palladium in 1913, with new seating for 800. Despite the ban on Sunday cinema, the Palladium opened on Christmas Day 1914. It also experimented with talkies at this time, using a phonograph. In February 1916, the cinema acquired the exclusive rights to showing Charlie Chaplin films in Exeter.

The Gaumont was part of the same group when it opened in competition in 1932 - the Palladium continued until 1940 when it closed and was 'taken over for national purposes'. According to reports at the time the Old Palladium Buildings were gutted by fire on the night of the 4th May 1942. It is not certain if the building was later refurbished before demolition in the 1950's.

1931 - 1942

Plaza - Royal Public Rooms - Hippodrome

New London Square

In 1931, it was decided to discontinue live performances at the Hippodrome and convert it the Plaza Cinema. It was destroyed by a single bomb in May 1942.

1932 - 1963 

Gaumont - North Street

Exeter's first newly built cinema, the Gaumont opened its doors on Whit Monday, the 16th May 1932. The last film to be shown there as a cinema starred Elvis Presley in 1963, it then opened as a Bingo Hall. The Palladium in Paris Street was part of the same group.

1936 - 1987

Savoy/ABC - New London Square

The Savoy replaced the New London Inn, as Exeter's second purpose built cinema and opened on Monday 23rd November 1936. It was renamed the ABC in 1960 and demolished in 1987 for yet more retail shops.

1937

Odeon - Sidwell Street

The third purpose built cinema in Exeter, the Odeon opened its doors on 30th August 1937. It is still showing films.

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In 1940, the City Council debated whether to allow Sunday cinema. After several meetings and much comment in the Express and Echo from the Bishop of Exeter, among others, Sunday cinema was approved with the Mayor's casting vote. The first Sunday presentation was given on 23rd February 1941.

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1970's to 1990's

Northcott Theatre - University campus

The Northcott theatre is equipped with two Westar 35mm projectors along with 16mm equipment. Before the opening of the Picture House, the Northcott would often show on a Saturday night, after the live performance, a late film. I well remember sitting with a very confused audience, when the projectionist managed to show the reels for Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty and Madonna in the wrong order - mind you, many of the audience didn't notice as they had just tumbled out of the pubs.

1996

Picture House

Bartholomew Street

Opened in 1996, the Picture House cinema is situated in one of the oldest parts of the city. The Picture House has proved to be a resounding success with its blend of popular, avant-garde and foreign films.

It was the National Lottery that made the Picture House possible. The small independent City Screen Cinema chain acquired £577,000 of lottery funding towards a budget of £790,000 to open a new alternative cinema in Exeter. The site was a former fruit and veg warehouse and bus repair garage in Bartholomew Street. The award winning conversion was by Burrel Foley Fischer of London and the construction by Bitherey of Honiton. During the construction, Roman artifacts were found and the archeologists were called. This part of Exeter was devoted to housing the Roman garrison with rows of wooden barracks. Shards of Roman pottery from the site are on display in the cafe.

The building consists of two-screens. The larger has a capacity of 220 seats and the smaller 160. The latest, state of the art Westar projectors were installed and there is equipment for projecting 16mm film and video. The new cinema initially employed 22 full and part-time staff.

The new cinema opened with a full program of films in the first week commencing 11th October 1996. The main featured film at opening was the Thomas Hardy story Jude, starring Christopher Ecclestone. The director of the film Michael Winterbottom attended the first showing. City Screen Cinemas planned to show around 288 films per year, giving many non-mainstream films, old classics and children's films the chance of a screening.

Since its opening the cinema has thrived. It was chosen as the venue for the British premier of the Land Girls in 1998 - 60 original land girls were invited and the cinema staff dressed 1940's style. The midnight showing of Starwars, Episode II was attended by the film's screen writer Jonathan Hales, while the Animated Exeter Festival proves to be a successful annual event.

2006

Vue

Summerland Gate, Cheeke Street

Exeter's new multiplex seven-screen cinema opened on 22nd December 2006. It features the latest digital projection equipment with large screens, stadium seating and an ice cream cafe and licensed bar. The cinema has cost £4.2 million and has seating for 1,073. The films shown at 10am on the first day were March of the Penguins and Night at the Museum. It was officially opened at 5pm on Friday 12th January 2007, with the Lord Mayor in attendance. There have been complaints, with letters to the Express & Echo, on the high price of food and drink at Vue - a can of cola from a machine is £1.80. Return to this page in 25 years and that will seem cheap. The only time I have been to Vue, the projection was sub-standard, with the frame line in the centre of the screen - a patron had to complain before it was rectified. So much for 7 screens and a single projectionist.