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You searched for: More Like: 'Aberdeen Cinemas: Torry Picture Palace / Torry Cinema'
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Belmont Cinema
473 The rear elevation on the Denburn of the Belmont Cinema. The entrance is on Belmont Street. c.1999. Grand Central Cinema, Aberdeen
1149 The Grand Central Cinema on George Street, Aberdeen.
The film being shown is Radio Parade of 1935. This starred Will Hay and dates the photograph to around 1934.
The photograph looks eastwards from Craigie Street towards the cinema on George Street.
The building at 286 George Street had previously been a furniture branch of Allan's Public Supply Stores and was on the site of an old Baptist Chapel.
(Many thanks to correspondent Ed Fowler for the additional information). Astoria Cinema, Aberdeen
1152 The exterior of the Astoria Cinema, Clifton Road, Kittybrewster, Aberdeen, c.1960. In 1934, a new cinema was built on part of the old Central Park, just north of Kittybrewster Auction Marts. It was designed by the architect, T. Scott Sutherland, and was opened on 8th December 1934, with space for more than 2000 people. Its proximity to the relatively new housing areas of Kittybrewster, Powis, Woodside and Hilton should have ensured its success. It was made of concrete over a steel framework, with the roof sloping in a series of steps to produce the best acoustics. It had a colour scheme of light pink, invory and brown with walnut panelling and 2 miles of Wilton carpet. It closed on Saturday 13th August 1966, re-opening later that month as a Bingo Hall but that only lasted a few months and it finally closed in January 1967. In April 1967, it was being demolished and the site redeveloped as a shopping complex. The cinema had had one of the latest Compton theatre organs, which had been removed piece by piece and restored to be placed in the hall of Powis Academy. In November 1982, an arson attack destroyed the organ. Capitol Cinema projection room, Aberdeen
1153 The projection room at the Capitol Cinema in Aberdeen. Union Terrace Gardens, c. 1910
1736 A view of Union Terrace Gardens, Aberdeen. The centre of the picture is dominated by the prestigious Palace Hotel on Union Street, which was built in 1873 by Pratt & Keith, drapers. In 1891, the hotel was acquired by the Great North of Scotland Railway Company and quietly established a high reputation for itself. The building was destroyed by fire in 1941 and was never rebuilt. The gardens themselves have always been a popular meeting and walking place in the centre of town for city residents and visitors alike. The arches to the right are those which support Union Terrace. Fishwife
2260 A fishwife, most likely from Torry, with a creel on her back, a basket and shopping bag in her hands.
The history of Torry is inseparable from fishing. Like Torry itself the fishing industry and its related activities saw great change over time.
Going to sea to fish was challenging and dangerous, but those left on shore did not have an easy life either. The Torry fishwife in this picture likely had to walk many miles into the centre of Aberdeen and back again every day carrying very heavy loads. Other time would be spent mending nets or curing fish.
The 20th century saw increased industrialisation of fishing. Odeon Cinema
2267 The Odeon Cinema on Justice Mill Lane in October 1973. The cinema is showing a western starring Richard Crenna called A Man Called Noon and the South Africa drama The Winners, which was also known as My Way.
The cinema, originally called The Regent Cinema, was designed by Aberdeen architect T. Scott Sutherland and opened in 1927. It closed down as a cinema in 2002 and the building later became a health and fitness centre.
The exterior of the building is now listed. The Regent was the first of a number of cinema designed by Scott Sutherland. The Astoria Cinema
2268 The Astoria Cinema on Clifton Road, Woodside.
In 1934, a new cinema was built on part of the old Central Park, just north of Kittybrewster Auction Marts. It was designed by the architect T. Scott Sutherland and was opened on 8th December 1934 with space for more than 2000 people. Its proximity to the relatively new housing areas of Kittybrewster, Powis, Woodside and Hilton should have ensured its success.
It was made of concrete over a steel framework, with the roof sloping in a series of steps to produce the best acoustics. It had a colour scheme of light pink, ivory and brown with walnut panelling and 2 miles of Wilton carpet. It closed on Saturday 13th August 1966, reopening later that month as a Bingo Hall but that only lasted a few months and it finally closed in January 1967. In April 1967, it was being demolished and the site redeveloped as a shopping complex.
The cinema had had one of the latest Compton theatre organs, which had been removed piece by piece and restored to be placed in the hall of Powis Academy. Tragedy befell it in November 1982, when, in an act of vandalism, a youth set fire to the hall and the organ was totally destroyed. The Palace Cinema
2810 The exterior of the Palace Cinema, Bridge Place, Aberdeen. The photograph most likely dates from the 1950s.
Many thanks to correspondent Philip Wright for identifying the car on the right as an Austin Cambridge A40 or A50. These cars went into production in 1954.
The Palace Cinema
2811 The exterior of the Palace Cinema, Bridge Place, Aberdeen. The cinema is advertising showings of It Always Rains on Sundays, a film starring Googie Withers and Jack Warner and released in 1947. This gives the photograph an approximate date. The canopy also advertises Jitterbugs which was a Laurel and Hardy film from earlier in the decade. Queen's Cinema
2812 Queen's Cinema at 120 Union advertising showings of the Shirley Temple film Girl in Pawn, also known as Little Miss Marker, released in 1934. M. K. Gillespie, fruiterer, can additional be seen on the corner with Back Wynd at 116 Union Street. Queen's Cinema
2813 Queen's Cinema at 120 Union Street advertising showings of Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Lizars, opticians, can be seen at 118 and the Great American Panthouse at 116 Union Street. Queen's Cinema
2814 Queen's Cinema at 120 Union Street advertising showings of Fiddler on the Roof (1971). Lizars, the Great American Panthouse and The Medical Supply Association Limited can also be seen. ABC Cinema
2817 The shiprow entrance to the ABC Cinema. It is advertising showings of It Happened at the World's Fair, The Scarlet Blade and The Son of Captain Blood. 181-183 Union Street
2824 The Picture House cinema at 181, Peter Mitchell, tobacconist, at 181B and Paterson, Sons, & Marr Wood, Ltd., music sellers, at 183 Union Street in 1937. 150 Union Street and Diamond Street
2847 Pat Grant, hairdresser, at 150-150 and a half and Royal Exchange Assurance at 150 Union Street in 1937. The premises of Francis J. Scott & Gilchrist, solicitors, at 1 Diamond Street can be seen above.
The street on the left of the image is Diamond Street. In the distance can be seen The Palais De Danse and the News Cinema at 13 & 15 Diamond Street. Union Street
2932 A James Valentine postcard showing Union Street. The Capitol Cinema and a number of schools can be seen. Union Street
2945 A postcard image looking east on Union Street. The Capitol Cinema is on the right. Aberdeen Theatres: The Palace Theatre building
3387 The former Palace Theatre as seen on 14th July 2018 from outside the Royal Hotel on Bath Street. The building was designed by John Rust and opened in 1898. It was on the site of an earlier music hall, the People's Palace, which had burned down two years before. The building has seen much development and varied use over the years.
It showed variety and "legitimate" theatre at different points during the earlier 20th century. It was rebuilt and opened as a cinema in 1929 and was substantially extended in 1931.
The cinema closed down in 1959 and it was converted into a dance hall and later a nightclub. Aberdeen Cinemas: Regal / ABC / Cannon
3396 An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Shiprow entrance to the Regal cinema in February 1961. The cinema is advertising showings of Saturday Night, Sunday Morning with Albert Finney, Linda with Carol White and Alan Rothwell, and Pathé News.
The Regal was opened on Monday 26th June 1954 by Associated British Cinema (ABC). The opening of this substantial cinema was the conclusion of a long and much delayed enterprise.
This Shiprow site was previously the location of Aberdeen's first permanent cinema, Dove Paterson's Gaiety. It had later become the Palladium and had laid shuttered for close to seven years when the owner put the site up for sale in early 1937.
Bert Gates of Aberdeen Picture Palaces (APP) put in an offer and made plans to build a very large cinema at the location. Michael Thomson in Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) suggests that had this plan gone ahead it would have made the local company a force with which to be reckoned.
Gate's plans were thwarted however when another offer for the property from ABC (Cinemas) was accepted. ABC were a major cinema operator throughout the UK, at the time second only to the Rank Organisation, which owned the Odeon and Gaumont chains. ABC's arrival in Aberdeen would offer stiff competition to local companies such as APP. Both in terms of having the best venues and having the best films to show in them.
ABC's arrival in Aberdeen did not go smoothly, however. It was not until 1939 that the cinema's plans received official approval. War was declared not long after construction had begun and in 1941 the project was stopped by government restrictions that halted the construction of non-essential buildings where roofing had not already been started. Only the outer shell had been built at Shiprow and the building would subsequently lie incomplete for over a decade.
After much campaigning, including by local MP Hector Hughes, the government finally gave its consent and on 28th October 1953 ABC announced that work on the Regal would recommence. The plans for the cinema were modernised and construction was quickly finished.
The completed Regal was an impressive, modern cinema with a seating capacity of 1,914. Its inaugural film was The Knights of the Round Table and the opening gala was attended by stars Richard Todd and Anne Crawford.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson]
Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd. Aberdeen Cinemas: Regal / ABC / Cannon
3397 A photograph of the Union Street entrance to the ABC Cinema in around 1963. The canopy above the entrance advertises It Happened at the World's Fair with Elvis Presley and Joan O'Brien. This was an MGM film and the ABC had first rights to films from this company, a big draw for the public.
Prior to ABC's arrival in Aberdeen in 1954, MGM films were previously first shown in Aberdeen Picture Palace's Capitol on Union Street.
This cinema on Shiprow and Union Street had been known as the Regal since opening in 1954. In March 1962 ABC rationalised the names of its cinemas and this venue, along with many Regals around the UK, became known simply as the ABC. An earlier Regal vertical sign was replaced by the new one we can see in this photograph.
[Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] |