473

The rear elevation on the Denburn of the Belmont Cinema. The entrance is on Belmont Street. c.1999.

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).

1150

The exterior of the Playhouse Cinema on Union Street, Aberdeen.

1151

The exterior of the Odeon 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.

1153

The projection room at the Capitol Cinema in Aberdeen.

1457

The exterior of the Palace Cinema, Bridge Place.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2932

A James Valentine postcard showing Union Street. The Capitol Cinema and a number of schools can be seen.

2945

A postcard image looking east on Union Street. The Capitol Cinema is on the right.

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.

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.

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]

3398

This photograph shows the Shiprow entrance to the ABC Cinema (formerly the Regal) in 1963. In addition to current screenings of It Happened at the World's Fair, the cinema is also advertising an upcoming double bill of The Scarlet Blade and The Son of Captain Blood. Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) explains that the large, canopied entrance on the Shiprow gave access to the stalls foyer, and this could also be reached from the Union Street entrance via various lobbies and doors. A signalling system coordinated between the front and side box offices and neither entrance was allowed priority over the other.

3399

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of two baby elephants, from the Robert Brothers Circus, attending a matinee screening of The Tales of Beatrix Potter at the ABC Cinema in Union Street on Wednesday 28th July 1971. This was a promotional stunt for the cinema and circus that was performing at the Queen's Links from 26th July to 7th August. The two elephants were called Maureen and Catzeila and were accompanied by staff from the circus. The Tales of Beatrix Potter was a ballet film directed by Reginald Mills based on the children's stories of English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. The elephants sat in the front row for the screening of the film. Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

3400

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the interior of the ABC Cinema on Shiprow and Union Street in 1976. This was shortly after the "tripling" of the cinema which was completed on 8th July 1974. This was the process of dividing the cinema's original, single large auditorium into three distinct screening rooms. This allowed cinemas to show a greater variety of films and to cater to smaller audience numbers. The Odeon on Justice Mill Lane had been the first cinema in Aberdeen to be tripled, reopening as such on 8th April 1974. This photograph shows ABC 1, the largest screen, that sat 566 people. Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) explains that the largest screen (cinema one) would mainly show first runs. The smaller screens (cinemas two and three) would be used for less commercial attractions or the retention of popular features already shown in the main screen. This is the format of cinema exhibition that is most common today but marked a significant change from the tradition of single large auditoriums. The tripling of major circuit cinemas like the ABC and Odeon had a knock-on effect on the viability of cinemas such as The Cosmo on Diamond Street. These smaller cinemas had previously been a home for the less commercial features that the larger venues were now taking on. In 1986 the ABC Cinemas chain became part of the American-based Cannon company, which already had extensive cinema interests in the UK. The vertical ABC sign above the Union Street entrance gave way to the Cannon logo in June 1987. Some highlights of the cinema's time as the Cannon included hugely popular runs of E.T., the Tim Burton Batman, and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. The cinema's name reverted to the ABC for a period before closing for the final time in early 1998. Aberdeen and cinema-going was shortly to experience a period of expansion. In August 1999 Aberdeen company Craiglair Properties got the go-ahead to demolish the abandoned ABC and build a new seven screen cinema on the site. The cinema was called The Lighthouse and opened in April 2001. Since 2004 it has operated as The Vue Aberdeen. [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.

3401

An Aberdeen Journals Archive photograph of the Capitol cinema at 431 Union Street in February 1980. At this time the Capitol was in more regular use as a concert venue than as a cinema. This image shows large numbers of people queuing to get tickets for a performance by the band Genesis. The Capitol was built as a cinema back in 1933. A few days before its opening, it was advertised in local papers as "Aberdeen's wonder cinema". Opened to large crowds on Saturday 4th February 1933, the Capitol was then the largest venue of its kind in the north of Scotland and had a stage that could be adapted for both film and variety entertainment. The Capitol was built by Aberdeen Picture Palaces Ltd. on the site of an earlier upmarket cinema called the Electric Theatre that dated from 1910. When the Capitol opened, it was regarded as the most up-to-date theatre in the country due to its complex lightning system, organ music and other modern features, some of them being introduced for the first time in Scotland. The venue could accommodate more than 2,000 people. The building's plans were prepared by Aberdeen architects Alexander Marshall MacKenzie and Clement George. Local newspapers stressed the local ownership of the cinema and the local craftsmanship that went into its construction. Aberdeen City Libraries hold a souvenir brochure of the cinema's opening. One interesting feature of the brochure is the inclusion of specially created adverts for all the companies involved in the construction and furnishing of the new cinema. Some of the adverts provide rich information on the history of the companies and give an insight into how the companies saw themselves. The brochure details the companies behind every aspect of the buildings from the cinema seating and terrazzo work to the innovative lighting. On the opening day, Mrs A. D. Hay, wife of the chairman of the Aberdeen Picture Palaces, unlocked the main entrance door with a gold key. This key is still held by the Hay family today. The cinema's first, busy evening featured a variety of entertainment. In addition to the showing of films, there was a ballet performance by the Henrietta Fuller Dancers and Mr Edward O' Henry played the theatre's new top of the line Compton organ. During the opening ceremony, Bert Gates, another director of Aberdeen Picture Palaces, said: "It was a long lane that had no turning. They had built the Capitol not for to-day, but for the generations of Aberdeen people to come. The company had dedicated the Capitol to the people of Aberdeen, their children, and their children's children in the hope that in generations to come they might appreciate what had been given them." [Information primarily sourced from Silver Screen in the Silver City (1988) by Michael Thomson] Image © Aberdeen Journals Ltd.