In the 2nd edition of Isle of Wight Cinemas, Island Echo examines the 5 cinemas (and 1 cartoon cinema) that once graced the seaside resorts of Sandown, Lake and Shanklin.
The Rivoli (Station Avenue, Sandown)
This beautiful art deco cinema was originally constructed as an Oddfellows Hall in 1885. It was then converted into a cinema in the silent films era, opening on 17th March 1921 with the film His Majesty The King. The Rivoli sat 500 (400 in the stalls, 100 in the circle).
Bingo replaced films in 1962, and the Rivoli finally closed in 1993. It then became a warehouse for theatrical costumes in 1994.
At the start of the 21st century, the Rivoli was sitting disused awaiting a buyer. It was offered for sale at £250,000. Campaigners raised £90,000 to preserve the beautiful building for posterity but fell sadly short of the sum required.
It was demolished in September 2017 to make way for housing.
The Queen’s Cinema (Albert Road, Sandown)
The Queen’s Cinema was Sandown’s only ‘purpose-built’ cinema. It opened on 6th December 1928 and had 583 seats divided into stalls and circles.
The cinema was originally owned and operated by a Mr A Hill of Ryde. Queen’s Cinema then became part of the Isle of Wight Theatres Group in the 1930s before being sold to Star Cinemas in 1965, by which time it only opened for the summer season. Star Cinemas then became part of the Cannon Group, who closed the cinema on 27th September 1985. The final film to be shown was Friday the 13th V.
After closure, the cinema was converted into a snooker club. The building was sadly demolished in 1989 and replaced by a block of flats called Ashborne Court.
Cartoon Cinema (Wight City Amusement Arcade, Sandown)
The little-known Cartoon Cinema – which formed part of the Wight City Amusement Arcade – opened on 22nd May 1947. It showed a variety of cartoons daily, with the main feature being a Popeye cartoon. The show lasted for half an hour and entrance cost just 6d (21/2p).
Screen de Luxe (Sandown Road, Lake)
The Screen de Luxe was a surprising latecomer to the Bay cinema scene.
The building housing the cinema was originally constructed in the 1930s as a Co-Op. It then became a furnishings store in the 1960s.
On 14th October 1989, Vic Farrow opened the Cinema de Luxe on the site of the former Co-op. The 1st film to be shown was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The cinema lasted for a little over a decade, with Gladiator the final film to be shown at the Screen de Luxe (or at any cinema in the Bay area) on 21st September 2000.
After closure, the Screen De Luxe became a hardware store and is now a veterinary surgery.
Playhouse Cinema (Palmerston Road, Shanklin)
The 1st cinema to open in the Bay area – Playhouse Cinema – welcomed its 1st cinema-goers in 1920. It was built using materials salvaged from Shanklin Pier Pavilion.
The cinema was re-constructed in 1939 by Playhouse (Shanklin) Ltd, who also owned the nearby Regal Cinema.
Playhouse Cinema closed during World War II, then reopened as a summer-only cinema until the late-1950s. The following decade, it was converted into a bingo club, which operated until 1995.
The building then remained empty and unused until it was demolished in February 2010 and housing built in its place.
The Regal (Cannon) Cinema (High Street, Shanklin)
The Regal Cinema opened on 22nd August 1932. The 1st film to be shown was Arsene Lupin starring John Barrymore. The cinema boasted of a ‘Jazz-Age’ Art Deco style entrance and decor.
In 1965, Star Cinemas took over the cinema, which then passed to the Cannon Group in the 1980s. Re-named Cannon Cinema, it closed on 3rd October 1986 with Poltergeist 2 the final film to be screened.
A block of flats and a shop now occupy the site of the Regal. Happily, the cinema’s Art Deco style front doors were saved and installed into the new complex.
In the next edition of Isle of Wight Cinemas, we shall look at the 4 cinemas that have graced the streets of the County Town of Newport.
I wonder who were the Philistine developers who demolished the Rivoli are. This really was an important Art Deco building & IOW planning & the council at the time should be ashamed.
Not forgetting #7, the Cinema Hall above Co-op in Regent Street, Shanklin which probably was the first cinema in Shanklin. The building is still there and was used as a hair saloon in the 80s but now appears disused. There may be a #8 that was on the site of what was later the Blue Lagoon on Sandown Esplanade, called the Parade Kinema?
You’re spot on about the ‘Kinema’. It’s in plenty of photos from around the 1920’s.
Since writing the article, I’ve become aware of further earlier cinemas in the Bay area. Thanks for pointing this out. After we’ve written about cinemas in Newport, Ventnor, Cowes and Freshwater, we could do a further article about any cinemas that have been overlooked.
It was still a fascinating article with some great photos Warren. Many thanks
Watched first ever film at cinema in Lake, teenage mutant ninja turtles
I use to watch cartoons at the queen’s in sandown Saturday mornings and I think that’s where I watched back to the future when it was first out
I saw Help! in the summer of 1965 at the tender age of 7 when staying in Sandown. I just wondered at which cinema it could have been. I don’t remember catching a bus to Shanklin but it was a very long time ago! I also saw the film on the mainland but always associate the main song with the IOW (Ticket to “Ryde” also features)
The one of the Regal at Shanklin brings back many memories! We used to go regularly mid 1950s to mid 60s.The main memory I have is of the Grandvoinets apparently father and son (owners, managers, lessees?) who stood in the entrance welcoming folk and who were always formally dressed complete with bow ties! Class eh?!