Picture palaces
DOTTED across London empty and abandoned cinemas lie silent, their crumbling historic facades a reminder of their former glory.
Some are destined to become apartment blocks, bingo halls or even churches, others are still gathering dust.
The capital has a rich cinema heritage with more than 50 listed buildings across Greater London. Only a few of these continue to show films, with the city’s cinema-goers now flocking to the 80 or so chains, multiplexes or independents screens that exist today.
Intrepid photographer Paul Talling, who runs the Derelict London website, has spent years documenting the derelict buildings lying dormant. He has captured some fascinating images of its lost local cinemas.
Empire Cinema – New Broadway, Ealing
The former 2,175 -seater Empire cinema was built in 1934 with a pseudo-Egyptian frontage. When it closed in 2007 it was the last remaining cinema in the area. Ealing is known as the birth place of the British film industry, with Ealing Studios operating since 1902.
Shut down in 2008, the cinema failed to achieve listed status and was demolished the following year. The facade was left standing. A new eight screen Picturehouse cinema is being built on the site, part of the wider Filmworks development featuring new homes, restaurants, bars and shops.
Granada Cinema - Hoe Street, Walthamstow
Residents have been entertained at the site since it opened as the Victoria Music Hall in 1887. For 20 years it hosted dances, concerts and plays. The first film was screened in 1896 and the building was converted into the area’s first dedicated cinema in 1907.
In 1930, the cinema building was redeveloped into the Grade II* listed building that still exists today. It opened again as the Granada Cinema, boasting a 2,700 seat screen. It also hosted gigs including performances by The Beatles, The Who, James Brown and Roy Orbison.
The live music shows ended in 1973 and it was split into two screens. Over the next few years it changed hands several times, becoming a Cannon, Virgin, ABC, Odeon and finally EMD cinema. It closed down in 2003. In 2016 the building passed into new hands and is now an arts venue, with a restaurant and bars, called Mirth, Marvel and Maud.
Today the venue hosts live music, comedy, theatre, spoken word and films in the cinema room with a restaurant on the mezzanine foyer overlooking a cocktail bar in the ticket booth. The main auditorium is currently in restoration.
Carlton Cinema , Essex Road, Islington.
Opened in 1929 and was designed by architect George Coles, the 2,266 seater cinema had a varied programme of film and vaudeville acts.
The cinema was taken over by ABC in 1935, and renamed in 1962. A decade later it closed down. The last film shown was Mutiny on the Buses.
The Grade II listed cinema was given a new lease of life as a bingo hall in 2007, before being refurbished and renovated from 2013. It is now known as Gracepoint, a community venue.
Hoxton Cinema - Pitfield Street, Hoxton
This old cinema in Hoxton had fallen into disrepair when these photos were taken in 2008. First opened in 1914 and was run and owned by the Gaumont chain. The cinema operated until 1956. Over the next 50 years of its life it became a meat storage facility, a bakery and artist studios. In 2016 health and safety concerns lead to the site being demolished. The Curzon cinema chain now plans to construct a three screen cinema and apartments on the site, including building a replica of the historic frontage.