The dawn of the ‘super cinema’ in the 1920s and 1930s brought with it carefully crafted spaces to entertain and employ the public on their local high street. Unfortunately, gone are the days when the opening of a cinema was a big deal, when they were thoughtfully designed to give the visitor an experience that would take them out of suburbia and into the fantasy word of the silver screen. Exquisite interiors and atmospheric lighting created a luxurious but affordable place to enjoy movie screenings, dining and pampering too!

Phil and Sid Hyams and George Coles on the far right

One of the most successful and talented British cinema architects of the super cinema era was George Coles, who designed some of the most distinctive U.K. picture houses. Heavily influenced by the German Expressionists, his style can be identified by his enthusiasm to experiment with different styles under the umbrella of Art Deco, such as his Egyptian themed Carlton in Islington, North London and The Palace, a Chinese-style edifice in Southall, West London.

Here at Huntley Film Archives, we’re lucky enough to hold films of the grand openings of three of the cinemas that George Coles designed: his first cinema project, the Broadway in Stratford; the State, Kilburn and the Odeon, Muswell Hill. Each film, in its own way, shows the importance of the local cinema: in the pride of the cinema staff; in the faces of the excited public viewing the building’s interior for the first time and, of course, the sparkle of Hollywood glamour as film stars and dignitaries grace the steps on gala night. They also reflect the clear ideals that Coles vocalised in this extract from an article in Cinemas, Theatres and Ballrooms:

“In the first place, cinemas supply the need of the public for a cheap and attractive form of entertainment reasonably near their homes, to which they can go regularly or at will without any previous booking…however large the house may be, the general effect when the lights are up, as they frequently are in a super cinema, should be one of warmth and cosiness, rather than that of a cold, vast structure.” [Extract from Cathedrals of the Cinema by David Atwell. Original text extracted from an article in Cinemas, Theatres and Ballrooms.]

The Broadway, Stratford

Proud staff lining up outside the Broadway Cinema. Click on the image to watch the film

George Coles’ first cinema project, the Broadway Cinema in Stratford, opened in 1927. The film takes us on a journey from the very beginning of the cinema’s construction, with shots of the site destined to become the Broadway, then to a special appearance by the architect Coles himself, firstly seen with the directors of the cinema, Phil and Sid Hyams, as they discuss the building plans. This is followed by shots of Coles sitting designing behind his desk with blueprints hanging on the wall behind. This is a silent film, and with it comes a touch of the dramatic – even as a documentary, it has a very humorous slant which makes it particularly enjoyable to watch. This film more than any other in this collection illustrates the glowing pride of the cinema management and staff as they prepare for the big opening. Look out for the Broadway Symphony Orchestra letting lose and the very smart uniforms of the usherettes who have been provided with trousers…perhaps unusual at this date?

Aside from the excitement brewing up about a new cinema, this film also documents some interesting observations about that community I’d like to draw attention to: Firstly the contrast between the impeccably turned out young ushers, standing on the front steps of the Broadway, and the shots of rather rowdy locals, many of whom are their contemporaries and probably old school fellows. This makes me wonder at the importance of the local cinema in employing young locals, providing them with a foot on the employment ladder in a respectable and attainable industry, and thus taking them out of potential obscurity and into security for them and their families. Expanding on this, something that may go un-noticed in several scenes outside the cinema, are some of the older staff; one of whom is clearly wearing medals. It’s well known that First World War veterans had difficulty getting re-employed after the war, perhaps this film, shot less than ten years after 1918, could be documenting an example of one such middle aged man who was able to find employment through his local cinema.

The Odeon, Muswell Hill

Exterior of the Odeon Muswell Hill. Click on the image to watch the film

In 1936, the Odeon Muswell Hill opened its doors to an excitable public, desperate to catch a glimpse of Hollywood come to Haringey. The first part of this film shows a more glamorous side to cinema openings, it’s a red-carpet event, with an energetic news broadcaster narrating each moment. Policemen are having to hold back the thronging crowds who are beside themselves with joy as a raft of film stars arrive – Basil Rathbone (upstaged by Robert Woolsey’s comedic presence) Richard Barthelmess, Sabu and June Clyde, to name but a few. The elevated shots of the illuminated exterior of the new cinema are (intentionally or not) reminiscent of the high angle shots of premiers at Graumans Chinese Theatre in Hollywood too.

Dapper Oscar Deutsch

First we are introduced to Oscar Deutsch, head of the Odeon Circuit and the driving force behind the multitudes of Odeon super cinemas that popped up all over Britain in the 1930s. Deutsch employed many architects, including George Coles, to produce the Art Deco Odeon brand style that has become so synonymous with the conspicuously large Bingo halls on our high streets today. The second half of the film romps through the story of this Odeon chain expansion across Britain, illustrating several of the shining edifices, worthy of a place in the land of OZ. A calendar of the rate at which these fantastical buildings were erected flicks by, ending on 220 in 1937, more than double those built only a year before.

Aired in cinemas itself, this film is an advert for Odeon, but it doesn’t sell itself on the content of its films, they don’t even get a mention, it sells itself on its place in the British economy – An employer, whose happy workers go singing to factories providing the steel, textiles and much more that went into the buildings. An astute move in a country still recovering from the ‘Great Slump’. Through its focus on the industrial scale of work that went into each construction, this film heralds two British cinemas at the height of the super cinema era – starting with opening night at the Odeon Muswell Hill in 1936, the film ends on a high note, with the construction of the Odeon Leicester Square in London, designed by Harry Weedon and Andrew Mather, perhaps the pinnacle of Art Deco Super Cinema dream palaces.

The State, Kilburn

Visitors inspecting the new State, Kilburn. Click on the image to watch the film

In the same year, Coles’ epic 4004 seater ‘State’ in Kilburn opened for Gaumont (originally commissioned and built by the Hyams brothers). Massive posters advertise a special public inspection of the new building and crowds upon crowds queue up outside on a grey day. In deliberate contrast, the visitors are then seen entering what could be perceived as a different world – a glowing Renaissance foyer with its marble columns, pediments and palms, all illuminated by a huge chandelier. There is a rather staged point and “ahhhh!” moment, but the staring visitors trooping up the grand staircase do seem to evoke some genuine feelings of awe at their surroundings.

Sidney Torch at the Wurlitzer

Extraordinarily, as we go further behind the scenes, the cinema opens its doors on a raft of non-movie related pampering facilities such as a ladies’ dressing room, showers, and a barber’s salon. In addition to the personal luxuries, the film also documents in some detail all the mod cons of the cinema, such as the projection booth, stage construction, and that special lighting that Coles said was so important. To top it all, a Wurlitzer organ, played by famed Chief Organist Sidney Torch, filmed as he slowly emerges from under the stage on a rotating platform. A slightly different edit of this film which includes the gala night festivities is also available to view at https://www.huntleyarchives.com/film/17717

These buildings are clearly architecturally distinctive inside and out, but the films about them demonstrate some more fundamental reasons behind the might of the Super Cinema success in the 1920s and 1930s in particular: an enthusiastic public, ready and willing to go because the cinemas were local and affordable; facilities and atmosphere that provided an experience, not just a place to sit and watch a film; and lastly, a growing industry that provided employment in a multitude of different areas for a country still weighed down by the fallout of the Great Depression.

All of these films are available to licence in beautiful HD broadcast quality through our website!

Written by TC Summerford