The Last Picture House

The Cinema "The Royal Cinema opened on July 15th 1938, replacing the Theatre Royal which had stood on the site since 1813. It was designed by William Riddell Glen for Associated British Cinemas (ABC). The ABC chain had been founded in 1928 as part of British International Pictures by John Maxwell, and by 1937 was the second largest cinema chain in the world. Unlike it's competitors, this growth was accompanied by profits and annual dividends with no financial crises. With 2,404 seats the Royal was unusually large for a provincial ABC, but the nearby Gaumont Palace at 2,300 seats and Regent at 3,250 seats also held large audiences, something which may reflect the sheer number of military personnel stationed in Plymouth in the 1930s. An Odeon planned for Union Street but never built would have had a capacity of 2,500. Played at the opening by Wilfred Southworth, the Compton organ, regarded as one of the best ever fitted to a cinema became well known at the hands of Dudley Savage. He began at the end of 1938 at just 18 years old and remained the resident organist until 1976. Weekly BBC radiobroadcasts and album releases brought Dudley Savage and the 'Plymouth Sound' to a wide audience. We have campaigned and had many meetings -over many months - to save the building, but it's future is now in your hands. Write to your local MP, contact the City Council, badger your next door neighbours to join in and support our/your efforts by buying this book and helping fight the cause*. From all of the comments that I have received over the past year for this book, you all feel the same as we do - that the building should live on, providing a community cinema / 1000 capacity music venue / art space etc. It would be extremely sad to see the building go, so many memories, so many concerts, so many films, so much popcorn!! We leave the ball in your court. Support us, help us and promote the campaign to help save 'our Last Picture House'.