Devon Cinema Gazetteer

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BRIXHAM

Regent ~ Electric Theatre ~ Scala ~ Brixham Theatre

The Town Hall, New Road, Brixham was built as part of the New Market Buildings of 1887, and was designed by architect G S Bridgman of Torquay.  It housed a theatre/concert hall above offices of Magistrates and Harbour Commissionaires.  The cost of the building was £3,000. Opened around 1912 by Major A O Ellis, the cinema operation was transferred to Capt. Colebird and the cinema renamed Regent.   The venture got into trouble and Major Ellis took the operation back by around 1924 as Electric Theatre (Brixham) Ltd, with Major Ellis as Managing Director.  In 1935 Major Ellis built a new cinema in Fore Street, and this cinema closed.

In later years a part of the Market Hall at the rear was divided off to make a small theatre initially called the Scala Hall, now Brixham Theatre.  In 1979 Xenon Cine Services run by William Keys set up his mobile equipment here to show films during July.  Mr Keys who had been in the business since 1939 usually toured Southern Ireland showing films but due to the Petrol Crisis had found himself stuck in the West Country.   The theatre still operates today and has 340 seats.

Electric Theatre

A O Ellis having out grown the Town Hall, built a new cinema in Fore Street which opened in 1935 with The 49 Steps.  Mr Ellis transferred the business Electric Theatre (Brixham) Ltd to the new building which perhaps explains why such a modern building received such an old fashioned name.  The building was designed by W Moxhay of St Mary Church and built by Cooksley.   The sound system was Picturetone, changed after the war to Zeiss.  A report compiled after WWII to repair the building notes new seat coverings for balcony foyer, and notes 6' high oak panelled dado in the auditorium with oak doors and a plaster proscenium arch.  Externally described as Stucco plaster with neon lighting. After Mr Ellis passed away the manager of the cinema since it opened Mrs W A Hexter became Managing Director and continued to operate the cinema until it closed on 20.09.1966 with The Rare Breed.   She had been manager for 30 years.  In the late 1950s CinemaScope had been fitted, with a screen 21' by 12' within a proscenium of 23'  8".  The sound was also changed to Western Electric.  The building stands today, much altered as a supermarket.

Cinema

Down on the Quay at numbers 19+20 there was a model railway exhibition during the 1970s.  Inside was a tiny cinema seating 43 that showed railway films.  In the evenings it would be opened for normal films.  The last film was shown in January 1977, The Return of the Pink Panther.

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