 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Cinema Gazetteer
Jones converted the White Hart Inn's
old coach house into Chepstow's first
cinema, the Electric Picture Hall. It
may have opened as early as 17th
February 1912, but the
Cinematograph record is dated 15th
February 1914. The White Hart was
operating as a Temperance Hotel,
the Temperance movement at this
time encouraged cinema, as a
pastime that did not involve drink.
the 1920s when sound films found favour, so it is likely the cinema could not be
easily converted to sound.
than Cinema. What is not entirely clear is whether the cinema was in a structure directly behind this facade,
which is now a courtyard, or in the building that still stands to the right of the entrance, on the corner of
Beaufort Square.
high, Chepstow was served by only one cinema, Albany Ward's
small Palace Theatre, what the town needed was a modern
purpose built cinema. The architect Enoch Williams had
designed a cinema on Beaufort Square which itilized the existing
frontage of the ex-banqueting suite of the adjacent Beaufort
Hotel. The auditorium would be built behind this existing structure.
Gaumont and Albany Ward agreed to take over this project as a
replacement to their existing Palace Theatre after work had
already started. The fact that I have not been able to locate an
operator who had commissioned this cinema in the first place
suggests like a lot of 1930s cinemas it may have been built
speculatively, on the almost certain basis that if the local operator
did not buy it one of his competitors would be very keen instead.
Gaumont's own architect W E Trent is thought to have made a
few last minute modifications to the plans, but how extensive were
the changes is not known. The cinema opened on 16th May
1938, with Guest of Honour actress Margaret Lockwood. The
opening film attended by a full house of 825 in stalls and circle
was 100 Men and a Girl. Proceeds from the opening were
donated to Chepstow & District Hospital. The Palace had been
closed by this time, after all one cinema was enough for
Chepstow.
The new cinema did indeed retain the facade of the old
banqueting hall who's large oval windows can still be seen today.
These windows would have allowed plenty of light into the well
appointed lounge. The foyer was painted in shades of peach
and fawn with red terrazzo floor, with a staircase leading to the
circle. The auditorium featured diagonal colour bands running
down the walls and ceiling, the proscenium was 25' wide and
flanked by narrow columns with grilles to either side.
The cinema opened with British Acoustic sound and Magnus
projectors.
photograph of
Chepstow
Gaumont taken
by John Maltby.
Perhaps the
furthest
entrance with
the lamp
overhead, was
access to the
front stalls.
Photo:
Cinema
Theatre
Association
Gaumont cinemas were sold as a circuit to Bernard Thomas Davis, Lombard House, Great Charles Street,
Birmingham. He immediately renamed the cinema Regal, although registered a company to run it as
Chepstow Picture House Ltd, so perhaps the final name was a last minute decision. Whether Gaumont had
already installed CinemaScope is not clear, however the projectors had been changed to BTH Supas.
Perhaps one reason for selling off their smaller cinemas was to reduce the cost of installation nationally.
Certainly soon after becoming the Regal, the cinema boasted a 25' by 17' CinemaScope screen.
The cinema finally closed under the same ownership on 3rd April 1971. The cinema then gradually became
derelict and an eyesore. The auditorium was used for a while as a warehouse with a shop in the foyer. In
1972 Bordergate Securities Ltd purchased the property and wanted to demolish the cinema for a three
storey office block, but went into liquidation in 1976. Finally the auditorium was demolished in 1989 to make
way for shops and the front section, originally the banqueting hall is now a bank.
church, the modern looking St Michael's with an adjoining church
hall. Situated on Burnt Barn Road, the church has unfortunately
closed, and is now a pub.
In 1971 Mr J Bonner of Ross on Wye ran film shows here. Whether
these shows were part of Sunday school activities or had wider
appeal is not clear, but the Cinematograph licence specifically
restructs the number of children to 285.
the main entertainment venue for Cheptow. In March 1973,
perhaps having given up his film shows at St Michael's Mr J Bonner
of Ross on Wye runs film shows here for about a year. The Regal
up the road had closed by this time.
Palace Theatre
population considerably and in response to that demand a temporary cinema was constructed on the site
of the old Globe Inn on Bridge Street. Early photographs suggest the frontage of the Inn may have been
retained with an auditorium built behind. The man behind this project was Albany Ward.
The cinema opened in July 1918, with only 424 seats, the first film was The Whip there was also live acts in
the programme. The proscenium was 18' wide. Soon after opening the Chepstow Amateur Operatic
Society chose the Palace as the venue for their production of The Gondoliers. A surviving programme at
Gwent Records Office notes "By arrangement with Mr Albany Ward". All the scenery used was by Mr Pyre
"of Albany Ward Studios". The society must not have been very impressed as they never used the Palace
again.
Albany Wards operations were merged with Provincial Cinematograph Theatres in the 1920s and were
taken over by Gaumont-British in February 1929, none of this appears to have resulted in improvements
to the "temporary cinema". So when plans were announced for a new cinema in Beaufort Square Albany
Ward and Gaumont soon seized the opportunity to replace the Palace, which closed on 7th May 1938.
The site was subsequently redeveloped as Davis Court.