Devon Cinema Gazetteer

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KINGSBRIDGE

Palace

The Palace was the first cinema in Kingsbridge and was a conversion of an existing building.  Access was via a very narrow lane known as Piggy-Wigg Lane, now known as Quay Lane.  The cinema was operated by J Anderson & Sons using Mihaly sound and closed in 1936 when the Regal opened. Today the building has been converted into flats, but the double doors on the ground floor that acted as entrances and exits are still visible.   There is also a small window that may have been a pay box.  The cinema was on the first floor.

Regal

Opened on 01.02.1933 with Tonights the Night, this cinema was built and run by William Edward Noyce until his death in 1963.  The builders were Messrs W J C Scoble & Sons Ltd of Kingsbridge.  Initially only a small cinema it was expanded in 1936 into the adjoining Island House.   The property always contained shops and flats as well as the cinema.   There was 300 seats and British Talking Picture sound system.  The proscenium was 18' wide. In the late 1950s CinemaScope was installed 18' by 9' and in the 1960s was run by Mr Noyce's son Timothy under the name Regal Cinema (Kingsbridge) Ltd until closure on 27.10.1973 with Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs.  The reason for closure was increased costs, dropping attendance and lack of good films.  On duty as usherette from the opening night to the closing night was Emily Wood, who was 86 when the cinema closed.

Recently the exterior of the building has been dramatically altered.  The 4 storey block on the left which contained the entrance and projection box has been extended to create flats.  The middle section has been extended and windows added. Internally the bingo operation continues as it has since the 1960s, with the auditorium said to be intact.

The closing advertisment for Kingsbridge Regal.

Town Hall Cinema & Theatre ~ Reel Cinema

Since the early 1980s the lovely Town Hall, Fore Street Kingsbridge has been operated as a cinema/theatre.  This part time venue was operated by South Hams Theatre & Arts Trust.  In the 1990s they improved the cinema with new screen and projection however as a part time cinema its popularity was restricted. However in 2000 the Trust surrendered their lease to Phil Pritchard who has created a new full time  cinema and bar/cafe called the Reel Cinema which has proven very successful.  It opened with Galaxy Quest on 20th May 2000 with 200 seats.  The projectors came from the cinema in Looe, Cornwall when it closed down.

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