Cornwall Cinema Gazetteer

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PERRANPORTH

Gone but not forgotten:        Cinema

A cinema operated around 1927 in Perranporth known simply as The Cinema.  It was run by A E Hamblin until the Palace opened 1929.

Gone but not forgotten:        Palace

This small cinema opens around 5th August 1929, seating 296 in stalls and 72 in a balcony.   There were limited stage facilities including 2 dressing rooms and the stage was 12' deep.   During the 1930s occasional plays were put on at the Palace.  The Proscenium width was 20'.

The modernised interior of the Perranporth Palace around 1955

The original plans were for a single floor, but a later amendment added the balcony although the original Cinematograph Licence states that the Gallery must not be used.  The frontage faced Perranporth Hotel and was unusual in that it had three sides, There was a shop unit set into the walls either side of the entrance.  The plans were drawn up for Messrs Menadue and Thomas, but Rowland Hill of the Palace, Truro had soon taken over.  In 1942 it came to Cornwall Cinemas (Newquay) Ltd, a company that operated several cinemas in the county, but as far as I know none in Newquay.  Other owners included Riviera Cinemas and J A Makinson. The sound system installed was Brown Sound, and with the installation of CinemaScope and "modernisation" in 1955 the proscenium was demolished and replaced with an enlarged opening of 30'.   This work was carried out by Fosters (Decoration & Curtains) Ltd who remodeled the entire interior.  The proscenium had a curved slab running along the top and partly down each side.  The same design was over the exit doors and contained concealed up lights.  The colour scheme was Dusk Rose, grey & cream on fluting, apricot on the walls and bright claret dado to match the new claret curtains    It is believed to have closed sometime during the late 1960s and became an indoor model car racing circuit until demolition during the 1990s.

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