Picture Palace to Penny Plunge: Reading's Cinemas

David Cliffe was born at Macclesfield, Cheshire, in 1946, when there were five cinemas operating, all of which he remembers. He studied English language and medieval English literature at the University of Leeds followed by a postgraduate diploma in librarianship. He worked at the public library in Reading for the entirety of his career in a variety of posts, the last one being Local Studies Manager. This fitted well with his long-term interest in local history and in his retirement, David continues to work on the vast and extensive local studies collection at Reading Central Library, making more of it available on line by cataloguing and scanning, on a voluntary and unpaid basis. He is also Chairman of both the Berkshire Local History Association, and the History of Reading Society. In 1978, he wrote The Stranger in Reading: an Unofficial Guide, published by Reading Libraries, and Roots and Branches published by Two Rivers Press in 2007 to celebrate the centenary of the opening of Battle and Caversham Libraries. He has three books of Macclesfield history awaiting publication, the first of which, on street-names, is due to publish in 2017.

PART ONE. TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTSOptical IllusionThe Projection of ImagesPhotography FilmElectricityColourSound3-DWide ScreensI-MAX CinemasDigital ProjectionPART TWO. CINEMAS AND PERFORMANCESTravelling and Temporary Shows, 1897-1909Cinema in Theatres, 1907-The Cinematograph Act, 1909Adapted Cinemas, 1909-Purpose-Built Cinemas, 1911-Numbers of Cinemas and Seats, 1909-2009Prices of AdmissionMultiplexes, 1999-Ownership of CinemasSunday OpeningCensorshipProgrammesChildren's ProgrammesPianos, Organs and OrchestrasQueues, Tickets, Usherettes, Refreshments and SmokingClosure and Re-BirthPART THREE. THE PLACES WHERE FILMS WERE SHOWNTravelling Shows, 1897-1909Reading Town Halls, Blagrave Street, 1904-A. H. Bull's Department Store, 52-58 Broad Street, 1904The Palace Theatre, Cheapside, 1907-The Reading Picture Palace, 16 Cross Street, 1909The King's Hall (later Bio-Picture Land and the Standard Electric Theatre), 84 King's Road, 1909-c.1915The Vaudeville Electric Theatre (later the Gaumont), 47 Broad Street, 1909-1957West's Picture Palace, 37 West Street, 1909-c.1916The Royal County Theatre, 113 Friar Street, 1910-1937The Electric Automatic Vaudeville, 27 Broad Street, 1910The Empire Picture Theatre, Elm Park Road, 1911-c.1930The Caversham Electric Theatre (later the Glendale), Church Street, Caversham, 1911- 1977The Paragon Electric Theatre, 29 King's Road, 1911-c.1913The Howard Electric Theatre, Hosier Street, 1911-c.1913The Grand, 100-101 Broad Street, 1911-1922The London Street Pavilion, 112 London Street, from 1920The Tilehurst Cinema, 15 Victoria Road, Tilehurst, 1920-c. 1929The Central Picture Playhouse (later the ABC Central, the Cannon, and the MGM),Friar Street, 1921-1999The Pavilion (later the Gaumont), Oxford Road, 1929-1979The Granby (later the ABC Granby, and the ABC London Road), 1935-1982The Savoy, Basingstoke Road, 1936-1961The Odeon, Cheapside, 1937-1999The Rex, Oxford Road, 1937-1958The Regal, Church Street, Caversham, 1938-1958Reading Film Theatre, The Palmer Building, University of Reading, Whiteknights Park, 1970-Studio 1 and Studio 2 (Studio 1 later became Studio X), London Street, 1972-1978The Hexagon, 1977-The Warner Village (later the Vue), The Oracle, 1999-Outdoor CinemaSt. Martin's Precinct, Caversham?APPENDICESFilms Made in or near ReadingAmateur Film MakersFilm Actors and Directors with Reading connectionsList of Sources