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Please scroll down for Astoria and Regal Purley
Classic South Croydon
(Please scroll down for Astoria & Regal, Purley)
Situated in the row between the Swan & Sugarloaf pub, and Bartlett Road
I was told that this building started life as a Salvation Army hall
Whether this is true I can not verify, but it opened as a cinema on Saturday November 26th 1910 as the
Swan Electric Cinema
October 1911 it was acquired by the James Watt circuit and renamed the Central Hall
Was renamed the Dome in 1927, and closed about 1929
Reopened in 1932 as the Savoy, but closed again in 1933
In 1934 it was brought by Sam Seeman, and he had the cinema modernised by the architect Norman Evans
and reopened on September 3rd of that year
The name was changed to Unique Cinema
A local competition was held to find another name, and the final choice was Classic
This was the start of the highly successful Classic circuit
Seated 400 people with six allowed standing at the rear of the stalls
In the centre of the stalls there was a pillar that supported the front of the circle
A seat was positioned behind this pillar, and was a favourite with the usherette to any customer who upset them
This was the last cinema in the Croydon area to have a nitrate film licence, and the council insisted that we had automatic film fire extinguishers fitted to the machines. See Ritz Leicester Sq
These were set off, if the film caught fire, by a piece of gun cotton, about an inch long. This was positioned above the top loop
This fuse would burn rapidly and melt a celluloid band that held the sprung arms of a spiked plunger in place
This spike would then pierce the top of a cylinder of powder, and smother the film fire, and at the same time shut off the power to the projector, and arc
We were also only allowed to have 4000 ft of nitrate film in the box at any one time i.e. two reels
When showing nitrate films we were required to burn any off cuts that we had before throwing them in
the dust bin
This was done in the upturned lid of a dust bin, kept especially for this purpose, in the alleyway behind the cinema
Nitrate film would burn at about twelve inches per second
The rewind room was built on the roof to the right of the box roof
A mercury arc rectifier was housed in the basement under the foyer
The secondary lighting was originally gas, but was converted to 6vdc about 1957
Light bulbs for this were brought from the garage next door.
Some cars still had 6v electrics at this time
The screen masking was altered, by hand, with a winch in a cupboard at the side of the stage
This was operated in full view of the audience
This was a free entertainment for them as when they saw the projectionist at this cupboard they would often
give a cheer
The masking was only fixed at the top, so you had to be sure not to turn the handle too fast otherwise it would swing backwards and forwards for about 30 secs
This also pleased the audience.
We should have got equity payments
Closed 22nd September 1973
The building is still standing and has been used as a Restaurant, and is now a Pub (Classic Pub)
Please click on photo for larger view
 Kalee 12
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 Projection room plan
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 Programme November 1967
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Astoria, High Street, Purley, Surrey
Owned by Astoria (Purley) Ltd
(HJM Cinemas Ltd)
Architect F. C. Mitchell
Built in 1933/4 taking only 20 weeks to construct
with a car park behind the Gas Company Offices opposite
Entry to car park was down Russell Hill Place
Seated 1470 people
The Stage was 12ft deep, and 34ft wide
Three dressing rooms
Opened 2nd April 1934 with the double bill
'The Way to Love' starring Maurice Chevalier
and 'Ever in my Heart' Staring Barbara Stanwyck
In February 1949 the Astoria was taken over by the Shipman & King Circuit
Cinemascope was installed in November 1954, and the first film shown in this format was 'The Black Shield of Falworth'
It had a Compton organ of 3/14, or 3c/5 rank, depending who you listen to,and the first resident organist
was Robin Richmond
In 1974 the organ was removed and installed at the Ballerup Hall, East Kilbride
It was removed in 1977 to a private residence in Carluke
The cinema was sold to ATV Television, and then to EMI in the 1960s
Tripled by E.M.I about 1974
Later became a member of the Cannon circuit, then MGM and finally ABC
Closed 1999
Demolished February/March 2000
Please click on photo for larger view
Photographs taken between 1961 to 1966 unless otherwise stated
 View from roof
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 F.O.H
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 F.O.H
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 Lighting board
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 Westar projector
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 Projection room plan
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 Site of Astoria today 2003
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Regal (ABC Associated British Cinemas) Purley, Surrey
92/98 Brighton Road
Between the Funeral Directors, and Curtis Dairies, now absorbed into part of the Telephone exchange
Associated British Cinemas
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The first name in entertainment, was founded in 1928 by John Maxwell a Scottish solicitor
John Maxwell
It was originally made up by combining his three Scottish circuits
Scottish Cinema & Variety Theatres,
Savoy Cinemas,
and Favourite Cinemas
At one time the circuit had over 500 cinemas throughout the UK, a Film Studio at Elstree, and ABC Television
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The ABC Regal Purley opened on Monday February 26th 1934
Seated 1578 people
The architect was Harold S. Scott
Owned by Colonel J. Baldwin-Webb
Leased to the ABC circuit six months after opening
Part of the leasing agreement stated that no alteration, not even a hole drilled in a wall, was to
to be undertaken without the consent of the owner
As the owner lived in Birmingham, and never visited the cinema, this condition was observed
to the letter at all times
(If you believe this you will believe anything)
The opening programme was
'I Live With You'
'Her First Mate'
Mickey Mouse cartoon ' Building a Building'
There was a large cafe that was later used by the Yates Williams School of Dancing
The cafe kitchen remained, but not in use except for tea making by the school staff, and was unusual in
that it contained two large wooden sinks made of Oak
These had to be kept damp, by leaving about 2 inches of water in the bottom, at all times to prevent
the wood drying out and splitting
In 1974 ABC brought the freehold for £75,000, and also the freehold of the two adjoining
shops (Sub Post Office, and Confectionary) for an extra £25,000
The alteration rule now no longer applied, and cables were happily run through the
building for the installation of a projector Shut Down system (ACOP) in the case of carbon arc or film failure
(ACOP - Automatic Control Of Projector, or Projectionist)
This system rang a bell in the Foyer, Managers Office, Plenum room, Boiler House, or
Projection Staff Room to alert the projectionist to any trouble
Other ABCs with names changed them to just ABC cinema, but the Regal never did this
It remained the Regal, with the ABC triangle logo on the Front of House, (see photo FOH) until demolition
I believe that this was part of the freehold purchase conditions
The Regal was brought by EMI, along with all the other ABC cinemas, about 1969/70
Closed as a cinema February 16th 1974 and became a bingo hall, and remained so until 1998
Demolished 1998
Emi (pronounced Emmy) the projection room cat
Please click on photo for larger view
Photographs taken between 1966 to 1973 unless otherwise stated
 FOH about 1970
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 Projection room
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 Chief Projectionist
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 Auditorium
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 Projection room plan
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 Sound of Music
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 Typical film time sheet
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 RCA valve sound rack
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 Ross GC3
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 Cinema demolition
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 Site of Regal
2003
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Please click on photo for larger view