(The Empire Cinema) |
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{{ShortDescription|Closed cinema in Rothwell}} |
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|short description=The '''Rothwell Empire Cinema''' was a cinema that opened on 8th May 1913. The cinema closed between 1933 and 1935. |
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|short description=The Empire Cinema (as it was formerly known) was built in the early 1900's and opened for business on 8 May 1913, still presenting shows in 1929. Each ‘show’ consisted of silent films accompanied by a pianist, together with a ‘turn’ (live act). It closed in April 1932, which was recorded as the reason why the manager committed suicide by gassing on 3 May in his office. |
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| ⚫ | |long description=By October 1935, the cinema had been converted into the Empire Ballroom and was given a new modern façade. It was replaced by Blackburn Hall in 1959, which is now a community theatre and centre with a flat floored auditorium and new stage constructed behind the former screen proscenium. |
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|image=Leodis-ID-2018425 176604.jpeg |
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By October 1935 it had been converted into the Empire Ballroom and was given a new modern façade. |
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|caption=The Empire Cinema (undated.) |
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|attribution=By kind permission of Leeds Libraries, [https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/122720 Leodis.net].]] |
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|alt=A grainy black and white image of a street lined with buildings. On the street is a tram. A few people can be seen on the pavements. |
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|image=Uk-leeds-rothwell-blackburn hall history.png |
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|aka=Empire Ballroom |
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|alt=On the left you may see Blackburn Hall as it appears in Rothwell today. On the right you may see an image of the tram in Rothwell, in between The Empire Cinema and what is now known as The Black Bull public house. |
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|building type= |
|building type=Cinema |
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|status=Closed |
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|link=Blackburn Hall |
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|years built=20th century |
|years built=20th century |
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|open=1913-05-08 |
|open=1913-05-08 |
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|closed= |
|closed= |
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|owner=Rothwell Empire Ltd, Rothwell Public Service Ltd |
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|location=53.7489, -1.47602 |
|location=53.7489, -1.47602 |
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|street=Commercial Street |
|street=Commercial Street |
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|town=Rothwell |
|town=Rothwell |
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|postcode=LS26 0AW |
|postcode=LS26 0AW |
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|map icon=20th Icon.svg}} |
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}} |
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==History== |
==History== |
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The Rothwell Empire Cinema opened on the 8th May 1913 with a capacity of over 650. The opening was attended by local dignitaries, including councillors and clergy. The first manager was J. Maurice Woffenden.<ref>(The Bioscope, 1913)</ref> The price of a ticket in 1913 was 2d., 4d. or 6d. for adults and half price for children, expect for 2d. seats.<ref>(Skyrack Courier, 1913)</ref> In 2017, those prices would equate to approximately £0.65, £1.30 and £1.95.<ref>(Currency converter: 1270–2017, no date)</ref> |
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[[File:Leodis-ID-2018414 176580.jpeg|left|thumb|'''On the left, opposite the tram, is the Rothwell Empire Cinema.'''<br/> By kind permission of Leeds Libraries, [https://www.leodis.net/viewimage/122720 Leodis.net].]] |
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In July 1924, during a children's pageant, a piece of buring carbon fell from the limelight apparatus and set fire to a girl's dress. Her mother, Mrs. Hirst, said that she was unharmed.<ref>(Yorkshire Post, 1924)</ref> |
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==Your Memories== |
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In March 1931, the Rothwell Empire Cinema started showing 'talkies' (films with sound) using a Western Electric sound outfit, while also retaining its orchestra. There was a ceremony that was opened by Mrs Lunn J.P. to a packed house.<ref>(Yorkshire Evening Post, 1931)</ref> |
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{{Your Memories}} |
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On the 3rd May 1932, the manager of Rothwell Empire Cinema, Frederick William Taylor, was found dead in the cinema. The cinema had temporarily closed the prior Monday and Taylor was due to meet staff members at the Empire to settle various matters, however they found the Empire locked. Taylor did not return home and the cinema operator alerted the police. The police forced their way into the Empire and found Taylor lying next to a tube with a gas tap turned on.<ref>(Yorkshire Evening Post, 1932)</ref> An inquest ruled his death a suicide, caused by a fit of depression. It was noted that he had been worried about the cinema being closed the prior week.<ref>(Kinematograph Weekly, 1932)</ref> |
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The cinema was operated by the Rothwell Empire Ltd,<ref>(1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory, 1919, p.309)</ref> which also operated the Outwood Empire Cinema.<ref>(Hooley, no date)</ref> The company still operated the cinema until at least 1931<ref>(1931 Kinematograph Year Book, 1931, p.450)</ref> but by 1933 Rothwell Public Service Ltd operated the Rothwell Empire Cinema.<ref>(1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)</ref> |
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The cinema closed sometime between 1933 and 1935 as it is listed in the ''Kinematograph Year Book'' for 1933<ref>(1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)</ref> but is listed as closed in the 1935 year book.<ref>(1935 Kinematograph Year Book, 1935, p.546)</ref> |
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===Empire Ballroom=== |
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The Rothwell Empire Cinema was known as the Empire Ballroom by 29th October 1935, when the Yorkshire Post reported that [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Wood,_1st_Earl_of_Halifax Viscount Halifax] would speak at the Empire Ballroom the next evening in favour of general election candidate Gwendoline Beaumont.<ref>(Yorkshire Post, 1935)</ref> Beaumont was running against incumbent [[William Lunn]]. However, articles from after this date also refer to the building as Rothwell Empire. |
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===Blackburn Hall=== |
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''See main article: [[Blackburn Hall]]'' |
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[[File:Blackburn Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1294341.jpg|left|thumb|'''Blackburn Hall, which now stands on the site of the Rothwell Empire Cinema.''']] |
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*''1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory'' (1919). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/1920-kinematograph-year-book (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*''1931 Kinematograph Year Book'' (1931). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea1931kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*''1933 Kinematograph Year Book'' (1933). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea00kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*''1935 Kinematograph Year Book'' (1935). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea22unse (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*''The Bioscope'' (1913) ‘A Recent Rothwell Opening’, 29 May, p. 613. |
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*Currency converter: 1270–2017 (no date) ''The National Archives''. Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*Hooley, M. (no date) The Story Of Outwood Empire, ''Outwood Community Video''. Available at: https://outwoodcommunityvideo.co.uk/the-story-of-outwood-empire-2.html (Accessed: 25 May 2024). |
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*''Kinematograph Weekly'' (1932) ‘Rothwell Manager’s Suicide’, 12 May, no. 1308, vol. 183, p. 20. |
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*''Skyrack Courier'' (1913) ‘The Empire, Tram Terminus, Rothwell’, 20 June, p. 4. |
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*''Yorkshire Evening Post'' (1931) ‘Leeds Cinema Gossip’, 21 March, p. 5. |
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*''Yorkshire Evening Post'' (1932) ‘Manager Dead in Cinema’, 3 May, p. 9. |
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*''Yorkshire Post'' (1924) ‘The Fire Incident at the Rothwell Empire’, 18 July, p. 3. |
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*''Yorkshire Post'' (1935) ‘Viscount Halifax at Rothwell’, 29 October, p. 12. |
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{{Place nav}} |
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==External Links== |
==External Links== |
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*[https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6283 Rothwell Empire Cinema on Cinema Treasures] |
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Photo of tram obtained from the bottom of the following page: https://newwoodlesford.xyz/rothwell-a-short-history/ |
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*[https://www.wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk/wakefield-history/reports-on-lectures/three-worthy-women-of-wakefield/ Information on Gwendoline Beaumont] |
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Latest revision as of 04:24, 1 July 2024
The Rothwell Empire Cinema was a cinema that opened on 8th May 1913. The cinema closed between 1933 and 1935.
By October 1935, the cinema had been converted into the Empire Ballroom and was given a new modern façade. It was replaced by Blackburn Hall in 1959, which is now a community theatre and centre with a flat floored auditorium and new stage constructed behind the former screen proscenium.
History
The Rothwell Empire Cinema opened on the 8th May 1913 with a capacity of over 650. The opening was attended by local dignitaries, including councillors and clergy. The first manager was J. Maurice Woffenden.[1] The price of a ticket in 1913 was 2d., 4d. or 6d. for adults and half price for children, expect for 2d. seats.[2] In 2017, those prices would equate to approximately £0.65, £1.30 and £1.95.[3]
By kind permission of Leeds Libraries, Leodis.net.
In July 1924, during a children's pageant, a piece of buring carbon fell from the limelight apparatus and set fire to a girl's dress. Her mother, Mrs. Hirst, said that she was unharmed.[4]
In March 1931, the Rothwell Empire Cinema started showing 'talkies' (films with sound) using a Western Electric sound outfit, while also retaining its orchestra. There was a ceremony that was opened by Mrs Lunn J.P. to a packed house.[5]
On the 3rd May 1932, the manager of Rothwell Empire Cinema, Frederick William Taylor, was found dead in the cinema. The cinema had temporarily closed the prior Monday and Taylor was due to meet staff members at the Empire to settle various matters, however they found the Empire locked. Taylor did not return home and the cinema operator alerted the police. The police forced their way into the Empire and found Taylor lying next to a tube with a gas tap turned on.[6] An inquest ruled his death a suicide, caused by a fit of depression. It was noted that he had been worried about the cinema being closed the prior week.[7]
The cinema was operated by the Rothwell Empire Ltd,[8] which also operated the Outwood Empire Cinema.[9] The company still operated the cinema until at least 1931[10] but by 1933 Rothwell Public Service Ltd operated the Rothwell Empire Cinema.[11]
The cinema closed sometime between 1933 and 1935 as it is listed in the Kinematograph Year Book for 1933[12] but is listed as closed in the 1935 year book.[13]
Empire Ballroom
The Rothwell Empire Cinema was known as the Empire Ballroom by 29th October 1935, when the Yorkshire Post reported that Viscount Halifax would speak at the Empire Ballroom the next evening in favour of general election candidate Gwendoline Beaumont.[14] Beaumont was running against incumbent William Lunn. However, articles from after this date also refer to the building as Rothwell Empire.
Blackburn Hall
See main article: Blackburn Hall
References
- ↑ (The Bioscope, 1913)
- ↑ (Skyrack Courier, 1913)
- ↑ (Currency converter: 1270–2017, no date)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Post, 1924)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 1931)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Evening Post, 1932)
- ↑ (Kinematograph Weekly, 1932)
- ↑ (1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory, 1919, p.309)
- ↑ (Hooley, no date)
- ↑ (1931 Kinematograph Year Book, 1931, p.450)
- ↑ (1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)
- ↑ (1933 Kinematograph Year Book, 1933, p.495)
- ↑ (1935 Kinematograph Year Book, 1935, p.546)
- ↑ (Yorkshire Post, 1935)
- 1920 Kinematograph Year Book and Directory (1919). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/1920-kinematograph-year-book (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1931 Kinematograph Year Book (1931). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea1931kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1933 Kinematograph Year Book (1933). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea00kine (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- 1935 Kinematograph Year Book (1935). London: Kinematograph Publications Ltd. Available at: http://archive.org/details/kinematographyea22unse (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- The Bioscope (1913) ‘A Recent Rothwell Opening’, 29 May, p. 613.
- Currency converter: 1270–2017 (no date) The National Archives. Available at: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- Hooley, M. (no date) The Story Of Outwood Empire, Outwood Community Video. Available at: https://outwoodcommunityvideo.co.uk/the-story-of-outwood-empire-2.html (Accessed: 25 May 2024).
- Kinematograph Weekly (1932) ‘Rothwell Manager’s Suicide’, 12 May, no. 1308, vol. 183, p. 20.
- Skyrack Courier (1913) ‘The Empire, Tram Terminus, Rothwell’, 20 June, p. 4.
- Yorkshire Evening Post (1931) ‘Leeds Cinema Gossip’, 21 March, p. 5.
- Yorkshire Evening Post (1932) ‘Manager Dead in Cinema’, 3 May, p. 9.
- Yorkshire Post (1924) ‘The Fire Incident at the Rothwell Empire’, 18 July, p. 3.
- Yorkshire Post (1935) ‘Viscount Halifax at Rothwell’, 29 October, p. 12.