Brightonfilm


Directory of cinemas in Brighton & Hove

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Bijou Electric Empire

Unfortunately, we have found no images of this cinema.

Bijou Electric Empire (1911-c1922)
Duke of York's Cinema (c1922-1931)

High Street, Shoreham

1911 June Opened as the Bijou Electric Empire, operating six days a week, in a former boat-building shed with an iron roof and bare-earth floor (later replaced by boards), the equipment being powered by a gas engine in the yard outside. The front seats are plain wooden benches (2d), the rear seats benches with carpet tacked on (8d, 1s). The licensees are Messrs Cooke and Tulk, the lessee is Arthur Tulk (see also Prince's Cinema)
1913-1916 Used to view rushes of films made at Shoreham Beach by Sunny South Film Company.
1914 October 5 Already licensed to open on Sundays, the licensed hours for Sunday opening are changed from 20:00-22:00 to 18:30-21:00.
c1918 Lease is acquired by Sussex Picturedromes and by 1924 is renamed the Duke of York's Cinema.
1923 The proprietor is now Percy Wells.
1925 The manager is now L E Lacroix.
1929 September Sussex Picturedromes Ltd acquires the freehold for £1,050. The cinema is equipped for sound-on-disc reproduction.
1930 April Freehold is sold for £2,250 to E R Suter, owner of the adjacent boatyard, who leases it to A B Chipper. [Suter's Yard is a pub across Shoreham High Street from the location of the cinema.] Prices: 6d-1s 3d.
1931 August 5 Fire destroys all but one wall of the building at an estimated loss of £3,000. The cinema is not rebuilt.

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Page created 4 March 2018
© David Fisher