An artist's impression of the Gaiety at the time of its opening in 1937

The cinema after its closure. The neon-clad tower has gone and the cinema itself will soon go.

Gaiety Cinema (1937-1965)
Ace Cinema (1965-1968, 1969-1971)
Vogue Cinema (1971-1979)
Classic Cinema (1979-1980)

107-108 Lewes Road, Brighton
operated 1937-1980

1937 April 24 Opened by Sir Alfred Cooper Rawson MP. Owned by Gaiety (Brighton) Ltd, a company started by Arthur Edwards but joined by Randolph E Richards, who runs six other cinemas from his headquarters at the Picturedrome, Eastbourne. The cinema, designed by Frederick W Morgan, has a tower with six neon cascadesstanding over 50 feet high as part of the facade—creating a local landmark—and is in the grounds of the Allen Arms (later renamed the Counting Houseand then The Hub). The proscenium is 42ft wide, Westrex sound system. Car park with 300 places. Price: 6d, 1s, 1s 6d and 2s; 1,500 seats. First films are Swing Time and the world premiere of The King’s People, the film of the coronation of George VI.
c1940-1945 Army Kinema Corps used the cinema to provide screenings for troops stationed at the nearby Preston Barracks.
1948 Booked at Picturedrome, Eastbourne by Randolph E Richards; 1,500 seats, continuous performances from 14:00.
1949 Features in the opening sequence of The Adventures of Jane, representing a theatre.
1953 Now booked by Julian D Richards at the Picturedrome, Eastbourne.
1961 Three shows daily, three changes weekly, prices 2s-3s. Cinemascope.
1965 November Renamed the Ace Cinema.
1968 January Use for bingo.
1969 December Revived for cinema performances.
1971 Renamed the Vogue Cinema; programming changed to pornography with live strip shows.
1979 Renamed the Classic Cinema when the chain is acquired by Lew Grade’s Associated Communications Corporation, and reverts to family films in anticipation of the imminent closure of the Classic, Western Road (formerly the Curzon). After screening Can You Keep It Up for a Week? in the evening, Star Crash is shown at 23:00.
1980 October 31 closed.

• Gaiety Shop (confectionary) adjacent (109 Lewes Road) was under the same management.
• The road arrangement at the junction of Lewes Road, Bear Road, Hollingdean Road and Upper Lewes Road, created when the Sainsbury's superstore opened in 1984, is called the Vogue gyratory system in honour of the cinema during its mainly porn era—surely the only road system in the country with such a derivation.

Brighton cinema directory
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