Favourite Cinema

[zanygang]

My favourite cinema is the Duke of York's in Brighton.

It's certainly one of the oldest cinemas in Britain, it was opened in 1910. (The Electric Cinema in Birmingham first opened in 1909, but it wasn't always the Electric and it was closed for a long time. Whereas the Duke of York's has always been the Duke of York's and has been running continuously since it opened.)

It's a single screen cinema, and has more character than multiplexes. The staff are very friendly as well.

I'm also a Picturehouse member. This means I get a discount at all Picturehouse cinemas, I get to see three films for free and can use the free passes at any Picturehouse cinema, I don't have to pay a booking fee if I order tickets in advance, and I get a discount on food at the Ritzy cafe.

Duke of York's members also get to see free previews of some films. Last year they did at least half a dozen free films, so if you were a member you could have just seen the free previews plus your three free films and you wopuld have got your money's worth from the membership fee without paying anything on top of that.

The Ritzy have also done seasons of films on Sunday lunchtimes where Picturehouse members can get in for free. And because some of the Picturhouse cinemas were taking part in the London Film Festival, Picturehouse members, like BFI members, could book tickets a few days earlier than non-members.

[Brighton Bourne]

It is interesting to note that the chain that now owns the Duke of York's in Brighton, City Screen, was formed "to challenge the multiplex cinema model and provide cinemas in city centre locations that serve local communities". Despite being Britain's oldest surviving cinema, little information about the Duke's is given on the Cinema Treasures website.

Pictures of this gem of a cinema can be found using the following link

http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/gallery.aspx?venueId=doyb

You will notice that the cinema offers seating in the stalls and circle, 'sumptuous' sofas in the circle (balcony for US readers), a small but beautiful cafe-bar, and patrons can take their drinks purchased from the licensed bar into the audtorium (very rare in the UK).

From its opening in 1910 the Duke's served as the local cinema for people in that part of the town for many years. With the advent of television and UK cinema admissions falling dramatically, the Duke's survived being a second-run theatre but struggled throughout the 1960s and 1970s. At one time there were plans to turn the cinema over to bingo (which was the main alternative and economical use for defunct British cinemas) but the local council refused their application for a gaming licence. The future looked bleak for the Duke's in the 1970s but it was saved when purchased by an eccentric American who also operated a cinema in Oxford that did exceedingly good business playing arty farty films that appealled to students at Oxford University. The Duke's went from a second run cinema to an art house and attracted much local business, particularly from the nearby University of Sussex. It flourished for several years, offering a real alternative cinema experience, but then started to decline as they struggled to make a profit with a single screen. Plans were drawn up to add additional screens, including building into the fire station located next door, but these were rejected and then the owner lost interest. City Screen/Picturehouse Cinemas brought it in 1995 in a run-down condition. Under City Screen business soon built up again and they were able to restore the cinema so that it was in its best ever condition since opening 85 years previously.

With high overheads and still only a single screen cinema, it nevertheless manages to make a small surplus (perhaps helped by subsidiaries from membership dues and the British Film Council) but its owners are not sitting on a pool of cash and had to make a public appeal for funds to replace the cinema's roof recently.