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Issue 75 / 2015
FILM
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The "birthplace of British cinema" has been restored to its former glory
Regent Street Cinema has reopened 35 years after it was closed to the public following
the completion of a three-year restoration project. All art deco features have been
retained, as has the domed ceiling and the original 1936 John Compton organ, which
was used to soundtrack silent films. The 16mm film projector installed in the cinema will
also allow the cinema to screen footage that is rarely seen thanks to many venues only
working with digital.
The cinema was the first place to show moving pictures in Britain – 40 seconds of grainy,
silent footage shot by the Lumière Brothers was screened to a paying audience in 1896.
In the 1900s photographer Alfred West screened his pioneering nautical films at the
cinema, and it also showed many popular travelogue films. It was also the first cinema in
the UK to show an X-rated film, screening La Vie Commence Demain in 1951.
The cinema's director Shira Macleod has said it is risky to open an independent cinema
but she hopes to use the independence to embrace the venue's history. Speaking about
the programming, she said, "I'd like to be able to show a lot of silent films with music
and I'd like to show a lot of archive material, I'd like to show some Lumière Brothers
films. I really want to support British films, I want this to be a place for British films to be
released because I really feel that British films are not supported and I want to carry on
doing double bills."
So next time you fancy catching a film on a Friday night, head down to the Regent Street
Cinema and experience the real deal.
Regent StReet Cinema ReopenS!
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@ElVaqueroLondon
