Premier Electric / Curzon Cinema, Duckett's Common circa 1910

Comment by matt on February 7, 2008 at 22:11

OMG! Is that the building at the bottom of Frobisher Rd? If it is that is a real treat to see it as it was. It is such a shame to see it used as it is now.

Those railings look like the current ones in Duckets Common which would mean they have been there for 100 years! No wonder they're falling apart and fail H&S regs.

Thanks for this photo Hugh. It's a real gem.

Comment by alistairj on April 14, 2008 at 23:39

Eh? What is going on here - the building has changed shape?

The side view is a better match - it looks like somebody at some point thought an 'art deco' front would be much more suitable (in the 30s maybe?, there is quite a lot of it in the area) and plonked one on the front...

The building was used for 'laserquest' gaming about 15 years ago before the current church took the building on.

(Matt, it looks like the railings have changed but need to be changed again!)

Comment by Hugh on April 15, 2008 at 3:32

Hey, thanks for that A. I've never looked. I'd thought the place had been rebuilt. Actually it looks like most of the frontage is the old one, slightly remodelled with only the top part added as completely new.

Comment by Birdy_Too on April 15, 2008 at 13:17

Its all very Art Deco and may have changed around the twenties?

Comment by matt on April 15, 2008 at 16:49

Hey detective A, good job! Looks like you're right about the railings.

Comment by StephenBln on April 19, 2008 at 11:21

This photo must have been taken at the opening of the cinema in 1910 as mentioned on this photo and not in 1905. This was just a month before the King died.

Comment by Hugh on April 19, 2008 at 11:29

You're probably right. 1910 seems to have been the year several of the earliest cinemas opened, including Notting Hill's Electric (Although they claim December 1909..hmmmmmmm). I've corrected the date.

Comment by Sandi on April 19, 2008 at 12:48

I feel sick...
Complete bastardization of a beautiful building. And Hugh, picking up on your comment in the 'Queens Head & Premier Electric Cinema, circa 1915' thread, I too tried a few years back to talk to someone at Liberty Church about how they got their hands on such a prime building, but got nowhere.

Comment by Hugh on April 19, 2008 at 12:55

This morning I heard back from the Cinema & Theatre Association about the magazine With an article that I've been chasing on this cinema. (They seem to be based in Wood Green). So I've ordered th article and we'll see what we learn from there. I also asked if they knew how to contact the owners so we can get a looksee.

Comment by Hugh on April 19, 2008 at 14:49

Ok, here's another photo that came with some additional info.

First, here's the data Stephen H posted on the Queens Head & Premier Electric Cinema, circa 1915 photo with some additions from me:-

Opened 16 April 1910 as the Premier Electric Theatre
Architects, Emden, Egan and Co.
Seating Capacity, 650 Telephone: MOUntview 1070

1941: Renamed the Regal
1959, 4 October: Renamed the Essoldo having been bought by the Essoldo chain who also owned the Coliseum on Green Lanes.
1963, 21 November: Became the Vogue bingo club. Latsed only three months (whilst the bingo at the Coliseum introduced at around the same time continued).
1964, 15 February: Became the Curzon cinema with a reduced seating capacity of 500
1989: Closed.
1990: Became the Quasar game centre
1996: Short-lived occupation by the Edmonton-based Church of Destiny.
1997, 31st October: Opened as the New Curzon, showing Asian films.
Not sure when it closed.

I now have a copy of the article about the cinema. Stepehn's data is confrimed by that article. It also says that the Electric Notting Hill opened in December 1910. At the time, the article was written, in 1999, the Curzon was the oldest working cinema in London.

What a shame it died.

And also a programme from its first year of operation:

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