Curzon 1983

Comment by Jeremyb on September 3, 2021 at 7:07

Now the Liberty Church. That nice deco handrail is not there now unfortunately.

Comment by Ken Stevens on September 3, 2021 at 7:51

Wasn't that elegant in the earlier years that I occasionally went there! [1960s]

Comment by Christopher Fowler on September 3, 2021 at 8:43

It really was art deco, wasn't it? The curving front of the ticket desk, and the peach/pink paint, are typical of that style. 

Comment by Ian Christie on September 3, 2021 at 9:35

It started life as the Premier Electric, in the 'teens. There's good photo of it, with film posters that allow dating. But this 80s pic, with a poster for MYRIAM, a dubbed German 'adult movie' typical of the period, shows how cinemas like this kept going... 

Comment by Hugh on September 3, 2021 at 9:44

Click the tag for the cinema, under the photo, to see images of the building over the years. 

Comment by Ian Christie on September 3, 2021 at 11:18

Wow! That's quite a gallery on this humble cinema/church. I once wrote the imagined history of a Russian cinema, from the 20s to the 90s. Might be worth trying this for the Premier Electric?

Comment by Hugh on September 3, 2021 at 12:00

Humble it may be, but when it was opened by Electric Theatres in 1910, it was amongst the earliest cinemas to be established. 

I'd love to see that story, Ian. Jeremyb who started this morning's comments is Jeremy Buck who wrote a great little book about Haringey's cinemas back in 2010. He'd make a great collaborator for you! I imagine the book is staill available from theHornsey Historical Society. 

PS: Back in 2008, I also wrote up the history of the Prermier Electric and other Harringay Cinemas on Wikipedia. 

Comment by Richard Woods on September 3, 2021 at 12:05

Physically very like it was in the 50s when it was the Regal; we lived three doors up. I recall maroon flock wallpaper and heavy, dark oak on the kiosk. Used to pop in for ices, sweets and to buy Mum and Dad's fags!

Comment by Ian Christie on September 3, 2021 at 12:16

Thanks Hugh. Of course I know Jeremy's excellent book, indeed was present at HHS when it was launched. Not sure how best to share by Russian history - it's in a journal that was never digitised. But can run off some photocopies. The 'life story' of cinema buildings is interesting, since showing movies often turns out to have been only part of it. Some started as roller-skating rinks, then became cinemas, before turning into - well, churches, pubs, and in Russia car showrooms. I also wrote a piece about their ghostly presence in small towns in Australia.

Comment by patrick byrne on September 4, 2021 at 20:43

The dramatic entrance to a cinematic wonderland! Probably in its last days as a cinema in 1983?

You can just feel the sticky carpet in the entrance hall - probably there from the beginning by the look of it. And note the piece of carpet taped down at the kiosk and the tape on the edges of the stairs - probably all worn right through. 

I did go there in earlier years (1960s) - in more innocent times.

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