Plymouth, Cinemas | Camel's Head Picture Palace

PLYMOUTH
DATA
www.plymouthdata.info

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

CINEMAS

CAMEL'S HEAD PICTURE PALACE

Updated: 30 August 2011

On the northern extremity of Devonport is the district known as Camel's Head. It was at the beginning of the 20th century very much a working class area filled with dockyardees. For entertainment they had to catch a tram to Morice Square, Devonport, in order to visit the cinemas and theatres there.

Camel's Head did, however, have an Assembly Hall and it was this that was turned into the Camel's Head Picture Palace. According to a newspaper report, the Chief Constable together with Mr C Stowe of the Borough Surveyor's Department had visited the premises but they were 'at present in a very incomplete state'.

The Camel's Head Assembley Rooms that became the Camel's Head Picture Palace, Plymouth

He could not recommend the adoption of the plans as there was shown an emergency exit opening on the roadway between the Camel's Head Inn and the picture show and this was objectionable as it opened on to 'what was practically licensed premises'. However, in due course, on September 12th 1911, a licence was granted to Mr Edwin John Brindley of Ann's Place, Stoke.

In May 1916 the licence for the Camel's Head Picture Palace had passed from Mr Henry Slater to Mr Gwyther Eastlake Prance. He immediately set about extending the premises and renamed it the Camel's Head Cinedrome.

Sources:

[1]