PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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THEATRE DE LUXE The Theatre De Luxe was situated at number 166 Union Street, Plymouth. It was reputedly the first provincial cinmea to be built by Messrs Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd when they expanded out of London. It was opened before an invited audience on the afternoon of Saturday April 10th 1909. The resident manager at that time was Mr H W Knowles. Comfortable tip-up chairs were arranged on each side of a central gangway in the sloping auditorium. It was decorated in red and white and even the electric lights down the sides of the theatre were of those colours. The 'operating chamber' was over the entrance and it was fireproofed. Its adverts claimed that it was 'the last word in cinematography' and that there was 'absolutely no waiting' with continuous performances from 2pm until 11pm. A full programme of films was shown, the chief one being of Edgar Allen Poe composing his well-known poem "The Raven". During the first week adults were charged 3d, children 2d. The hour-long programme was to be changed twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. From Monday April 19th 1909 the admission prices were changed: from 2pm until 5pm adults paid 6d and children 3d. After 5pm this was reduced to 3d and 2d. In 1912 the Theatre De Luxe was completely refurbished and redecorated in an up-to-date manner and the management proudly announced that in future a vacuum cleaner would be used twice a week. But towards the end of that decade Mr Harry Knowles was having problems there that even a vacuum cleaner could not deal with. It would seem that he had entered into a management partnership with none other than Mrs Jessie Eugene Boultwood, the wife of Mr Sydney Boultwood, of the Picture House in George Street. A dispute arose between them and the matter went to court. As a result, on Tuesday October 15th 1918 it was announced in the local press that he and his entire staff had 'transferred their services' to the St James's Hall. Mrs Boultwood and a Mrs Lowe, wife or widow of the owner of the premises, made some alterations to the cinema later in 1919 and the licence was transferred to a Mr William Ewart Sharp. The Theatre De Luxe was advertised as 'The Original High Class Kinema in Greater Plymouth', a reference to its being the first purpose-built cinema in the area. Over the next few years the licence was held by Mr Cecil Frost; Mr Sydney Boultwood; Mr Gilbert H Smith; and Mr Horace Edward Jones before Mr Harry Knowles returned to the Theatre in 1923. Sometime after June 1923 the Theatre De Luxe was closed and the builidng was taken over by Messrs P Pike & Company Ltd, motor cycle dealers.
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