The Gaumont -
Oxford Street
I must have visited the Gaumont
on more than one occasion but the one film that I remember seeing
there was Lawrence of Arabia. I particularly remember the length
of the queues in the
intermission as people sought drinks, "drinks on a stick" and ice
creams to quench their terrible thirst. As the huge auditorium
filled up, the great Hammond Organ rose up out of the floor infront of
the
screen to keep us entertained. This was in the days when a full
house meant an audience of more than 2000 people and the house was
regularly full.
The cinema was designed by the architectural practice of William T. Benslyn and James Morrison. The "Cinema Treasures" website says that its exterior was "...in the Italian Renaissance style and clad in faiance tiles. The entrance portion was dominated by one of the largest neon displays in the city, the Gaumont name alone was four foot high, and below this there was a triple bordered panel which could take up to 12 rows of 18 inch letters in red neon announcing the attractions."
If the outside was impressive the inside was lush. Designed by Theodore Komisarjevsky, the Russian theatrical director who had an interest in architecture, it featured a coffered ceiling and gold grillwork on the side walls. The front of the circle was curved and fluted. There were 1000 seats in the circle and another 1300 in the stalls. The "Long Bar" was located on the Great Bridgewater Street side of the building and at 60 feet in length it was aptly named.
A - Palace Theatre B - St. James Building C - The Picture House
D - The Gaumont E - The Tootal Broadhust Building
The cinema was designed by the architectural practice of William T. Benslyn and James Morrison. The "Cinema Treasures" website says that its exterior was "...in the Italian Renaissance style and clad in faiance tiles. The entrance portion was dominated by one of the largest neon displays in the city, the Gaumont name alone was four foot high, and below this there was a triple bordered panel which could take up to 12 rows of 18 inch letters in red neon announcing the attractions."
If the outside was impressive the inside was lush. Designed by Theodore Komisarjevsky, the Russian theatrical director who had an interest in architecture, it featured a coffered ceiling and gold grillwork on the side walls. The front of the circle was curved and fluted. There were 1000 seats in the circle and another 1300 in the stalls. The "Long Bar" was located on the Great Bridgewater Street side of the building and at 60 feet in length it was aptly named.
The Gaumont is seen below
(labeled D) in this RAF aerial photograph taken in May of 1946.
A - Palace Theatre B - St. James Building C - The Picture House
D - The Gaumont E - The Tootal Broadhust Building
It sat on the site of the
former Hippodrome Theatre (see below) which had been demolished just 6
months before the completed Gaumont opened in December of 1935.
However, in 1973, the Odeon
(former Paramount Theatre) nearly opposite the Gaumont, closed for
twinning, reopening on the 25 January 1974 and less than one week
later, on the 28 January, the Gaumont closed. It lay boarded up until
the Rotters Nightclub opened
in the ground and basement levels with the
circle area disused and with a false ceiling at the balcony level.
This too closed and in 1990, arguably the finest cinema in Manchester
was completely demolished. It was replaced by a multi-storey NCP car
park (see below).