![]() The building became a nightclub and is now is the home of the Cosmo restaurant. Its frontage is still quite recognisable. The Gaumont, opened in 1934, also had lives as the ABC Trocadero and Cannon before it too closed, in 1983. So, what became of all those wonderful palaces of entertainment? The Gaumont on London Road became the Odeon after the cinema of that name closed in 1965. The Alex, as we called it, closed in 1953 and became the Trocadero ballroom and then a bingo hall before being demolished to make way for flats. Other cinemas held their “tanner rush” on Saturday mornings. The Regal cinema opened in 1938 (Image: Derby Telegraph) The only downside, so far as I as concerned, was the continuous performance where the main film and the “B” movie (usually a black and white British cop drama), together with the newsreel, just kept rolling from 2pm until the stampede to beat the National Anthem at about 10pm. It would be impossible for today’s youngsters to imagine the thrill of going to the pictures in the 1950s.įew homes had a television set and fewer, if any, boasted the kind of luxury that greeted one at the cinema: central heating, bright lights, chandeliers, luxurious carpets – it was like stepping into another world. I am talking, of course, about the days when Derby boasted perhaps 20 cinemas, ranging from town-centre venues to suburban picture houses.Įven the notorious West End had its own cinema, the Popular, in Mill Street. It was never a matter of whether we should go, but rather where we should go. ![]() “Let’s go to the pictures.” It was an invitation that I never turned down. Here journalist and author Anton Rippon looks back to those halcyon days. Today, the industry is dominated by heavyweights such as Odeon and Showcase, but in the Golden Age of Hollywood there were far more to choose from. There was a time when Derby boasted an impressive 20 cinemas. ![]()
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