Prince Charles Cinema in London / United Kingdom

 

The Prince Charles Cinema is not an average movie theater. It's one of the most famous movie theaters in UK.

The building was built by Richard Costain Limited for Alfred Esdaile and designed by Carl Fisher and Associates, originally functioned as a theatre. Later it was reinvented as a kind of soft porn cinema, and began showing European arthouse movies. By the 1980s it also showed horror films. 

The Prince Charles was taken over by Robins Cinemas in April 1991, and became largely a repertory cinema. It shows a rotating programme of cult, arthouse, and classic films on two screens (300 and 104 seats). It also regularly hosts a sing-a-long version of The Sound of Music, as well as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room. The cinema has achieved a cult status amongst moviegoers and filmmakers.

The postcard is a work by Daniel Battams. In 2023, the cinema was threatened with closure, the artist supported with a new print the PCC.

The canopy above the cinema is not only used for regular advertising for films, also for sports and cult film quotes or other current messages. For instance in 2023 the cinema announced that it had no intention of changing its name after the coronation of Prince Charles.

Odeon in Harrogate / United Kingdom

The Odeon in Harrogate opened on 28th September 1936. The one hall had a total of 1,647 seats -  1,049 in the stalls and 598 in the circle.

First shown movie was the British comedy film Where’s Sally. 

Oscar Deutsch (1893-1941) was the owner of this cinema and the founder of Odeon Cinemas in 1928. 

1937, there were 250 Odeons, including the flagship cinema in Leicester Square, London, making Odeon one of the three largest cinema chains in the United Kingdom.

Like the majority of Odeon's cinemas, the Odeon Harrogate was built in the Streamlined Moderne style and was designed by Harry Weedon and W Calder Robson. Harry Weedon (1887-1970) became involved with the Odeon chain in 1934 and his company produced designs for some of the finest buildings of the period. Influenced by the work of Erich Mendelsohn and Hans Poelzig – the Odeons "taught Britain to love modern architecture".

The auditorium of Odeon Harrogate was divided in August 1972 with screen 1 forming the former circle and the front stalls with seating for 532 and screen 2 and 3 formed under the circle with 108 seats each. In 1989, the circle and front stalls were separated into 2 screens making 4 in total. Odeon Harrogate has since been modernised and has 5 screens today.

The building was awarded Grade-II listed status on 24 May 1988.

The postcard is a PHQ card (PHQ 178). PHQ (Postal Headquarters) cards are postcards issued by the British Post Office and represent the motifs of their commemorative stamps. 

This Postcard (and stamp) were issued in 1996 in a series of 5 stamps on the topic 100 Years of Cinema.

Empire Cinema in Sandwich / United Kingdom

 

The Empire Cinema in Sandwich / County of Kent writes on its website: "On 26th June, 1937 the Empire Cinema in Sandwich opened its doors for the first time. The films chosen for the original opening performance were Trust the Navy starring Lupino Lane and Craig's Wife starring Rosalind Russell as well as a coloured rhapsody plus the Gaumont British News. The cinema was described as a modern, up to date and luxurious building situated in a prominent position near to the Guildhall in the centre of the town. The auditorium was of spacious design seating 600 people in total in the circle and stalls areas.

Now the cinema, which re-opened in 1993, is operational in the former circle section of the building and has still retained the art deco architecture and can accommodate 130 people. The auditorium has been completely re-seated with more comfortable and luxurious seats and the original decorative neon lighting has been restored to the frontage of the theatre.

The latest digital projection equipment has been installed with Dolby digital sound. This will now enable the cinema to obtain and screen the latest film releases in this new improved format. In addition, it is planned to present cultural live shows of opera, ballet and theatre content on a regular basis in 2014. The arrival of digital cinema will provide our audience with a wide choice of entertainment with the added enjoyment of enhanced viewing.

The Lounge section is situated in the original stalls area and has been refurbished with comfortable chairs and tables and a maple dance floor installed in front of the cinema stage. A fully licensed bar is now available in the Lounge. A popular attraction in this area has been the monthly classic cinema presentations."

I got this postcard from Laura. The view of the cinema was painted by John C. Burrows. 

Thank you very much, Laura!

New Victoria Cinema in London/United Kingdom

I got this perfect card from Marleen from Belgium via Postcrossing: A view of the New Victoria Cinema in London. I think the photo is from the 1930s.
The building is across from London Victoria Station and today known as Apollo Victoria Theatre. 
The theatre opened as the New Victoria Cinema on 15 October 1930 with the movie Old English (United Kingdom, 1930), plus a stage show Hoop-La. It was designed for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT) by William Edward Trent and Ernest Wamsley Lewis.
The interior is unique and a testament to art deco design.
Seating capacity was originally for 2,860, with 1,076 in the balcony. The stage designed for cine-variety  measures 22.56 metres by 7.32 metres. 
Film entertainment ended here on 1st November 1975 with the double bill: Legend of the Werewolf  (United Kingdom, 1975) and Vampire Circus (United Kingdom, 1972).
The Apollo Victoria became in 1981 a venue for musical theatre, beginning with The Sound of Music, Starlight Express from 1984 to 2002, now the musical Wicked since 2006.
The Apollo Victoria is one of the UK’s best preserved 1930’s ‘super cinemas’ and its unique design and excellent condition fully justify its Grade II* Listed building status which was bestowed by English Heritage in 1972. A real cinema treasure.
Dank u, Marleen!