Local Cinemas

Contents:

• General Points
• Cinemas Yesterday
• Cinemas Today
• Local Theatres

General Points

From the late 19th century, there were several local private cinemas – as listed below – which showed silent films.

The Cinematograph Act 1909 allowed county boroughs and county councils to grant licences to run cinemas, and prohibited public film shows in other than licensed premises. Dwelling houses, moveable venues, and places where films were shown for less than 6 days a year, were exempt from the licence.

By the end of World War I, almost every town in England had a cinema.

The talking pictures came to Halifax in 1929

The Sunday Entertainments Act [1932] regulated the opening and use of places for certain entertainments and for debates on Sundays in England.

Sunday presentations began in 1947.

During the 1950s, there were many local public meetings against the showing of films on Sundays

Many cinemas began to close from 1959 onwards

Cinemas Yesterday

Albert Theatre & Opera House, Brighouse Astra, Halifax B.O.S. Cinema, Cornholme Central Picture House, Elland Cinema de Luxe, Halifax Cosy Cinema, Halifax Cosy Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Electric Cinema, Halifax Electric Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Electric Theatre, Exley Electric Theatre, Halifax Empire Theatre, Brighouse Essoldo Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Gaumont cinema Gem Picture Theatre, Todmorden Gem, Halifax Hipperholme Picture House Ideal Cinema, Halifax Lyric Cinema, Halifax National Cinema, Halifax New Olympia Cinema, Todmorden

Odeon Cinema, Halifax Olympia Cinema, Todmorden Palace Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Palladium Cinema, Elland Palladium Cinema, Halifax Picture House, Halifax Picture Palace, Sowerby Bridge Pioneer Cinema, Lee Mount Regal Cinema, Halifax Regent Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Rex Cinema, Elland Ripponden Picturedrome The Ritz Cinema, Lee Mount Roxy Cinema, Sowerby Bridge Roxy de Luxe, Halifax Royal Electric Theatre & Hippodrome, Hebden Bridge Savoy Cinema, Brighouse Theatre de Luxe, Halifax Theatre de Luxe, Hipperholme Theatre Royal, Halifax Timson's Vue

Cinemas Today

Despite constant proposals about developments in Broad Street, there are no cinemas for general release films in Halifax

Films may still be seen at:

• Halifax Film Club
• The Rex Cinema, Elland
• Hebden Bridge Cinema & Theatre

Page Ref: MMC330

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