The Embassy Cinema is a former

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

in the town of

Chadwell Heath Chadwell Heath is an area in East London, England. It is split between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Redbridge, around west of Romford and east of Ilford, and north-east of Charing Cross. History Topon ...

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

.Odeon Chadwell Heath, Cinema Treasures Guide
/ref> It was once known, among locals, as The Gaumont. It was designed in an

art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

style, with a

streamline moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by Aerodynamics, aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In indu ...

interior, by Harry Weston in 1934. The building is situated on the border of Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham, in the Chadwell Heath District Centre. The cinema closed in 1966 and became a

Bingo Hall Bingo is a game of probability in which players mark off numbers on cards as the numbers are drawn randomly by a caller, the winner being the first person to mark off all their numbers. Bingo, previously known as Housey-Housey, became increas ...

. In 2015, following the closure of the Bingo Hall, it was then used as a wedding hall/banqueting suite. The building was listed as an

Asset of Community Value In England, an asset of community value (ACV) is land or property of importance to a local community which is subject to additional protection from development under the Localism Act 2011. Voluntary and community organisations, parish councils, ...

by the 'Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association' in August 2017 and is currently the focus of a major cinema restoration project.Embassy Cinema - Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association
/ref>

History

Early Cinema Years, 1934-1966

The Embassy Cinema - Facade by Day - 1934

The Embassy Cinema was opened on 17 May 1934 by the Mayor of

Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...

, Alderman B.S.J Pitt. It featured 1,812 seats: 1,232 in the stalls and 580 in the circle. A number of local newspapers cited it as "the last word in splendour and comfort". Construction began in mid-December 1933, and the majority of it lasted for only twenty-two weeks. It was designed and part-owned by the architect Harry Weston, and was the second of eight cinemas that he is known to have designed. He had previously designed the Plaza Cinema in Worthing (1933) and went on to design another six cinemas during the 1930s, mostly for the

Gaumont British Picture Corporation The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was a British company that produced and distributed films and operated a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. It was established as an offshoot of France's Gaumont. Film production Gaumont-British was fou ...

. It was known as a 'Super Cinema' as it also incorporated theatre, staging live variety shows and orchestral/organ performances. The Managing Directors, Charles A. Sinden and Mr P. Lyons, as well as the Secretary of 'Embassy (Chadwell Heath) Ltd.', Mr R. Teppett, were instrumental in the creation of the cinema. 'A Short Story about The Embassy', a history of the cinema produced by Lyons, was one of the first films to be shown on the opening night. The programme was continued with a

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

cartoon, 'Fury of the Jungle' featuring Donald Cook and

Peggy Shannon Peggy Shannon (born Winona Sammon; January 10, 1907 – May 11, 1941) was an American actress. She appeared on the stage and screen of the 1920s and 1930s. Shannon began her career as a Ziegfeld girl in 1923 before moving on to Broadway produ ...

, and

Constance Cummings Constance Cummings CBE (May 15, 1910 – November 23, 2005) was an American-British actress with a career spanning over 50 years. Early life Cummings was born on 15 May 1910 in Seattle, Washington, the only daughter and younger child of Kate ...

Broadway Through a Keyhole ''Broadway Through a Keyhole'', also billed as ''Broadway Thru a Keyhole'', is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film produced by Twentieth Century Pictures and released by United Artists. New York City speakeasy proprietress Texas Guinan appear ...

. Five months after the Embassy Cinema opened, it was taken over by Provincial Cinematograph Theatres (PCT) as part of the Gaumont chain, and operated as the 'Gaumont Palace Theatre' from October 1934. It ran throughout the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and was never sub-divided. The Gaumont Palace Theatre was re-named 'Gaumont Theatre', from 1937, and continued under Gaumont British management. After the Second World War, Picture Palaces all over Britain began free entertainment for children. This was known as 'The Saturday Morning Picture Club'. A published extract from the memories of a local resident of Chadwell Heath, Patricia Duyshart, described the frivolities in depth:

"The Gaumont Cinema in Chadwell Heath issued all children with free passes that were shown on entry. Long before opening time, huge crowds of squabbling children were queuing up outside the cinema, all of them trying to push in the line...When the doors at last opened, there was the biggest rush you ever saw..."

In February 1964, the Gaumont Theatre was taken over by the

Rank Organisation The Rank Organisation (founded as the J. Arthur Rank Organisation) is a British entertainment conglomerate founded in 1937 by industrialist J. Arthur Rank. It quickly became the largest and most vertically integrated film company in the Uni ...

and re-named the Odeon Chadwell Heath. However, it ultimately closed as a cinema on 28 July 1966 with

James Garner James Scott Garner (né Bumgarner; April 7, 1928 – July 19, 2014) was an American actor. He played leading roles in more than 50 theatrical films, which included ''The Great Escape (film), The Great Escape'' (1963) with Steve McQueen; Paddy Ch ...

Duel at Diablo ''Duel at Diablo'' is a 1966 American Western film directed by Ralph Nelson starring James Garner and Sidney Poitier. It is based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel ''Apache Rising''. The production shot on location in southern Utah. The film wa ...

and

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...

in 'Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number' as the final screenings.

Bingo Hall, 1966–2014

Within hours of the closing of the doors, to the Odeon Chadwell Heath, workmen moved in to convert the cinema into a Bingo Hall. The auditorium was completely redecorated, and the foyer was transformed into a buffet. The projectors and Compton organ were sold, and the large screen was removed. It was to be open for seven days a week with two matinees on Mondays and Thursdays. The Bingo hall was the fifty-second ever Rank club, but the first Rank hall in the area – the premises was re-named as 'The Top Rank Club'. The opening night was hosted by

Tommy Trinder Thomas Edward Trinder (24 March 1909 – 10 July 1989) was an English stage, screen and radio comedian whose catchphrase was "You lucky people!". Described by Cultural history, cultural historian Matthew Sweet (writer), Matthew Sweet as "a cocky ...

(CBE)."New look bingo", The Romford Times, 26 August 1966, Page 10 Top Rank's area manager stated: "We decided to go over to bingo in June, because there are already plenty of cinemas – in Whalebone Lane and Romford – but very few bingo halls in this part of London." The hall was equipped with a closed-circuit television and direct contact via teleprinters, to enable the bingo players to compete with Top Rank Club members in the 52 other halls all over Britain. Decades later, the club began operating as a

Mecca Bingo Mecca Bingo (formerly called Top Rank) is a British operator of bingo clubs, with over 70 locations throughout the country. Mecca Bingo is owned by the Rank Group, which operates bingos, casinos and online gambling in Belgium, Spain and Britain. ...

. The hall closed on 15 June 2014. More than 400 people attended the final night of bingo. Falling membership meant that the owners, Rank Plc, believe it financially viable to renew the lease. The

smoking ban in England Sales of Cigarette, cigarettes and smoking in the United Kingdom are being gradually restricted during the first few decades of the 21st century. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to ban sales of cigarettes to people born after 2008, is being debated i ...

, as well as the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.

, had been the main factors in the loss of members.

Banqueting Suite, 2015-present

After a short vacant period, the premises was acquired by Vinod Nagrecha and Hasmukh Nagrecha and a lease was granted to Wazid Hassan (Shelim) to create a venue for weddings and other functions. The refurbishment process lasted for nine months, and the building re-opened as the current Mayfair Venue in December 2015. The Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Barbara White, attended the grand opening with around 800 guests. Redbridge Council repeatedly refused planning permission for the building to be used as a venue for hire, banqueting suite, wedding hall or conference centre. Three change of use planning applications were refused in 2017, 2019 and 2020. In June 2018, Redbridge Council issued an enforcement notice to the owners to "cease the unauthorised use of the premises as a banqueting hall/venue for hire" as it was "considered to be having a negative impact on the amenity of the surrounding residences as a result of noise, disturbance, anti-social behaviour and parking issues". The local authority stated that the owners failed to demonstrate how the Mayfair Venue satisfies "a local need". The owners of the Mayfair Venue appealed this notice to the

Planning Inspectorate The Planning Inspectorate (sometimes referred to as PINS) is an executive agency of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of the United Kingdom Government with responsibility for making decisions and providing recommendatio ...

, but inspectors concluded that the use of the premises as a venue available for hire is a breach of planning regulations and the enforcement notice was upheld. The owners were ordered to stop using the building as a banqueting suite by 15 January 2020 or face prosecution.

Restoration Project

On 8 August 2017, the Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association successfully listed the Embassy Cinema as an Asset of Community Value. The community group then launched a restoration project with the goal of creating a new "cultural epicentre" of Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham by acquiring the building and restoring it to a two-screen cinema and shared community space - a project which is estimated to cost more than £3,000,000. In August 2018, the Chadwell Heath South Residents' Association were awarded a grant, for the sum of £14,940 by the Power to Change Trust and the

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for housing, communities, and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 ...

, to fund a feasibility study for the restoration project. The study consisted of architectural feasibility, business viability and market research. It was published in May 2019, yielding successful results.

Architecture

Harry Weston designed the Embassy Cinema in a more lavish style than would have been usual for a Gaumont Cinema. Its façade had a Modernist horizontal emphasis, faced in cream/'biscuit' coloured faience tiling above and black faience tiles below, with chromium plated fittings, enhanced by neon strip lighting and illuminated signs at night. There is a large window over the entrance which allows light into the ballroom. The double-height entrance foyer behind featured Art Deco metalwork and a floodlit glass column of crystalline rods. The auditorium originally had a ‘saucered’ floor to improve sight-lines from the seats. The splay walls featured horizontal fins which extended across decorative panels and grillwork, leading towards the

proscenium arch A proscenium (, ) is the virtual vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame ...

which was backlit from the rim. Many of these features have survived, and show how Weston carried his Art Deco/streamline moderne style throughout all of his cinema’s spaces and details.

Features

The Embassy Cinema encompassed a number of innovative ideas, some of which were unknown in the cinema world at the time."The Embassy Opened. New Super Cinema at Chadwell Heath", The Dagenham Post, 25 May 1934, Page 4 It featured a tea-lounge and artistic café, as well as a ballroom for dancing to the sound of a live orchestra. A 24-foot deep stage and orchestra pit, in the auditorium, could accommodate live performances as there were also four adjacent dressing rooms. The large screen was controlled by a mechanism, that could make it move backwards and forwards. When a picture was showing it was lowered towards the audience, thereby minimising eye-strain. The latest system of

Western Electric Western Electric Co., Inc. was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company that operated from 1869 to 1996. A subsidiary of the AT&T Corporation for most of its lifespan, Western Electric was the primary manufacturer, supplier, ...

wide-range apparatus provided rich sound quality and substantially high production value; Sinden and Lyons wanted to ensure that hearing would be perfect from every seat in the house. Concealed lighting was fitted throughout the building, and controlled from the roof, to achieve special, flat skylight effects. To lower the levels of humidity, the air, to the amount of two million cubic feet per hour, was drawn into a purifying chamber by huge, electric fans. It was then filtered, washed, heated and cooled by means of this inventive ventilation system; thus ensuring equable temperature in all seasons. The projector room was large enough to contain three to five projectors, and lighting control boxes for the stage, balcony and auditorium (manufactured by 'Major Equipment Co. Ltd' of

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

). The auditorium housed a Compton 3-manual/8-rank organ. The glass console of the organ had a unique green colour scheme, and the special illumination was an idea introduced by Lyons; an innovation that he perfected years earlier, and one of the first of its kind in Britain. The decoration scheme followed lines of effective simplicity, with the dominating colour of the wall being

old gold Old gold is a dark yellow, which varies from light olive or olive brown to deep or strong yellow, generally on the darker side of this range. The first recorded use of ''old gold'' as a color name in English was in the early 19th century (exact ...

."Cinema Uplift, Mayor Hopes That American Slang Will Go", The Romford Times, 23 May 1934, Page 3 The seats were of the tip-up variety, upholstered in green velvet. The carpets were green and beige, whilst the curtains, hangings (and even the uniforms of the ushers and attendants) also embodied the same colour scheme.

References

Citations Sources * * *

External links

Letter that supports the Restoration Plans, from the Theatres Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Embassy Cinema Cinemas in London Chadwell Heath Former cinemas in London Art Deco architecture in London Art Deco architecture in England Theatres completed in 1934 History of the London Borough of Redbridge Assets of community value 1934 establishments in England