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Empire Cinema Alexandra st

Saw the essex fire brigade tweet about 9 oc and just checking the Echo website occasionally.
So a safe distance of about 2 1/2 miles !

Sounds sensible. Sad news when part of the town's history goes up in smoke. I took my first real girl friend there in the 60s so some sentimental and lascivious thoughts attached.
 
Its hardly been used since I moved here in 82 so I dont really have any personal memories, I like old cinemas architecturally, but this one doesn't quite have the feel , unlike the old "barrel shaped" ones like in Ness road Shoebury.
Still a shame about the towns old buildings though...
 
I feel a little bit like DoDTS posting this!

The New Empire Theatre was built in 1896 by theatre impresario Frederick Marlow. He had owned the public hall previously on the site, and converted it to The Empire Theatre in 1892. A fire on Boxing Day 1895 destroyed the building. Marlow took it upon himself to rebuild a bigger, better theatre, with five floors and electric lighting.

The theatre was the first of its kind in Southend, and was called 'the prettiest theatre outside of London' by local press at its opening in 1896. Marlow presented a varied programme ofmusicals, opera, concerts, plays, variety and music hall. He remained at the theatre until 1905 when it was taken over by the Southend-on-Sea Theatre Company Ltd. The following fourteen years the theatre was run on a leasehold basis by various people, including Albert Marchinsky, an illusionist known as "The Great Rameses", a successful magician and music hall entertainer who spent some time pursuing theatre management as a career.

By 1919, the advent of moving pictures had brought about many changes in Southend, and the theatre closed its doors, making way for an enlarged and magnificent cinema, The Rivoli. From 1921 to 1962, the Rivoli thrived as a cinema, in 1929 installing sound equipment to facilitate the talking pictures. In 1962, the Rivoli was taken over by the ABC chain and underwent further refurbishment, including the addition of a Marine Bar underground, making use of the old Empire passageways. The cinema continued for another 20 years, and in 1982 was twinned to create a second, smaller cinema at the old Rivoli Mezzanine level.

By 1998, the popularity of cinema as a whole had diminished, and one of many casualties in Southend was the ABC. In February 1998, it showed its last film, and the venue was once again closed.
 
Very sad, had hoped something could be done with it to keep it arts/cinema related. Went there many times as a child in the 80s, think the last film I saw there was Quadrophenia in the mid/late 90s, there was about 4 people in the entire theatre.
 
Drastic™;1768229 said:
Very sad, had hoped something could be done with it to keep it arts/cinema related. Went there many times as a child in the 80s, think the last film I saw there was Quadrophenia in the mid/late 90s, there was about 4 people in the entire theatre.

Last film I saw there was Rocky 3, 1982/3? "eye of the tiger" tune.
 
Remember going to see Earthquake there, first experience of Surround Sound, and also Excalibur on a first date in 1981. It was a lovely cinema more plush than the Odeon became, with a bar and gorgeous surroundings. Very sad.
 
Twitter update:

Update - 13:20 - Three fire appliances and an aerial ladder platform remains at the scene of the fire. Crews are using one main jet and the aerial ladder platform monitor to dampen down and extinguish hot spots.
Incident Commander, DO Danny Bruin said:
"Firefighters worked in ardeous conditions to contain the fire to the roof and mezzanine floor of the building. The crews hard work stopped the fire from spreading to neighbouring properties. Three fire appliances and the aerial ladder platform remain at the scene to extinguish remaining hot spots. "
The cause of the fire is unknown. ECFRS and Essex Police will carry out an investigation.
 
Wasn't the Odeon closed for a while around this time to convert to a two screen?
too young to remember, sorry
smiley-pinocchio-liar.gif
 
Went to this one a few times. Remember Sneaking in as a paying friend would let you in the door by the fire escape.

Went to see forest gump there with some bird and I think I saw jurassic Park there aswell.

Sounds like another insurance job like the yacht club
 
Went to this one a few times. Remember Sneaking in as a paying friend would let you in the door by the fire escape.

Went to see forest gump there with some bird and I think I saw jurassic Park there aswell.

Sounds like another insurance job like the yacht club

More likely some of the lost souls that sleep under it's canopy out front. At least no one got torched as a result.
 
Went to this one a few times. Remember Sneaking in as a paying friend would let you in the door by the fire escape.

Went to see forest gump there with some bird and I think I saw jurassic Park there aswell.

Sounds like another insurance job like the yacht club

i saw Jurassic Park there too. The best thing about it was Steve Tilson and John Cornwell were in front of me in the queue :thumbsup:
 
More likely some of the lost souls that sleep under it's canopy out front. At least no one got torched as a result.

Lots of kids, explorers ,amateur photographers went there. There were apparently lots of candles inside- very possible for it to have been a simple accident. I don't know if its an urban myth of not but apparently when it was shut everything was left intact inside , including the bar and all the optics still with bottles in them, also for a few years it still had power going to it and you could turn the lights on inside

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/new-em...thend-on-sea-essex-october-2014.t92680/page-2
 
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