Images of the Elite Cinema

        

 The Elite Picture Palace

The idea of building a high quality picture palace in Nottingham was actually conceived in the trenches of France during WW1. J A Lomax, an officer in one of the   Nottinghamshire Regiments discussed with his commanding officer Lt Col Adamson the slum clearance taking place in the centre of the city & how a triangular site between King St & Queens St would make a perfect site for the development of a high quality picture palace together with shops and offices.

After the war, Adamson, who was a partner in Adamson & Kinns,  a firm of London architects & Lomax  the son of a Nottingham building contractor formed a company together with the brewer Thomas Shipstone.

When it opened its doors to the public on 22nd August 1921 the Elite was described as one of the finest picture palaces in the country, a dazzling fairy palace and the last word in amusement.

It was one of the first in a new breed of ‘super-cinemas’. The building was magnificent. The facade and exterior side walls were covered in expensive white glazed tiles & statues were placed along the upper portion of the building. The internal decoration was stunning, the auditorium walls lined with wood panels and there was a great deal of decorative plaster work. No wonder it was referred to as a palace.

It was given the seal of approval by being ceremonially opened by the mayor of Nottingham who described it as one of the finest picture palaces in Great Britain. Telegrams of congratulations were received from Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks & other notable Hollywood stars. The opening film was POLLLYANNA starring Mary Pickford the biggest female star at that time.

The cinema had seating for 1,500 people & a very expensive, specially designed orchestral organ which was to play at every performance. The facilities within the building also included a restaurant, a Georgian Tea Room, a French Cafe in Louis XVI style and a large ballroom located on the top floor. The foyer evehad rubber flooring to minimise noise. (See drawings of the interior)

 The Elite was not just for watching films but a whole new leisure experience & one that could be used by all either day or night. It must have given all who went a taste of the glamour enjoyed by their screen idols and a glimpse of a better life.

Programmes were given in a continuous performance from 2pm to 10pm.Prices ranging from 9d (4p) to 2s 4d (11p) when the average weekly pay in 1925 for a male unskilled labourer was £2.2shs & for a skilled labourer was 2.16sh.

The introduction of legislation reducing the working week led to an increase in the time available for leisure activities. Also, during the war, women had been employed in factories, replacing the men who had gone to fight and after the war many continued to work so increasing the household’s weekly income & providing a little spare cash for treats like going to the cinema

The 1920s was a period of great social change. People were trying out new things in order to escape from the memories of the war, and for a time (before the depression) they had more money and more time for leisure activities than ever before. Going to the cinema provided escapism into a world of excitement and glamour and a luxurious environment in which to socialise.

Big named Hollywood stars also contributed to the increase in the popularity of the cinema & the public’s demand to see their films was unbounded. Icon worship became a major pastime in the 20s and the Hollywood star making machine was pleased to oblige with such names as Clara Bow and Rudolph Valentino.

The first ‘talkie’ in Nottingham was shown at the Elite Picture Theatre; George Jessel in "Lucky Boy" and after its screening, the cinema was closed for several weeks in July 1929 for a re-furbishment.

In October 1935 the Elite Picture Theatre was taken over by Associated British Cinemas (ABC) and they operated the building for most of the remainder of its life. There were plans to demolish it in 1972, but they were not carried out. The EMI organisation took over ABC and they eventually closed the Elite Picture Theatre in March 1977.

In the last few years of operation the Elite Picture Theatre had played ‘off circuit’ releases as ABC had their main Carlton Cinema in the town centre. The last films to play the Elite Picture Theatre were the (X) certificate double bill; "Erotic Young Lovers" and "Take an Easy Ride".

EMI converted the cinema into a bingo hall which continued until the early-1990.

The building was granted a Grade II Listed building status in 1990, saving it from demolition plans and it is now used for shops  and offices.