Exploring Nottingham's Cinema Heritage

The Cinemas of Ilkeston in the Twentieth Century

Ilkeston lies roughly equidistant between Nottingham and Derby.  Its major industries were traditionally coal mining, iron working and lace making / textiles, but these have all but disappeared in the last few decades.

The population in 1901 was 25,000.  It rose to 32,000 by 1911 and then stayed relatively stable, rising gradually to the present 38,000.  Ilkeston would now seem mainly to be a dormitory town for Nottingham and Derby.

The first purpose-built cinema was the Scala (always pronounced Skayla!).  Before that, there had been the Hippodrome from 1909 that was primarily a music hall but showed some films as part of a performance, and pubs that would occasionally show films.

A list of the cinemas in Ilkeston is set out in the table (data extracted from The Thrill of it all by David Roddis.  This shows that since 1915 there were either 3 or 4 cinemas up until the closures in the 1960s. In the after-war years to the mid-60s there were an estimated 5600 cinema seats available to a population of roughly 35,000; 17 seats per 100 people.

Only the Scala is still operating as a cinema: the Ritz building has been saved, but is no longer a cinema.

Final name	Year opened as cinema	Year closed as cinema	Seating	Present state of the building
Electric Picture Palace	1910	1914		Demolished
New Theatre*	1911	1965	2000 - 800	Demolished
Scala	1913		1000 - 800	Grade II listed Operating as a cinema
Kings	1915	1964	1340	Demolished
Globe	1915	1923	850	Demolished
Ritz	1938	1968	1400	Grade II listed.  Operating as a bingo hall

*The New Theater (always pronounced New Thee-Ater!) had several names: it started as The Theatre Royal, then in 1911 it became Vint’s Electric Picturedrome.  It changed its name to The Coliseum, back to The Theatre Royal and finally in 1931 changed and stuck with the name The New Theatre.

  

The Scala Cinema

The Scala was Ilkeston’s first purpose-built cinema, designed by James Parsons and Sons of Bulwell. The style incorporates features of Edwardian, classical and art nouveau designs.

Note the text below which is a legacy record and has not been updated since the building was originally listed. [Listing NGR: SK4643941782  Source: English Heritage Listed building text is © Crown Copyright].   Details of the building may have changed in the intervening time. You should not rely on this listing as an accurate description of the building today.

Stock brick, partly cement rendered and painted. Welsh slate roof.  Frontispiece in Edwardian Classical style, utilitarian brick range behind. The frontispiece is a tripartite composition of gabled centre bay, flanked by canted bays. Banded rustication.

The centre bay is filled by a large semi-circular headed arch, supported on Ionic columns, the entablature and dentil cornice of which continue across the canted bays and along the return walls. The arch has a stepped keystone with swag and cartouche above in the apex of the gable. The canted bays have 2-light square section mullion windows to each face and on the main face, beneath the sill, a panel with a swag. Tall attic/parapet with moulded stringcourse. Within the entrance arch is a half domed semi-circular recessed porch. The entablature and cornice continue round and the half dome has panels of applied mouldings. The back range is of stock brick, without windows and with the east and west elevations broken up by panels of recessed brickwork.

Scala Cinema is a Grade II listed building, and also it has been given a Star Award because of its continued use.

The cinema has reopened after a £150,000 centenary revamp – shown in all its finery in the picture.  It is currently owned by the Loughborough-based Reel Cinemas.

The Ritz Cinema

[From Ilkeston Advertiser 12 October 2000].  Ilkeston’s former Ritz cinema has been made a listed building - thanks to popular demand.  Arts Minister Alan Howarth made the announcement, after a nationwide survey of historic Picture Palaces by English Heritage and widespread public consultation. They are among 40 cinema buildings throughout the country to gain extra protection, bringing the total number of listed buildings to 155.

English Heritage have described The Ritz as: The finest surviving cinema building designed by Reginald Cooper, who was one of the most fluent provincial architects specialising in cinema design.

Interior views of the Ritz, now used as a bingo hall

Opened on May 16th, 1938, the exterior displays the influence of contemporary Odeon cinemas, inspired by German modernism from the previous decade.  The auditorium is in streamlined Moderne mode with decorative motifs derived from the neo-Chinese fretwork style originated by German theatre architect Oskar Kaufmann. Mark Lowe, Manager at the Ritz, said he was pleased the building had been listed, but said he had expected it to have happened much sooner.

Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, said: The overwhelming and enthusiastic response to our public consultation illustrates how much people treasure their local cinemas. According to the hundreds of letters we received from all over the country, these Picture Palaces are not only magnificent architecturally but are held in great affection by people and can play a key part in local regeneration. Too many splendid cinemas have disappeared over the years and the announcement will safeguard some of the finest remaining examples.

The Ritz now runs as a bingo and social club, operated by Beacon Bingo Clubs: Cricklewood, North London.