Report - Granada Cinema, Tooting - July 2015

[Bertie Bollockbrains]

and only 2 people playing bingo

That was me and the wife!

 

[Lord Oort]

Oi you I go to the bingo every Thursday with the wife - do you have a problem with that?

Only insofar as I think less of you

 

[projectionman]

great building and great pic yeh as speed mentioned they are only spotlights in the projection room most cinemas like granada and rank when their cinemas went over to bingo the projection equipment would be removed as many other cinemas were being converted in to multi screens so the redundant projectors would be moved to these other cinemas
nice to see it tho thanks for posting

 

[mrwhite]

what an awesome hall!!

 

[norfolkexplorer]

Nice work. Love that mirror shot too

 

[professor frink]

Bingo, go past this all the time and didn't know it was like that inside
A throwback to the past before Tooting became a shit hole.

 

[Mini nut]

Cinema nut though I am I hate this kind of heavy gothic treatment to interiors, much preferring art deco. Having said that I gotta say that the Wurlitzer organ at Tooting is second to none - just in the wrong place, lol.

 

[Kerry]

Love the last shot !!

 

[Granadaman2Q]

This currently serves as a Gala bingo hall but it used to be a cinema and the upstairs is no longer in use. Seeing as there is no Bingo infiltration section I thought I'd post it in here.

I went for a nose around with @extreme_ironing one evening after @PlapPlap tipped me off that much of the place has been disused for years. We found our way up to the upper circle which is gathering dust and has some paint peeling off the walls in places and from there we found our way inside the projection room. A couple of old projectors that haven't moved for over 40 years were a nice find and there were a few other bits and pieces up there. We got inside the attic and on top of the roof but there wasn't much to see in all honesty. Anyway it's a spectacular building and a real shame to see it going to waste. There were only 2 people playing bingo in the entire place on a Friday night. We shouted bingo from the balcony for shits and giggles before we left, only to find ourselves locked upstairs. This was followed swiftly by an embarrassing call to staff down below to come and let us out. Not Pro

Bit of history from the t'interweb. The cinema opened on 7 September 1931, as one of the Granada chain, and screened movies sometimes with stage shows or organ recitals until it closed as a cinema on 10 November 1973. The seating capacity was over 3000, and was often completely sold-out. The building, which became the first cinema to be preserved and given a Grade I listing, was designed by Cecil Massey in the Art Deco style with four Corinthian style pillars over the entrance. It was the interior, however that was (and is still) spectacular. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, The Andrews Sisters and Carmen Miranda gave concerts there. After closing as a cinema the building reopened as a bingo hall.

The cinema opened on 7 September 1931, as one of the Granada chain, and screened movies sometimes with stage shows or organ recitals until it closed as a cinema on 10 November 1973. The seating capacity was over 3000, and was often completely sold-out. Stars such as Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, The Andrews Sisters and Carmen Miranda gave concerts there. After closing as a cinema the building reopened as a bingo hall.

BINGO!

Amazing architecture

An old spotlight gathering dust

Dusty seats with the odd broken one.....

The lost projectors

Natural light coming through from the auditorium

The Hall of Mirrors

Cheers @PlapPlap ​

Hello and thank you for sharing these great photos . Well yes , those sadly neglected pieces of equipment were most certainly Spotlights , Stelmar actually . I have not seen these for about sixty years when I and other crew members used them on the real Stars of the sixties on our fabulous Stage shows . Many great memories for any interested . Many thanks again , Ray .