Looking for cinema glory ……. in Atherton

Now, when Andy went to Atherton I knew among the pictures he took there would be stories.

Palace Cinema, 2023

And so today from his photographic jaunt across Atherton here is the first, which with that wonderful cinema resource, cinema TREASURES, and the Kinematograph Year Book for 1928 is an account of the town’s picture houses.

Back in the late 1920s, the place had a population of just under 20,000, and supported three cinemas, which were the Gem Theatre on Bullough Street, the Palace on Market Street and the Savoy.

All were owned by Eagle Picturedromes Ltd who were based in Wigan.

The Gem offered one nightly show with “Two changes weekly” and prices ranged from 5d to 9d.

Gem Electric

For those who wanted to choose when they saw the fil, The Palace provided two shows a night, with “two changes a week” and charged the same as the Gem.*

Alas the Kinematograph Year Book has little to say about the Savoy.

But turning to cinema TREASURES, Dave Simpson fills in the gaps on these and a further two picture houses for which you will have to follow the link, because as ever I don’t lift other people’s research.**

And that is it.  

 Kinematograph Year Book for 1928

Of the three pictures Andy identified the Gem and the Place, leaving the third to be named by someone from AthertonLocation; Atherton

Pictures, Atherton’s former cinemas. 2023, from the collection of Andy Robertson

* Kinematograph Year Book for 1928

**Atherton cinemas, cinema TREASURES, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-kingdom/england/atherton?status=closed 

The mystery Picture house