Lost Brixton: Empress Scala Cinema/ New Royalty Kinema
Celebrating lost landmarks of Brixton
(Modern photos © urban75, updated June 2009)

Opening on 10th March 1911 as the Brixton Hill Cinematograph Theatre, the shop conversion at 101 & 103 Brixton Hill was one of many entertainment emporiums run by 'cinema king,' Montagu Pike, a former commercial traveller, gold miner and bankrupted stock market gambler.

Surprisingly capacious, the cinema saw several name changes, being known as the Scala in 1914, and then the New Royalty in the 30s before closing for good in 1957.

According to the excellent Dark Screens website, the cinema was eventually known as the Clifton cinema (Brixton Hill) in 1954, boasting 998 seats, with continuous shows from 1.30pm, Sunday at 4.30pm. Prices 1s 6d to 2s 8d.


1914
This 1914 advertisement in the Brixton Free Press shows a possibly optimistic view of a huge throng of customers eagerly lining up outside the Brixton Scala cinema (the cinema used to open out to a big hall at the back which has since been demolished).

The advertisement lists the current and future films listed below. A comprehensive web search could find no mention of the curiously entitled, 'Fisher boy of Skagen' movie, although we can tell you that Skagen is a town on the northern tip of Denmark.

(pic: Lambeth Archives)


Modern view of the old entrance (Jan 2006)


July 2002
The old cinema at 101 Brixton Hill served as a camping centre for many years.

I only ever visited it once, but I can recall that the narrow interior stretched back quite a distance inside.


July 2002
Looking up at the cinema's dome.


c. 1915
Edwardian bill for March including a performance of an intriguing local production, 'Thumbs Up Brixton!'

The Scandinavian connection continues with a showing of 'ALONE WITH THE DEVIL', a 1914 Nordisk black and white silent film in 5 reels.

The film, apparently, revealed the 'Spectacle of Hypnotism.'

Amazingly, Nordisk Films are still in business!
(pic: Lambeth Archives)


Close up of the frontage (Feb 2004)


1937
Pre-WW2 war view when the building was going under the slightly exotic name of, 'The New Royalty Kinema.'



Jan 2006
Contemporary view of the same scene. The premises are now the Dalxiss Somalian Restaurant, although the street frontage looks much the same - even the 'Camping Shop' sign survives (update: this sign disappeared in June 2009).

More reading
Unequal Pleasures: Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd. and the early film exhibition business in London [PDF file].
Montagu Pike



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