© www.dover-kent.co.uk 2022
Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom
The Granada Cinema
Dover’s first large modern cinema was the Granada in Castle
Street. The cinema was the first in the Granada chain founded by
Sidney Bernstein, who in the 1950s moved from cinema to
television when he started Granada Television. The new cinema in
Dover was originally to have been called the County but during its
construction Bernstein decided this would hardly be glamorous
and catchy and, remembering a highlight of a holiday in southern
Spain, decided it should take the Andalusian city’s name.
A few weeks before the opening on 8 January 1930, posters
appeared around Dover with the line “Start Saying Granada”.
Nothing else, no explanation, and only days before it opened did
the local press reveal what a ‘Granada’ actually was. On the big
day journalists and film industry guests were treated to travel
from London by train in a special Pullman car organised by
Bernstein.
The publicity said that the Granada could seat 2,000, although
the true figure was around 1,700. The building was designed by
architect Cecil Masey and the interiors by the Russian born stage
director and designer Theodore Komisarjevsky. Komisarjevsky
went on to be responsible for the interiors of all but two of the
other cinemas in the Granada circuit.
The foyer was in a French eighteenth century style with a marble
staircase, chandelier, and Venetian mirrors. In keeping with its
namesake city the Granada’s auditorium was decorated to
resemble a Moorish courtyard. A cinema trade paper ‘The
Bioscope’ described the auditorium as “having a suggestion of
the Alhambra, a Russian ballet dream of Granada rather than an
attempted reproduction”. Bernstein and Komisarjevsky are said
to have completed some of the painting themselves in the frantic
rush to have the cinema ready on time.
As well as films the programmes included variety acts and the
stage was provided with curtains, footlights, dimmers, a modern
stage lighting switchboard and three levels of dressing rooms
backstage. A 3-manual Christie organ was installed in the centre
of the orchestra pit and rose up on an electric lift during
intermission with the organist already seated at the keyboard.
The organ pipes were hidden from public view behind the right
hand grille of a pair of decorative grilles in arches either side of
the stage.
The first presentation at the theatre was ‘The Last of Mrs Cheney’
starring Norma Shearer and Basil Rathbone. The film was
accompanied by a forty five minute stage show comprising of
West End Varieties together with eight Granada Girls. Leonardi &
His Band performed and went on to perform on a daily basis and
Hedley Morton was the resident organist at the Christie Organ.
In January 1931, admission prices were reduced. The
management said that this was a birthday gift to the patrons of
Dover, but evidently it was a ploy to increase business. In
addition, economies were introduced at the theatre: the live
stage shows were suddenly stopped and Leonardi & His Band
returned to London. Only the organist remained and continued in
his capacity of support. The Granada was bought by the ABC
cinema chain in 1935 but continued to operate under the
Granada name.
During the Second World War the Granada continued to operate
and was mentioned in a cinema trade magazine as “exactly 19
nautical miles from the enemy and the nearest British cinema to
Hitler.” On 23rd March 1942, the packed the theatre was shaken
by a bomb that landed some 20 yards from the away where it
wrecked a number of shops.
On the Saturday evening of the 6th September 1942, enemy
shelling caused possible serious structural damage to the
building. The screening was stopped and the audience filed out
of the building in an orderly fashion. Once the building was
deemed safe, the theatre reopened. Two years later, on the 3rd
September, 1944 the Granada was again damaged by heavy
shelling, closed for repair and, like the phoenix rising from the
ashes, reopened once more.
In 1960 the cinema was renamed the ABC but many old
Dovorians always referred to it as the Granada. Also in 1960 the
organ was removed and later sold to a cinema organ enthusiast.
Audiences began to decline steadily as more and more people
stayed at home to watch television. In 1971, with the closure of
the Odeon, it became Dover’s last remaining cinema (the
Gaumont and Essoldo both having closed in 1960). In spite of its
now unique position, audiences continued to decline.
In the early 1970s the circle was closed leaving just 610 seats in
the stalls to cater for the remaining customers. The cinema
eventually ceased to be economically viable and closed on 30
October 1982. The building was converted into a night club but
this closed and the building stood derelict for many years.
In August 2014 the derelict building was finally demolished
exposing to view the faded glories of this once splendid Picture
Palace. It was a sad fate for this first of the Granada cinema
chain, when six other Granadas with interiors by Komisarjevsky
have been listed.
Street. The cinema was the first in the Granada chain founded by
Sidney Bernstein, who in the 1950s moved from cinema to
television when he started Granada Television. The new cinema in
Dover was originally to have been called the County but during its
construction Bernstein decided this would hardly be glamorous
and catchy and, remembering a highlight of a holiday in southern
Spain, decided it should take the Andalusian city’s name.
A few weeks before the opening on 8 January 1930, posters
appeared around Dover with the line “Start Saying Granada”.
Nothing else, no explanation, and only days before it opened did
the local press reveal what a ‘Granada’ actually was. On the big
day journalists and film industry guests were treated to travel
from London by train in a special Pullman car organised by
Bernstein.
The publicity said that the Granada could seat 2,000, although
the true figure was around 1,700. The building was designed by
architect Cecil Masey and the interiors by the Russian born stage
director and designer Theodore Komisarjevsky. Komisarjevsky
went on to be responsible for the interiors of all but two of the
other cinemas in the Granada circuit.
The foyer was in a French eighteenth century style with a marble
staircase, chandelier, and Venetian mirrors. In keeping with its
namesake city the Granada’s auditorium was decorated to
resemble a Moorish courtyard. A cinema trade paper ‘The
Bioscope’ described the auditorium as “having a suggestion of
the Alhambra, a Russian ballet dream of Granada rather than an
attempted reproduction”. Bernstein and Komisarjevsky are said
to have completed some of the painting themselves in the frantic
rush to have the cinema ready on time.
As well as films the programmes included variety acts and the
stage was provided with curtains, footlights, dimmers, a modern
stage lighting switchboard and three levels of dressing rooms
backstage. A 3-manual Christie organ was installed in the centre
of the orchestra pit and rose up on an electric lift during
intermission with the organist already seated at the keyboard.
The organ pipes were hidden from public view behind the right
hand grille of a pair of decorative grilles in arches either side of
the stage.
The first presentation at the theatre was ‘The Last of Mrs Cheney’
starring Norma Shearer and Basil Rathbone. The film was
accompanied by a forty five minute stage show comprising of
West End Varieties together with eight Granada Girls. Leonardi &
His Band performed and went on to perform on a daily basis and
Hedley Morton was the resident organist at the Christie Organ.
In January 1931, admission prices were reduced. The
management said that this was a birthday gift to the patrons of
Dover, but evidently it was a ploy to increase business. In
addition, economies were introduced at the theatre: the live
stage shows were suddenly stopped and Leonardi & His Band
returned to London. Only the organist remained and continued in
his capacity of support. The Granada was bought by the ABC
cinema chain in 1935 but continued to operate under the
Granada name.
During the Second World War the Granada continued to operate
and was mentioned in a cinema trade magazine as “exactly 19
nautical miles from the enemy and the nearest British cinema to
Hitler.” On 23rd March 1942, the packed the theatre was shaken
by a bomb that landed some 20 yards from the away where it
wrecked a number of shops.
On the Saturday evening of the 6th September 1942, enemy
shelling caused possible serious structural damage to the
building. The screening was stopped and the audience filed out
of the building in an orderly fashion. Once the building was
deemed safe, the theatre reopened. Two years later, on the 3rd
September, 1944 the Granada was again damaged by heavy
shelling, closed for repair and, like the phoenix rising from the
ashes, reopened once more.
In 1960 the cinema was renamed the ABC but many old
Dovorians always referred to it as the Granada. Also in 1960 the
organ was removed and later sold to a cinema organ enthusiast.
Audiences began to decline steadily as more and more people
stayed at home to watch television. In 1971, with the closure of
the Odeon, it became Dover’s last remaining cinema (the
Gaumont and Essoldo both having closed in 1960). In spite of its
now unique position, audiences continued to decline.
In the early 1970s the circle was closed leaving just 610 seats in
the stalls to cater for the remaining customers. The cinema
eventually ceased to be economically viable and closed on 30
October 1982. The building was converted into a night club but
this closed and the building stood derelict for many years.
In August 2014 the derelict building was finally demolished
exposing to view the faded glories of this once splendid Picture
Palace. It was a sad fate for this first of the Granada cinema
chain, when six other Granadas with interiors by Komisarjevsky
have been listed.
