The Crescent Cinema, Pontefract (Permission Visit)

History

Visited as part of Heritage Open Days.

The cinema opened on the 2nd November 1926 and operated until it closed in 1993. Originally the cinema had a two tier layout with room to accommodate 1190 customers but this was later scaled back to a single level auditorium in 1971 with a reduced capacity of 412, as people flocked to the larger multi-screen complex in nearby Wakefield. In order to accommodate the change the projector was moved into a new box built inside the roof void and as a result, a mirror system had to be installed to project the film down to the screen on the floor below. The lower level was sectioned off to form a bingo hall originally and later leased as a snooker club while a large space on the first floor was used more recently as a venue for a dance club. The cinema itself remains unused and complete with most of its features including the screen in perfect condition, the original projectors and lenses and most the seats.

Source:

https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/the-crescent-cinema-pontefract-west-yorkshire-september-october-2015.t106056

Esoteric Eric