Monday, November 25, 2024

Northern Ireland’s oldest cinema looks to a new era

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The long history of Belfast’s oldest surviving cinema will be celebrated and we look forward to its future.

The Strand in east Belfast originally opened on 7 December 1935 to screen the film Bright Eyes starring Shirley Temple and James Dunn, immortalized in a mural on the side of the building .

While the Art Deco picture gallery survived the bombing of World War II and changing entertainment tastes in the intervening decades, many other museums have closed.

It is currently undergoing a £6.5 million redevelopment, which will upgrade three screens, add a cafe and include a museum aspect celebrating its history.

Heritage officer Rosie Hickey collects stories about the history of the film, including a conversation with 100-year-old Perry Zachary, who attended the Strand’s opening in 1935.

He was 12 years old and remembers watching the movie theater’s construction site before seeing Bright Eyes on opening night.

Hickey said The Strand opened during the movie theater boom, followed by Astoria in nearby Ballyhackamore in 1936.

There were many other cinemas, including the Picturedrome on Mount Pottinger Road and Willowfield on Woodstock Road, but the Strand is the only one still operating as a cinema.

Ms Hickey described the inspiration for the building, which is located near the world-famous Belfast Dockyard, as “nautical with porthole windows”.

It was also extremely luxurious, with blue velvet seating, plush gold and blue carpeting, and central heating, which was unusual for the time.

“It would have been a luxury for people who lived in nearby terraced houses in the hungry 30s,” Hickey said.

“The analogy of being on a boat is very appropriate because a lot of people have said that going to the movie theater is like traveling and escaping to another world. The idea of ​​getting on this ship and going to another world is really wonderful.” Wonderful.

“Many people still refer to movie theaters as movie palaces, and I can see why. It’s like escaping reality and traveling to another world. You can be one of the stars.”

Coronavirus – Monday, May 24, 2021Coronavirus – Monday, May 24, 2021

Previous visitors to the Strand cinema include former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster (right) and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill (Liam McBurney/Pennsylvania).

Important dates in the Strand’s history include the Queen’s coronation in June 1953, when many people went to watch the ceremony on the big screen.

It became a variety theater in 1984, hosting shows such as The Drifters and the Nolan Sisters, before reopening in 1988 as a four-screen movie theater.

The latest redevelopment will see the remaining three screens upgraded, with the fourth screen set to become a cafe.

Ms Hickey said: “Over the years, we have evolved greatly in response to changing tastes and changing circumstances, but we have always remained close to the local community, even through events such as our Silver Screenings, where we screen classic films. Ta.

“In the last year or two, we’ve actually had a wedding.

“So people really like this building and have a strong connection to it. It’s a testament to the love that people have for the Strand.”

The redevelopment will include a living museum experience showcasing the history of film, live performance space and enhanced backstage facilities.

The building is scheduled to close in February and reopen in mid-2025 to coincide with the Strand’s 90th anniversary.



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