Meeting about the Old Cinema
Friday 24th February 2012 at 7pm
All are welcome to this special meeting about the Paignton Picture House (formally known as Torbay cinema). As some of you know the cinema has been closed since 1999, but recent plans by the National Trust will bring new life into this historic building. Anyone with an interest in the cinema, its past, and more importantly its future, are most welcome. Along with members of our group, the National Trust will be on hand to talk about their plans and answer any questions you may have.
Epicentre, 59 Torquay Road, Paignton, TQ3 3DT
Scenes from 'Ordeal by Innocence' (1984) shot at the Paignton Picture House
The photos below have been taken from an actual 16mm projection of a feature film of the Agatha Christie book Ordeal by Innocence.
Ordeal by Innocence was filmed in 1984 in south Devon and was set mainly in and around Dartmouth. A couple of scenes were filmed in Paignton, one of which was at the Paignton Picture House.
The first photos show the first floor foyer area with the stained glass window that can also be seen from the road, situated above the main entrance. The following photos are of two of the stars - Donald Sutherland and Cassie Stuart on the balcony with some of the cinemas architecture in the background. Donald Sutherland is sitting very close to where Agatha Christie sat to watch a film when she visited the cinema.
Even though this film includes a great and well known cast of American and English actors and actresses, including Donald Sutherland, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Plummer, Sarah Miles, Ian McShane, Annette Crosbie, Michael Elphick, and Phoebe Nicholls, it was rather let down by some mis-casting and an obtrusive jazz score by Dave Brubeck, which seems to belong to another film.
16mm was of a good enough quality to be blown up to a reasonable size by a film projector onto a screen in a school or church hall, and a feature film could be hired for a reasonable cost by schools and film societies.
The medium used extensively by television studios across the world for general use was 16mm film because although 35mm film was higher quality, it was expensive and the standard would be wasted on the size and definition of television screens in the home in those days. 35mm film was therefore mainly saved for cinema.
Save Paignton Picture House
A new video highlighting a project lead by Devon Historic Buildings Trust and the National Trust (and other local stakeholders) to save Paignton Picture House.
The cinema in the 1990's and its final night
Ben Wales has sent in these photo's which he took in the 1990's when the cinema was up and running. The last three were taken on it's final night when the film 'The smallest show on earth' was shown. Click on the images for larger versions.
Ben has a great enthusiasm for the cinema. His interest in the Picture House started while on holiday in Paignton in the 1980's, where he met John Mann - who was, at that time, chief projectionest for the cinema.
Ben has installed and run cinema equipment over the years and has his own collection of cameras, films and projectors from cinema days of old including 70mm machines - some of which can been seen on the web site in70mm.com.
Areas not normally seen by the general public
The following photos were taken by Stuart Saunders in 2008. They show areas, not normally seen by the general public, of the basement area, offices, projection and film rewind room.
The Paignton Picture House; Fly Through
In this 3D model of The Paignton Picture House (Formally Torbay Cinema) you can see what the proposed plans are while photos show its current configuration.
This video was originally designed to run on screens as part of a background display at a fund raiser, but due to a change in circumstances the event didn't happen.
However here it is now for you enjoyment, and will hopefully be used soon.
