The Ritz
The Ritz Cinema on the corner of Green Lanes and Carlingford Road was one of several cinemas (usually named Ritz) that were designed by Major W.J. King of Jermyn Street, London. It was built for and operated by Associated British Cinemas (ABC).
It opened on 30 December 1935 with Clark Gable in China Seas and Ricardo Cortez in Sing Me a Love Song.
The cinema's red brick exterior was designed to harmonise with the adjoining Turnpike Lane tube station. Above the main canopy over the entrance was an illuminated sign above which the name of the cinema was displayed in neon. The auditorium's decorative scheme was quite simple and consisted mainly of ornamental plasterwork decorated in green, gold and pink. There was a large cove-lit dome in the ceiling and seating was provided for 1,850 people. The cinema was also equipped with a stage, which was only occasionally used, and a cafe that was located over the entrance foyer in operation until the 1950s.
The Ritz was an immediate success and quickly became established as one of north London's most popular cinemas. All the latest advances in cinema technology were installed in the Ritz and in 1954 the cinema presented several films in 3D.
It was re-named ABC Turnpike Lane from 9 October 1961.
The cinema was closed for conversion into a multi-screen cinema on 11 June 1977. It reopened on 29 September 1977 with 625 seats in the former circle and two screens in the former stalls seating 417 and 316. In 1986, a year after its half-centenary celebrations, it was renamed Cannon when the Cannon Group took control of ABC/ EMI.
From 17 July 1988 it was taken over by the independent Coronet Cinemas chain and was re-named Coronet Cinema. Its decline was remarked on by the Time Out Guide of 1995. The guide referred to the cinema as "one of the last two smoking cinemas in London..". They concluded ".. and we recommend it for demolition".
In the closing years of the twentieth century, London Transport, who owned the land on which the cinema was built, planned to extend the bus station behind Turnpike Lane tube station and needed to demolish the cinema. The Coronet cinema was closed on 25 March 1999 with Patch Adams, This Year's Love and Urban Legend the last films screened, and was demolished in August 1999. The site is now occupied by the new bus station.
Read more about this topic: Former Cinemas In Harringay
Famous quotes containing the word ritz:
“I’d take the bus downtown with my mother, and the big thing was to sit at the counter and get an orange drink and a tuna sandwich on toast. I thought I was living large!... When I was at the Ritz with the publisher a few months ago, I did think, “Oh my God, I’m in the Ritz tearoom.” ... The person who was so happy to sit at the Woolworths counter is now sitting at the Ritz, listening to the harp, and wondering what tea to order.... [ellipsis in source] Am I awake?”
—Connie Porter (b. 1959)