Walker, St. Anthony's Road, Gloria Cinema

HER Number:
12839

District:
Newcastle

Site Name:
Walker, St. Anthony's Road, Gloria Cinema

Place:
Walker

Map Sheet:
NZ26SE

Class:
Recreational

Site Type: Broad:

Site Type: Specific:
Cinema

General Period:
Modern

Specific Period:
C20

Form of Evidence:
Demolished Building

Description:
Opened on 11 April 1938. It was built for Albert Buglass who had taken over the Bensham Picture House in 1923. The architect was Albert Fennel and the builder was Gordon Durham & Co. There were 762 turquoise seats in the stalls and 422 in the circle. The entrance doors were flanked by black and gold pillars. The foyer was panelled in oak with lime green stippled walls above. The floor was cream and buff terrazzo. The side walls of the auditorium were splayed and the ceiling sloped towards the screen to improve acoustics. Above a dado rail, the walls of the auditorium had stippled hard plaster in autumn colours with the fibrous relief picked out in gold, silver and turquoise. There was a double curved staircase led to the circle foyer. The proscenium was lit by colour change lighting hidden behind pillars. The inner screen curtains were silver, the outer ones peach with designs in turquoise, silver and gold. The exterior of the building had a stepped roofline to give a waterfall effect when it was lit with blue neon lights at night. In the 1950s the Gloria specialised in science fiction, horror and western films. It closed on 4 March 1962. It reopened as a bingo hall on 8 March. One of the most attractive medium-sized cinemas in Newcastle with a splendid 1930s interior.

Easting:
2852

Northing:
6349

Grid Reference:
NZ28526349

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Frank Manders, 1991, Cinemas of Newcastle, pages 63-64; Frank Manders, 2005, Cinemas of Newcastle, pages 84-85, 154, 158