THE Palace Cinema, in Cowley Road, Oxford, was an historic venue, which operated under six names during its 50-year life.

Derrick Holt, of Fortnam Close, Headington, asked (Memory Lane, October 5) whether anyone could remember the cinema, which he visited on Saturdays in the 1930s.

Ian Meyrick, of Witney, is one reader with knowledge of it – he has written a book about Oxfordshire’s cinemas.

He writes: “The building dates back to 1890 when it opened as the East Oxford Constitutional Hall, available for lectures, concerts and entertainments.

“Bookings were not as good as hoped, so it was decided to let it on a longer-term basis for entertainment.

“In 1898, it became the Lyric Hall, with Isham’s Oriental America singing and dancing troupe.”

In January 1900, a new licensee took over – Albany Ward, a cinema pioneer, who had toured the country showing film of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

He renamed it the Empire Theatre of Varieties, presenting drama, variety and regular film shows and making it the first permanent home for movies in Oxford.

Mr Meyrick tells me: “Albany Ward was a brilliant entrepreneur, running an entertainment agency and bill-posting business in addition to the theatre from his office and flat ‘over the shop’ in Cowley Road.

“He moved on in 1906 to found what was to become one of the first sizeable cinema chains, based in the West Country and Channel Islands.

“The next proprietor was Frank Stuart, landlord of the Elm Tree pub opposite.

“He later commissioned the first two full-time picture houses in Oxford – the Electric Theatre, in Castle Street (which disappeared under the Westgate Centre), and the Picture Palace, in Jeune Street, which is still running nearly 100 years later.

“After a short period as the Oxford Hippodrome, it settled down as the Palace Theatre in 1912, with pictures gradually forming a more prominent part of the variety programmes.

“The Palace was taken over by Union Cinemas (which also ran cinemas in George Street, Queen Street and Magdalen Street, as well as the Majestic, in Botley Road) and finally by ABC in 1937.

“By this time, it had become very old-fashioned and the opening of the luxurious Regal in Cowley Road in 1937 was the final blow. It closed on June 4, 1938, with Bing Crosby in Double or Nothing.

“The old hall, with its open metal trusses in the roof and painted brick walls, was far from the plush surroundings demanded by the more sophisticated audiences of the 1930s.

“The building still exists, having spent more years as offices than it did as an entertainment venue.

“It is an important part of Oxford’s cinema history. The frontage is instantly recognisable from its cinema days, and the auditorium block, with stage and fly tower, is unmistakable.”

  • Oxfordshire Cinemas is published by Tempus (The History Press) at £12.99.