Castle cinema
Encyclopedia
The Castle Cinema is a former cinema
building located adjacent to the grounds of Swansea Castle
in Swansea
, south Wales
.
According to Kinematograph year book of 1914 the Castle opend in October 1913.
It was the only building left standing in Swansea's Castle Street vicinity after the Nazi German Luftwaffe
bombing raids
during the Second World War. It is a grade II listed structure.
In 1963 the the Castle Cinema changed its manager (Mr. Harry Williams who had previously managed The Plaza on Swanseas Kingsway. Mr Williams retireed October 1981 age 79). The cinema was in a terrible state and he had the cinema totally refurbished. New wall coverings and screen tabs were installed along with a cinemascope screen. Two hundred seats were lost from the back of the stalls to create a foyer, this meant the small circle had no overhang. Double seats (kissing seats) formed the last few rows of the stalls.
During the 1970's the cinema was famous for showing soft core porn films. By the end of the 1970's Swansea had only one other cinema (the ODEON on The Kingsway) so the Castle started to exhibit Hollywood Blockbusters once again on a First Release basis. The cinema basically showed what had not been secureed by the Rank Organisation for its Odeon Chain. E.T. Back to the Future, Basic Instinct, Raiders of the Lost Ark...... filled the house. Monty Pythons Life of Brian was banned by the city council.
In the early 1980's the cinema changed its name to "FILMCENTA" and installed a multitrack sound system. Circa 1988 UCI opened a 10 screen multiplex in the town, this meant the Castle no longer showed a film exclusively and its audience chose to go the the multiplex with its modern facilities. The cinema closed within weeks of UCI opening.
The building was converted to use as a laser gun combat-game zone and assault course called the Lazerzone.
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
building located adjacent to the grounds of Swansea Castle
Swansea Castle
Swansea Castle was founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1106 as the caput of the lordship of Gower, in Swansea, Wales.-History:The original castle seems to have been a sub-rectangular/oval enclosure overlooking the River Tawe on the east, surrounded on the north, west and south sides by a larger...
in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, south Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
According to Kinematograph year book of 1914 the Castle opend in October 1913.
It was the only building left standing in Swansea's Castle Street vicinity after the Nazi German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombing raids
Swansea Blitz
The Swansea Blitz was the heavy and sustained bombing of Swansea by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany on 19–21 February 1941.Swansea was selected as a legitimate target due to its importance as a port and docks and the oil refinery just beyond and its destruction was key to Nazi German war efforts as...
during the Second World War. It is a grade II listed structure.
In 1963 the the Castle Cinema changed its manager (Mr. Harry Williams who had previously managed The Plaza on Swanseas Kingsway. Mr Williams retireed October 1981 age 79). The cinema was in a terrible state and he had the cinema totally refurbished. New wall coverings and screen tabs were installed along with a cinemascope screen. Two hundred seats were lost from the back of the stalls to create a foyer, this meant the small circle had no overhang. Double seats (kissing seats) formed the last few rows of the stalls.
During the 1970's the cinema was famous for showing soft core porn films. By the end of the 1970's Swansea had only one other cinema (the ODEON on The Kingsway) so the Castle started to exhibit Hollywood Blockbusters once again on a First Release basis. The cinema basically showed what had not been secureed by the Rank Organisation for its Odeon Chain. E.T. Back to the Future, Basic Instinct, Raiders of the Lost Ark...... filled the house. Monty Pythons Life of Brian was banned by the city council.
In the early 1980's the cinema changed its name to "FILMCENTA" and installed a multitrack sound system. Circa 1988 UCI opened a 10 screen multiplex in the town, this meant the Castle no longer showed a film exclusively and its audience chose to go the the multiplex with its modern facilities. The cinema closed within weeks of UCI opening.
The building was converted to use as a laser gun combat-game zone and assault course called the Lazerzone.