New Era
The New Era Cinema opened in 1954, located in Georgetown. In the mid-1960s it is listed with 770 seats, a 28-feet wide proscenium and additional facilities incuded a ballroom, licenced bars and a dance studio. It was independently operated by Jersey Sports Stadium Ltd. It was closed in 1972.
The New Era Cinema business was transferred to the Sports Hall on Victoria Road. It was operating with 235 seats and 16mm Fumeo projectors and closed around 1980.
Forum
The large art deco Forum Cinema in Grenville Street was opened in 1935 and closed in 1981. It was demolished to make way for office accommodation. It was famous in the early days of cinema for its Compton organ, which was moved to Fort Regent.
During the Occupation the Germans used the Forum as their own cinema, showing propaganda films and holding concerts.
Opening
The Forum Cinema was opened on 25 March 1935 by Mrs H de C Martell, wife of the Lieut-Governor. Edward O’Henry played the national anthem on the Compton organ as the party entered Jersey’s newest theater. It was reported that the carpets were so thick and the seats so quiet that latecomers, of whom there were a few even for the official opening, arrived unheard. The programme started with Pathe’s news reels, followed by more renditions on the organ, then the feature Abdul the Damned. It was noted that although 1,600 people were in the cinema, most of whom were smoking, the ventilation apparatus proved most efficient.
Odeon
The Odeon Cinema in Bath Street was opened on 2 June 1952 and was the last of Jersey's four main post-war cinemas to close, and even when it ceased to be operated as an Odeon, it continued for some time as an independent cinema. There were applications to demolish it, but it has been made a listed building, perhaps more on sentimental grounds than because of any strong architectural merit, and it has now been sold to a religious organisation and will become a community centre.
Wests
In 1909 T J West established the first cinema in the Royal Hall in St Helier. The building in Peter Street was built around 1900 and bought by West in 1909. He already owned a chain of cinemas on the south coast of England. The old building was demolished in the early 1920s and rebuilt as West's Cinema in 1923. Wests Cinema was on the corner of Bath Street and Peter Street. It closed after the last performance on 30 December 1972 and was demolished in 1977 to make way for a development of shops, restaurants and offices, with a large open square in front.
The new West's was opened on 24 September 1923 and was a splendid example of baroque style with rococo cherubs and fruit medallions.The original plaster work was carried out by a German company and they used urine in the plaster to retard the setting time. The ventilation system was more suited to the Middle East, for the roof could be opened in the ceiling and the roof above.
West's had an orchestra of around eight musicians and in 1909 it was under the direction of Leslie Curzon.
During the interval there was no ice cream available, but chocolate and cigarettes were sold. During a matinee tea and biscuits could be brought to your seat.
One of the features of West's was a large corridor running from Peter Street and Bath Street which allowed patrons to queue out of the rain.The twin towers were originally clad in blue and white tiles but were subsequently painted grey.
The arrivals of the talkies saw the removal of the orchestra pit.At some point the walls were overlaid with tangerine and peacock blue paint and a new carpet was laid which was described as a cubist's dream.
The Jersey Film Society was founded on 11 December 1947 at the Café Bleu, West's Cinema.
Cineworld
Cineworld is a big ten-screen cinema on the Waterfront in St Helier and is now Jersey's only cinema.
Film festival
Since 1997, Kevin Lewis (formerly of the Cine Centre and the New Forum) has arranged the Jersey Film Festival, a charity event showing the latest and also classic films outdoors in 35mm on a big screen. The 2006 festival was held in Howard Davis Park, St Saviour, on the 12–18 August 2006. In 2008 the boutique Branchage film festival was held.
Cinema gallery
See Pictures of the Forum Cinema for the Forum
Early cinemas
Royal Hall, Peter Street, T J West's original cinema
This notice was published in the Evening Post during the early days of the Occupation, when audiences had started applauding any content of a film which could be seen to be of a patriotic British nature, much to the annoyance of the Germans, who threatened to close all cinemas if the practice did not cease
Royal Hall, Peter Street
Wests, from opening night to demolition
The Plaza at West's in 1939
Wests programme from 1944, when the cinema staged wartime live entertainment
1915 advert for West's
This 1928 photograph is captioned as a dance for West's staff
Wests programme
Wests programme
Wests programme
Wests programme from 1968 ...
... and an earlier one from 1944
Wests tickets
Wests Cinema
Wests in 1969
Wests in 1968
Wests
Demolition of Wests Cinema starts ...
... and continues ...
... until the whole corner site from Bath Street, along the length of Peter Street, is cleared
New Era
The New Era Cinema only operated from 1952 to 1972
New Era
Jersey Sports Stadium which housed the New Era Cinema
The interior of the New Era Cinema
New Era
1948
Odeon
Demolition work in 1948 before the Odeon was built
The Odeon under construction in 1951
The Odeon Cinema, now a listed building
Construction work at the Odeon in 1954
The Odeon under construction in 1951
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
The Odeon in 2004
Queuing for the Odeon
Tony Moneypenny, manager of the Odeon
Odeon
Sweet counter at the Odeon in the 1960s
A reference for an Odeon employee in 1953
1978, the first showing of Star Wars filled the cinema
Odeon staff say farewell to manager A W Street in 1960
The Odeon in 2012, awaiting conversion into a community centre
The Odeon in2010
The foyer in 2010
The projection room in 2010
