Difference between revisions of "Electric Theatres"

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(Created page with "In 1911 a theatre called the Electric Cinema opened in Portobello Road as one of the first repertory cinemas in England, eventually resurrected as a luxury cinema. The p...")
 
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In 1911 a theatre called the [[Electric Cinema]] opened in Portobello Road as one of the first repertory cinemas in England, eventually resurrected as a luxury cinema.  
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[[Electric Theatres]] is can refer to a specific company, e.g. the British company [[Electric Theatres Ltd.]] (1908) or to a generic term deriving from the company name,  referring to all cinemas offering a continuous show (sometimes called repertory cinemas in England, and known in South Africa as [[café-bioscope]] at one time).  
  
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The pioneering and influential Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd, which created
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''Not to be confused with a number of other companies known by this name, e.g.  The Electric Theatre [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Theatre], founded in an abandoned  electricity works building in Guildford, Surrey, England, in 1997 or the Electric Theatre Company[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Theatre_Company], a non-profit, regional, Equity theatre company located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.''
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London’s first true cinema circuit, based its whole policy on the continuous show
 
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located within London’s populous districts.9
 
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In 1910, at least fifty per cent of the
 
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cinemas in the Greater London area operated with a continuous show policy. The
 
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There were a number of well-established cinema circuits in London by 1914.
 
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Particularly prominent, with sixteen cinemas in Greater London by 1910, was
 
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Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd. This company was in the vanguard of cinema
 
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creation in Britain, and helped fix the name ‘electric theatre’ as a generic term for
 
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cinema and the continuous show as the dominant form of exhibition. It was
 
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established towards the end of 1907 with £10,000 capital, becoming a public
 
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company on 16 September 1908 with capital of £50,000. It was founded by Joseph Jay Bamberger, a New York City stockbroker who had financed
 
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nickelodeon construction in that city through the Electric Theatre Company,
 
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before noticing on a London business trip that there were no such theatres in a
 
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city of eight millions, whereas the far less populous New York City had, so he
 
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claimed, 629 (the real figure was probably around 400). The clear intention of the
 
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company was ‘to open and operate cinematograph theatres in populous districts’.
 
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It instituted a policy of continuous programmes throughout the afternoon and
 
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evening, changed twice-weekly, at a uniformly low cost of 3d for adults and 2d
 
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for children (later raised to 6d and 3d).20
 
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The name ‘electric theatre’ was brought over from the States by Bamberger.  
 
  
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==History==
  
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The London based [[Electric Theatres]] company was founded in 1908 by Joseph Jay Bamberger, a New York City stockbroker who not only brought the name with him, but had financed the building of theatres in the USA through the Electric Theatre Company. One of the early directors of the company was variety theatre impresario, [[Frederick Mouillot]] (-1911).  
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[[Electric Theatres]] is the name given to
 
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''Not to be confused with a number of other companies known by this name, e.g.  The Electric Theatre [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Theatre], founded in an abandoned electricity works building in Guildford, Surrey, England, in 1997 or the Electric Theatre Company[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Theatre_Company], a non-profit, regional, Equity theatre company located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.''
 
  
 
Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd, in common with most of the London cinema circuits,
 
Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd, in common with most of the London cinema circuits,
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Birmingham, and one each in Southend, Gloucester, Brighton, Norwich and
 
Birmingham, and one each in Southend, Gloucester, Brighton, Norwich and
 
Plymouth. It had established a subsidiary company, Provincial Electric Theatres,
 
Plymouth. It had established a subsidiary company, Provincial Electric Theatres,
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by the end of 1908, and the following year expanded overseas by initiating the
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by the end of 1908.  
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establishment of permanent cinemas in South Africa through Natal Electric
 
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Theatres Ltd. 23
 
  
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One of the original directors of Electric Theatres
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==[[Electric Theatres]] in South Africa==
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(1908) Ltd was variety theatre impresario, [[Frederick Mouillot]], who ran a South African theatre chain.
 
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The first Electric Theatre opened in South Africa in Durban on 29 July 1909. The company had at least
 
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five cinemas in South Africa, including a Theatre de Luxe in Cape Town, and a cinema in Durban for
 
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‘Coloured People Only’ (primarily Indians). Short-term policies including the importing of films worn
 
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out through use on the English circuit led to the company’s demise by 1911.
 
  
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In 1909 the company expanded overseas by initiating the establishment of permanent cinemas in South Africa through [[Natal Electric Theatres Ltd.]]. The first [[Electric Theatre]] opened in South Africa in Durban on 29 July 1909 and [[Frederick Mouillot]] went on to run the South African theatre chain. The company eventually had at least five [[bioscope]]s (or cinemas) in South Africa, including a Theatre de Luxe in Cape Town, and a cinema in Durban for "Coloured People Only" (primarily Indians). Short-term policies including the importing of films worn out through use on the English circuit led to the company’s demise by 1911.
  
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==Sources==
  
 
https://lukemckernan.com/wp-content/uploads/unequal_pleasures.pdf
 
https://lukemckernan.com/wp-content/uploads/unequal_pleasures.pdf

Revision as of 06:21, 29 July 2019

Electric Theatres is can refer to a specific company, e.g. the British company Electric Theatres Ltd. (1908) or to a generic term deriving from the company name, referring to all cinemas offering a continuous show (sometimes called repertory cinemas in England, and known in South Africa as café-bioscope at one time).

Not to be confused with a number of other companies known by this name, e.g. The Electric Theatre [1], founded in an abandoned electricity works building in Guildford, Surrey, England, in 1997 or the Electric Theatre Company[2], a non-profit, regional, Equity theatre company located in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

History

The London based Electric Theatres company was founded in 1908 by Joseph Jay Bamberger, a New York City stockbroker who not only brought the name with him, but had financed the building of theatres in the USA through the Electric Theatre Company. One of the early directors of the company was variety theatre impresario, Frederick Mouillot (-1911).

Electric Theatres (1908) Ltd, in common with most of the London cinema circuits, did not restrict itself to the capital. By 1914, it managed three cinemas in Birmingham, and one each in Southend, Gloucester, Brighton, Norwich and Plymouth. It had established a subsidiary company, Provincial Electric Theatres, by the end of 1908.

Electric Theatres in South Africa

In 1909 the company expanded overseas by initiating the establishment of permanent cinemas in South Africa through Natal Electric Theatres Ltd.. The first Electric Theatre opened in South Africa in Durban on 29 July 1909 and Frederick Mouillot went on to run the South African theatre chain. The company eventually had at least five bioscopes (or cinemas) in South Africa, including a Theatre de Luxe in Cape Town, and a cinema in Durban for "Coloured People Only" (primarily Indians). Short-term policies including the importing of films worn out through use on the English circuit led to the company’s demise by 1911.

Sources

https://lukemckernan.com/wp-content/uploads/unequal_pleasures.pdf

https://londonist.com/2011/02/cinefile-electric-cinemas-centenary

Thelma Gutsche, 1972. The History and Social Significance of Motion Pictures in South Africa 1895-1940. Cape Town: Howard Timmins: pp. 95-97.

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