Former Kings Cinema

Image: © Thomas Nugent Taken: 8 Oct 2012

The Glasgow City Council leaflet "Bridgeton Heritage Trail", describes the building as follows... "The former King’s Cinema is now in use as a bedding and furniture warehouse. This building has had a chequered career beginning its life as an army drill hall before adapting to accommodate Glasgow’s passion for roller skating. The building was opened as a cinema by Samuel Gratton in 1910 with around 1300-1400 seats, the front rows of which were wooden benches. The cinema, although fairly basic, could boast a raked floor which enabled all patrons to have a good view of the screen. The cinema was given a stylish Art Deco style frontage in 1936 when it was at the height of its popularity. International stars like Laurel and Hardy and Edward G Robinson visited in the 1930s, making speeches, signing autographs and meeting the punters. Buskers, including an authentic looking Charlie Chaplin impersonator, would entertain the huge cinema queues. The King’s survived as a cinema into the 1950s, closing down in May 1959. The building is not listed."

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