I came across the following memories on local cinemas by Allan Goodall, his brother Donnie was the chief at the Playhouse when I started. Allan by that time was managing a cinema in Peterhead. Both really nice guys, anyway Allans insight into Inverness cinemas is a bit more technical than mines and he raises a few interesting points.
A plan submitted in 1929 by R. Carrruthers Ballantyne and Taylor, Architects, of 28 Queensgate, Inverness, to the Dean of Guild, whose approval was required for new buildings. The plan shows 'The Playhouse', which the Highland Cinema Company proposed building in Academy Street, Inverness. The Playhouse was destroyed in a fire in 1972
Opened 1929 by AB King seating 1,469. Destroyed by a fire during an evening performance, March 1972. CAC appealed against refusal of demolition, 1983Allan Goodall remembers:
"I started my career as an apprentice projectionist at the Playhouse in 1966 at 15 years of age. The Playhouse was the luxury cinema in Inverness. It started life in 1929 and was one of the first cinemas to be built for sound. My memory may be vague but it was originally going to be a theatre until talkies came out and it was decided it was to be a cinema instead. The design of the building gave it the look of a theatre - especially with the three box seats on each side of the balcony and one on either side of the stage. Occasional live shows were held there and of course after the Empire closed the Playhouse staged the annual Inverness Opera Company production. The sightlines were perfect from any seat for both films and live shows.
The screen frame and speakers could fly and this was done every Monday evening at the end of the last show so that the cleaners could give the stage a good clean. Jimmy Nairn the manager was a stickler for cleanliness, he would occasionally place small value coins under the aisle carpets so, if the cleaners tried to sweep dirt under the carpet, they would find the coin and sweep under all the carpet to see if they could find any more! Jimmy Nairn assured me that it worked.
After the Empire closed an Orchestra pit was built in front of the stage using materials from the one at the Empire, reducing the seating. I always remember the balcony seated 440 and as the total seating was reduced to 1314 , this would have left the stalls with 874 seats. The cinema had been equipped to play 4 track magnetic sound since 1954. The original equipment were Ross projectors, Western Electric Universal bases with the turntables mounted in the rear. The projector heads were changed also in 1954 to Kalee 21s. Then in 1968 the sounheads and amps were changed to Westrex 2000 and more modern Westrex amps and these remained in situ until the fire in 1972.
The projection room was in the void space under the balcony which gave you almost a direct 65ft throw with virtually no rake. When you looked down on the balcony it had a u shape cut out at the front centre for the beam - this apparently was originally going to be a spot room and the box was to be at the rear of the balcony. You can see this from the plans as there was a small box section in the rear with four rows of seats. The screen was approx 40ft wide with a deep curve. The curtains opened from the centre although the originals were festoon before scope. The tabs were lit top and bottom with foots and battens. There was a large dome which ran around the width of the ceiling and over the front balcony and front stalls. This was lit with 4 different colours, each colour could be dimmed separately - the same as the houselights. When the cinema opened there was a balcony foyer behind the box which was later turned into a cafe. For many years up to closure this was turned into a xmas fairyland every year, the walls adorned with cartoon characters, windmills and fountains were created - it had to be seen to be believed. All the work was done by Jimmy Nairn who was a very inventive and talented man. This feature was really missed by the people of the highlands when the Playhouse was lost.
The Playhouse went on fire in March 1972 - the film showing at the time was "Le Mans" starring Steve McQueen."
Twinned in 1978 to 438 seats (stalls) and 255 (circle). Closed in January 2001. Demolition took place in January 2005 for replacement with a housing development.
Allan Goodall remembers:
"The La Scala was a nice cinema, which opened in 1913. I remember the old Chief telling me about the early days as he was there shortly after it opened (his name was Willie Oberbeck and his twin brother Freddie was chief at the Playhouse Montrose just before I went there). He told me there was a fountain in front of the stage and a cafe on the right of the building. The three box seats on the right were open so people in the cafe could view the silent films. During my time there the boxes were covered up with concrete blocks and velvet drapes hung in front.
Although it sat around 1,000 when it opened, the stalls were redesigned in the 1950s. The seating originally went up to the side walls with a central aisle; when redesigned they created three aisles, one in the centre and one running down the side of each wall. Seating was then 250 in the balcony and 600 in the stalls. The procenium was approx. 36ft wide, with a scope picture of 32ft. The screen curtains were festoon and lit by foot and batten lights. In 1965 the cinema was redecorated with a light blue on the walls and ceiling, with some of the ornate plasterwork picked out in white. The projectors at that time were Kalee 12s with British Acoustic sounheads and a Kalee duosonic amp. In approx 1974 the entire projection equipment was replaced with Westrex 7000 projectors and Peerless Magnarc xenon conversions. The magnarcs which were converted came from the Playhouse which had burned down in 1972.
When twinned in 1979 the projectors were Westrex 2000s.
The original entrance was on the corner of Academy Street and Strothers Lane. There was a set of double doors on each corner which led into a small vestibule with terrazzo flooring. You then went through another set of doors to the main foyer with the box-office on the left. Just on the other side was a set of stairs which took you down to the switch room, battery room and stalls gents toilet. It was on the top of these stairs that they built a wall closing off the old foyer and created a new box-office when the cinema was twinned. The entrance was then closed off a couple of years before closure and moved further up Strothers Lane to create a slightly larger foyer but a very narrow entrance, it just looked like a shop door. The original foyer had wood panelled walls and ceilings which were painted over in the 1965 redecoration. The original entrance had a canopy put up at some point in its lifetime which went round the entire corner. The original foyer was either sold or leased out to a camera shop and is still there - it's possible the old panelled ceiling is still there above the modern suspended one, so maybe a small part of cinema history still survives..."
La Scala, in Strothers Lane, Inverness, was built in 1913 and originally had a tea room as well as a cinema. This plan, showing the ground floor, was submitted to the Dean of Guild, whose approval was required for new buildings or alterations to existing ones. La Scala closed in 2001
Interior of the La Scala Cinema, Strothers Lane, Inverness. It opened in 1913 as a one-screen cinema with a capacity of 1000. In 1978 it was divided into two screens with 438 seats in the stalls and 255 in the circle. A third screen was added in the 1990s. In 1996 the world premiere of the film 'Loch Ness' was staged here. Competition from two other cinemas in Inverness resulted in the closure of La Scala in January 2001. The last film to be screened was 'Casablanca'.
plan of the Central Hall Picture House by the Inverness architects Alexander Ross & Son. The cinema, on Academy Street, opened in 1912. It was redesigned in 1934 and became the Empire Theatre. The building was demolished in 1971
Opened 1912 by Inverness Picture House Ltd. (same owners as the La Scala) as a cinema seating 1,100.
Changed to variety theatre with occasional films and renamed, September 1934. Closed 1970, then demolished.
Allan Goodall remembers:
"The Theatre Royal, Bank Street on the riverside was destroyed by fire on 17th March 1931. As a result, the Empire cinema was fitted out for live shows in 1934 as a replacement. Projection equipment at the Empire was Western Electric sound with simplex projectors and Peerless Magnarcs. The arc lamps were taken out and installed in the La Scala. The La Scala's Brenkarcs were in turn then installed in the Playhouse Nairn. The projectors were still running into the 60's as adverts were still shown there on the safety curtain. The Empire had quite plain decor, bluish grey paint on walls and ceiling, not nearly as ornate as the La Scala which was to open a year later. In the mid 1960's the Empire could be dark for weeks with maybe the odd wrestling match on a Tuesday or Thursday - I remember having to go there to check the secondary lighting batteries when i worked at the La Scala."
Palace Huntly Street
Opened 1939 seating 1,023. Bingo from 1963.
