The Ritz (later known as the ABC, Astra and Apollo) was a

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

located at the junction of

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969, by Apple Records. It is the last album the group recorded, although '' Let It Be'' (1970) was the last album completed before th ...

and Holker Street in

Barrow-in-Furness Barrow-in-Furness is a port town and civil parish (as just "Barrow") in the Westmorland and Furness district of Cumbria, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the county of Lancashire, it was incorporated as a municipal borou ...

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The building was designed in a typical

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

-style by architect firm Drury & Gomersall and constructed in 1936 on a previously undeveloped site. The first film to be screened was ''

It's Love Again ''It's Love Again'' is a 1936 British musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jessie Matthews, Robert Young and Sonnie Hale. In the film, a chorus girl masquerades as a big game hunter to try to boost her showbiz career. The f ...

''. The building also contained a row of four retail shops at ground floor fronting Abbey Road in addition to a restaurant at one point. Between 1961 and 1977 it was known simply as the ABC; after

ABC Cinemas ABC Cinemas (Associated British Cinemas) was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), it operated between the 1920s and the 1980s. The brand name was reused in ...

who took over ownership of the premises soon after completion. This changed to the Astra when the venue was bought by Hutchinson Leisure. In this period the cinema was completely refitted, adding two extra screens to the existing one. The largest of the screens seated 640 while the smaller two seated 260 each. In the last part of its functioning life the cinema was named the Apollo after again being purchased; by Apollo Leisure. 1999 saw the completion of

Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may refer to: Places United States * Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California * Hollywood Park, Chicago, a neighborhood in North Park, Chicago, Illinois *Hollywood Park, Inglewood, an entertainment complex and ma ...

in Barrow and a 6-screen multiplex by Apollo Leisure. As a result, the redundant Apollo Cinema on Abbey Road closed down. Numerous proposals to conserve the building were presented, however a fire gutted the structure in the early 2000s scuppering any hope of redevelopment. Ultimately demolished in 2003, the site is now occupied by Emlyn Hughes House, a four-storey office building now serving as the headquarters of

Furness Building Society Furness Building Society is a British building society, which has its headquarters in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Established in 1865, it is the 18th largest in the United Kingdom based on total assets of £813 million as at 31 December ...

References

{{coord, 54.1172, -3.2262, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Ritz Cinema, Barrow-in-Furness Ritz Cinema Ritz Cinema, Barrow-in-Furness Buildings and structures demolished in 2003 Demolished buildings and structures in Cumbria

See also

References