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The Coliseum Theatre and Cinema Cont... August 1925. In 1928, Major Middleton and the Sussex Regiment were posted to Port Said in Egypt. In 1931 Hugh Riley was the cinema’s manager when a fire broke out in the projection booth while a movie was showing. The projectionists battled to put out the fire with Mr Riley going onto the stage to ask the audience of eight hundred, mostly women and children, to leave. At first no one moved, but when he explained what had happened they calmly made their way to the exit. The fire was put out. however the projectionist Mr Harwood was badly burned. In 1935, the Blue Flash Cinema Company Ltd was sold to National Provincial Cinemas Ltd, which was then sold in 1936 to the Union Cinema Company. Louis Halpen became the manager. He kept the Coliseum open during the Second World War until 1941 when the cinema was forced to close because of the repeated attacks on Shoreham by German bombers.
In 1948, the cinema was owned by United British Cinemas Ltd and it remained open until 1952. The building was then converted into a machine shop for Deri Engineers who moved out in the early 1960’s. The Coliseum was demolished in 1964 to make way for the Adur Civic Centre (Council offices), now itself recently pulled down with a new development on the way. Judy Upton Source Western Mail, Perth, Thursday 12th of November 1931 Sussex EUS Cinema Treasures Brightonfilm.com Great War Theatre
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