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Teaching and Learning - Online Articles

The History of Cinema Exhibition in Exeter 1895 - 1918

Alex Rankin

(The text of this dissertation is copyright Alex Rankin, 2001. No part of it may be reproduced without the permission of the author.)

Abstract

Appendix A: A Map of Exeter Showing the Principal Film Venues

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Appendix B: Number of Picture Theatres in County Towns in 1914

Although there were clearly not seven specialist picture theatres in Exeter in 1914 (the number presumably reached by adding the number of cinemas to the number of halls that used pictures on regular occasions), this figure is still useful for comparison if we consider that the data for the other towns and cities will presumably be similarly incorrect. Whilst this comparison also fails to appreciate the size of the venues – and Exeter venues were relatively small – the results still show that Exeter had more cinemas than towns of a similar size. For example, both Bedford and Kingston have a population similar to that of Exeter yet they have four less film venues. Perhaps even more significant, many of the towns with a far higher population (notably Reading, Gloucester, Lincoln, Oxford and York) have fewer film venues than Exeter. It is feasible to suggest that this was made possible by the fact that socially mixed audiences attended the cinema in Exeter to a greater extent than elsewhere. Thus the majority of the population in Exeter would attend the cinema whereas elsewhere, perhaps, there was more of a class barrier to attending and therefore fewer of the total population would support the cinemas.

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Appendix C: Chronology of important film events in Exeter

1896

• February: The Evening Post reports on the Lumière presentation in London.
• October: The Theatrograph, under the direction of J.D. Ablett, arrives in Exeter.
• November: Poole’s Myriorama stays in Exeter for three weeks.

1897

• May: The Evening Post reports that it was a kinematograph lamp that started the Paris fire.
• June: Slade’s Animated Pictures at the Victoria Hall receive little interest.
• October: A Cinematographe is used as a low billing in a variety show at the Victoria Hall.
• November: Poole’s Myriorama now has a cinematographe support.

1898

• January: Animated photography supports Dyson’s Diorama.
• February: The general exhibition at the Victoria Hall includes a cinematograph.
• September: Hancock’s Gigantic Carnival arrives in Exeter with its Biograph of Living Pictures
• September: David Devant’s animated pictures play the Royal Public Rooms.
• November: Poole’s Myriorama with a cinematograph support.

1899

• January: David Devant plays Exeter again, this time using added sound effects
• November: Poole’s Myriorama with the support of the “Eventograph”.

1900

• February: G. Bell’s “Warograph” at the Victoria Hall with variety entertainment.
• May: West’s animated pictures at the Victoria Hall.
• June: The Bioscope provides support to variety entertainment at the Victoria Hall.
• September: Grand exhibition at the Victoria Hall includes a cinematograph.
• November: The “improved cinematograph” supports Poole’s Myriorama.

1901

• February: Animatograph presentation on “Army Life” at the Theatre Royal.
• March: Biograph at the Victoria Hall.
• May: Gibbons’ Phono Bio-tableaux at the Victoria Hall.
• May: The Bio-Sphere at the Victoria Hall.
• October: Gilbert’s circus arrives at the Victoria Hall with a bioscope.
• November: Poole’s 20th Century Combination featuring the Pooleograph and the Cine-Phono-Matagraph.
• December: Edison’s Animated Pictures, including the pantomime “Blue Beard” and local actualities

1902

• September: Livermore Brothers at Victoria Hall with the support of the Coronatographe.
• September: West at Victoria Hall with the Imperial Coronascope. Films include “A Trip to the Moon” and local actualities.
• October: Gilbert’s Circus at Victoria Hall with an Imperial Bioscope.
• December: J. Brewer’s Christmas Carnival arrives with an Anderton and Roland Cinematograph.

1903

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall.
• September: West at Victoria Hall with coloured films.
• October: Gilbert’s Circus at Victoria Hall with Royal Bioscope.

1904

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall.
• April: West’s “Our Navy” at Victoria Hall.
• May: Maskelyne and Cooke’s animated photographs in Exeter.
• October: Gilbert’s Modern Circus at Victoria Hall.

1905

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall with animated photos.
• September: Maskelyne and Devant at Victoria Hall, presumably with film support.
• October: Gilbert’s Circus at Victoria Hall with the Royal Bioscope.
• December: Mr. Wallace Jeff’s Life-motion pictures at Victoria Hall.

1906

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall with a cinematograph.
• March: Illustrated (by motion pictures) Lectures at the Royal Public Rooms and Barnfield Hall.
• September: The Imperial Bioscope at Victoria Hall.
• September: Gilbert’s Circus, with the Royal Bioscope, at Victoria Hall.

1907

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall
• February: Illustrated (by Animated Photographs) Lecture at the Royal Public Rooms.
• May: Great Britain Animated Picture Company at Barnfield Hall.
• September: Gilbert’s Circus at Victoria Hall.
• December: Illustrated Lecture (British Bioscope) at Barnfield Hall.

1908

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall with the Royal Animated Picture Company.
• April: Indian Exhibition at Victoria Hall with Living Pictures.
• May: Ruffell’s Bioscope provides support at the Theatre Royal.
• September: Columbia Animated Picture and Variety Company at the Barnfield Hall.
• October: The Hippodrome Pictures are put on twice nightly.
• Gilbert’s Palace at the Victoria Hall with The British Biograph Company.

1909

• February: Poole’s at Victoria Hall with cinematograph still in support.
• March: The Columbia Animated Pictures at the Victoria Hall.
• November: The Furthest South Expedition Bioscope Company at Barnfield Hall.

1910

• January: The Cinematograph Act comes into effect.
• March: Lecture at Barnfield Hall with Kinematography providing the illustrations.
• April: Victoria Hall advertises its twice nightly pictures at the “Victoria Hall Picture Palace”.
• August: Hippodrome has Living Pictures and a lecture.
• August: The Empire Electric Theatre opens its doors for the first time.

1911

• January: Poole’s Myriorama and Bioscope pictures at the Theatre Royal.
• February: The Franklin Picture Palace opens.
• August: The Empire undergoes a major cleaning and redecoration week.

1912

• February: Poole’s Myriorama with Bioscope at the Victoria Hall.
• March: The Theatre Royal’s picture season begins.
• April: The City of Exeter Palaces, Ltd begin work to turn a former grocer’s into a cinema.
• September: The Queen’s Hall runs a picture season.
• October: Pictures at the King’s Hall.

1913

• January: The Queen’s Hall voluntarily bans under-sixteens from Dante’s Inferno.
• February: The cinematograph season at the Theatre Royal begins.
• May: Queen’s Hall pictures running.
• May: The Victoria Hall records a loss for the year; the new cinemas are blamed.
• November: Hinton Lake and Sons begin a cinematograph hire service.
• December: The Queen’s Hall becomes the Palladium and enjoys great success.

1914

• March: The Theatre Royal’s picture season in conjunction with the City Palace begins.
• May: Theatre Royal has films.
• July: Barnfield Hall has pictures of Scott’s South Pole expedition.
• December: The Palladium is open on Christmas Day.

1915

• April: The Palladium changes to a continuous format.
• May: The King’s Hall hosts the Photo-Drama of Creation.
• August: The Theatre Royal has a variety week with the cinematograph as the top billing.
• September: The Empire changes managers.
• December: Palladium is again open on Christmas Day.

1916

• February: The Palladium secures exclusive rights to all Chaplin films in Exeter.
• June: The Theatre Royal shows Birth of a Nation.
• August: There is a film fire at the Empire; no one is hurt.
• September: The Palladium has Battle on the Somme.
• December: The Palladium secures the right to run a continuous programme on Christmas Day.

1917

• February: The Palladium and the Theatre Royal have The Advance of the Tanks.
• August: The Theatre Royal has Civilization.
• October: The Express and Echo follows the Cinema Commission of Enquiry’s results.
• December: Palladium to open Christmas Day.

1918

• March: The Franklin slashes its prices.
• June: Theatre Royal has Intolerance and Birth of a Nation.
• June: City Palace has Where are my Children?
• November: The War ends. The cinemas raise their prices due to the entertainment tax.

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