The Rex, Berkhamsted

The Rex is an art deco cinema (designed by David Nye in 1936) that was opened in 1938 in Berkhamsted, England, and closed in 1988. Although it had protected building status the cinema's state deteriorated, a local man, James Hannaway, devised a joint venture involving partial development of the site into housing, and refurnishing the cinema. As a result, the new Rex is smaller (350 seats compared to 1100) but is once again (since December 2004) an operational cinema, having screened "The Third Man" on its reopening. ("The Third Man" had particular significance, not just because it was made during the heyday of the original Rex, but because Graham Greene, who wrote the screenplay, hailed from Berkhamsted.)

Features

Most modern cinemas run on the tried and tested basis of showing the newest films to as many people as possible, often having screen counts in the double figures and many showings per screen each day. The Rex only has one screen and shows a maximum of two films per day. Being an independent cinema, it gets hold of films often as late as six weeks after mainstream cinemas, and so cannot rely on just the newness of films to draw in audiences. Instead, its appeal derives from its quirks:
* Surroundings - All the original art deco is still present in the cinema, with what is often regarded as stunning decoration around the screen. The Rex also uses larger and more cushioned seats (such as are sometimes found on the back few rows of multiscreen cinemas) throughout the cinema, with as much legroom as you could want.
* Food and Drink - There is a bar inside the auditorium, where patrons can purchase drinks and snacks for consumption either before or during the film. The lower level (where the bar is situated) does not have standard tiers of cinema seats, but instead a number of round tables, each with four seats.
* Unique film schedule - Films are often shown on merit (or on a whim) rather than because they are new, with popular demand sometimes swaying the scheduling decisions. As well as screening films regarded as classics, the cinema also shows one "turkey" each month, generally a decent but cheesy title such as Top Gun.
* Live entertainment - Each film is introduced by an announcer who comes onto the stage for a few minutes after the adverts and previews, normally Mr Hannaway, but sometimes an actor associated with the film being shown. (For example, Terry Jones introduced the screening of "Monty Python's Life of Brian", and was interviewed extensively after the screening of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".) The Rex also sometimes schedules live music events, for example to be played over a silent movie, and has hosted recordings of "Just a Minute" and "Dead Ringers" for BBC Radio 4.
*Well produced, but idiosyncratically written, monthly programme.

External links

* [http://www.therexcinema.com Official web site]