The Chiltern Cinema, Beaconsfield

The Chiltern Cinema is a former cinema in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England.

was designed by renowned cinema architect W.F. Granger, and opened in late 1927. Originally the cinema was called "the picture house". The seating was around 500, and the auditorium had no balcony. The screen was always 4:3 format (not widescreen), so letterbox vision was complusary on some films. The exterior was of a neo-classical architecture, so consequently, did not look like the average cinema from the front. Now, as the building stands, the ornate decorations are in good condition. Above the old main entrance, some dirt interference smothers the brickwork. This is where "THE CHILTERN" logo was once on view.

The cinema began to decline in the mid-1980s, and surrendered to the CIC Wycombe Six, and closed almost immediately. The building now houses an 'Adventure Funhouse' called 'Zoom'. The decoration inside is almost completely intact. The screen is still there, as a large rectangle on the back wall. The floor is still on a slope, and the projection room is being used as the 'Party Place' for children's birthday parties. The Stage, (which was erected in 1963 for theatre performances) now has a café standing on it. The entrance is now through the old fire exit at the rear.

Sources

* [http://cinematreasures.org/theater/14764/ Article at Cinema Treasures]