Back in the States

March 3, 2018 / Matt / 9 Comments

Royalty Cinema, Birmingham, England.

I had a fantastic time in England with the Cinema Theatre Association and wanted to share a few of the theaters I visited while I was over there. First, the Royalty Cinema in Birmingham. It opened on October 20, 1930 and closed in 1963. The cinema was then converted into a bingo hall, which closed in 2012.

Granada Cinema – Tooting, South London, England.

The Granada originally opened on September 7, 1931. It was converted into a bingo hall in 1967, and remains one today. This is one of the more impressive theaters I’ve ever visited.

Finally, we have the ABC Stoke Newington. It opened as the Savoy Cinema on October 26, 1936. It closed in 1984, and the orchestra level was converted into a snooker hall. The snooker hall closed in 2014. Current plans call for the theater to undergo an estimated £3 million restoration and reopen as the Hackney Arts Centre in 2018.

I’ll be posting in-depth write ups of these cinemas (and more) very soon.

London Theatres

February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 / Matt / 6 Comments

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Hi Everyone,

I’m currently in London checking out some of England’s amazing theaters. The picture above is the remnants of the Kingsland Empire Theatre which opened in 1915. It’s located above the Rio Cinema, a smaller art deco theater, that was built inside the Kingsland in 1937.

Upcoming Events & Workshops

February 8, 2018 / Matt / Leave a comment

Robins Theatre – Warren, Ohio.

Hi Everyone,

I’ll be speaking in at The Gallery at Alan Baxter Associates in London on February 24, 2018 for the Cinema Theatre Association. The address is 75 Cowcross Street, Farringdon, London EC1M 6EL. Doors will open at 5:00 PM and tickets cost £10.00 at the door (which includes wine and light refreshments). Copies of my first book, After the Final Curtain: The Fall of the American Movie Theater, will be available for purchase.

It’s been a long time since I was last in England, and I can’t wait to check out some theaters while I’m there!

Cabot Theatre – Beverly, MA

On April 5, 2018 I’ll be speaking at the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, MA. I’ll also be exhibiting some new work at the gallery space in the theater. If you think the murals in this theater look familiar, it’s because they were most likely painted by the same artist as the ones in the Loew’s Poli and Loew’s Majestic Theatres in Bridgeport, CT. More details to come!

Everett Square Theatre – Boston, MA

I’ve secured another workshop date at the Everett Square Theatre in Boston, MA on April 14, 2018. I soft announced the first date on my Facebook page and it sold out in a few days. This one will probably go fast as well. You can find out more information and sign up here.