The History Of The Rembrandt Cinema

Part 1:Introduction

More details can be found in the virtual tour

Although the Rembrandt cinema was opened in 1938, it has connections with an earlier local cinema dating back to 1910. It was in that year that a Mrs F. Thompson had a builders merchants premises at No. 1 High street, Epsom converted into a cinema. Known as the Cinema Royal, it originally seated around 220 people, but was latter enlarged to seat 560 people. As the popularity of cinema going increased, along with the increasing population of Epsom & Ewell at that time, other larger and more comfortable cinemas opened. These were the "Super Cinema's" that were typical of cinemas that were opening all over the country. The first was the Capital, in Church St. Epsom, opening its doors on December 30th 1929. Then in 1937 the Odeon opened in the High Street near the Clock-tower. With the competition of two large purpose built Super Cinema's in the town, the Cinema Royal became run-down as business was taken away.

Shortly after the Odeon was opened, a redevelopment scheme was started at the other end of the High Street . A new line of buildings was constructed behind the old, which were demolished. These buildings included the Cinema Royal. It is supposed that Mrs Thompson, the owner, used the Money from the sale of the property for her new cinema venture, the Rembrandt Cinema.

At this time, i.e. the late  30's, many thousand of homes had been built in and around Epsom & Ewell, and new districts had build up, such as West Ewell and Stoneleigh. Previously only farmland, these areas now contained many acres of housing.

The architect for the new cinema was  E. Norman Bailey, who had previously designed cinemas in Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and the Regal Uxbridge, which still exists, as a listed building. (Regals Night-club)

Although Mrs Thompson's name appears on the planning documents, the cinema was owned and operated by a Mrs Gardener, who also owned the Kingston Kinema (in the 70's a STAR cinema, in the 80's a pine shop and now demolished and replaced by a new Odeon). The details of this change are unclear but it seems that Mrs Gardener was involved from the start because it was she who negotiated with the owners of the new houses for the purchase of part of their front gardens for the service road to the cinema for the sum of £200. Apparently the houses immediately next to the site did not want to enter into this arrangement so she bought both the houses instead and knocked them into one home, and moved in herself with her two sons.

After the plans had been given council approval, the builders started work in January 1938, having demolished the railway cottages on the site, the cinema began to take shape, and was ready to open by that autumn.

The Rembrandt cinema opened on the 3rd October 1938 with a ceremony conducted by the mayor of Epsom & Ewell. (Ald. C.J. Shaw JP) and with personal appearances by popular actors  of the day, Will Hay, Graham Moffet and Moore Marriott.

Read the report of the opening from "Kine Weekly"

Claudette Caulbert and Tom Walls, who were at the opening ceremony

Also in attendance was actor and local resident, Tom Walls. In his opening speech the Mayor spoke of his personal pleasure and the public's pride, in their new home of amusement.

The first films shown were, "British Movietone News", a Gaumont-British instructional entitled "Catch of the season", a 2nd feature called "Squadron of honour", and the main feature "Bluebeards Eighth wife" starring Claudette Colbert and Gary Cooper, and also David Niven.

After the programme, 300 guests stayed to enjoy the hospitality of the proprietoress, Mrs Gardener and her son, James. The first manager of the Rembrandt was Mr. Leslie Walters, who later left to join the R.A.F. at the outbreak of the war.

Read the architectural description of the Rembrandt Cinema from the
November 1938 edition of "Cinema and Theatre Construction".

Continued: The Early Years

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