SNAPSHOT OF A SMALL TOWN CINEMA

IT HAS BEEN my privilege to examine a collection of programmes for Lyme Regis’ very own Regent cinema; coincidentally in the month (October) when it would have been celebrating its 80th birthday. They are in fine condition, too, which is quite remarkable when you consider that they date (1948 to 1955) from the time of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin airlift and the cold war. So, what did I discover?
Well, the most expensive seats in the circle would have cost you 3/6 (2/- plus 1/6 tax); the least expensive in the stalls . . . 10d (8d plus 2d tax). The main attractions, for the entire month, were set out on the centre pages with the stars billed above the title and, perhaps, a brief description below as to the content of the film. (“Two lively ghosts having the time of their second lives.”) Also noticeable immediately, is the fact that films did not come on a two week booking as is often the case today. A feature would be shown for 3 nights starting Monday, and then there would be a different one for 3 nights from Thursday. Then there would be another film – for one night only – on Sunday. There were very few exceptions to this rule (not even a re-release of Gone with the Wind in April 1949), but notable ones included Lyme’s own All Over the Town (6 nights in May 1949), A Queen is Crowned (June 1953) and Doctor in the House (June 1954).
Certain patterns can also be seen, even on a superficial level. A lot of emphasis was placed on homegrown product, so there are often references to “a superb British picture” or “all English cast”. Indeed, there would seem to be a preponderance of British films shown in Lyme at this time. There were major Hollywood films, too, such as Duel in the Sun and Shane, but usually they arrived about two years after their initial release. In fact, very few films appeared quickly; both this and the promotion of British titles shouldn’t surprise us, in a small provincial town. Re-releases were also much more common and were sometimes programmed at peak times of the year. So, Monday July 5th 1948 you could have seen the 1937 production Elephant Boy and, a year later, 1942’s Bambi. Few opportunities were missed to announce that the film was in Technicolor, that there was a strong musical content or that it was based on a famous novel or play; Lyme’s artistic traditions were clearly established some time ago!
Occasionally there was a support with the main feature, but this was much more likely to be a part of the Sunday programmes. Largely because these consisted of much older classics – film lovers could catch up with The Old Dark House (1932) and The Long Voyage Home (1940) – or because the attraction was a modest one (Gale Storm in Swing Parade, anyone?). It would appear that Roy Rogers was a popular option – and if anyone was co-billed, it was Trigger not the leading lady! Were subtitled films shown? The answer is yes, but very few, and two of them heralded the appearance of – surely not? – the X feature; the films in question being La Ronde and Clochemerle. The latter had this wonderful piece of publicity attached, in November 1951: ‘I stand amazed and delighted that the censor should have passed this film’ News of the World.
So there we are, a brief look at the Regent’s offerings long ago; a more innocent time when Wilfred Pickles starred in The Gay Dog, and Pink String and Sealing Wax was anything but a precursor to Fifty Shades of Grey; a time when we could have seen The Quiet Man and The Prisoner of Zenda on consecutive evenings and then Mystery Street, a forensic thriller, on the Sunday. What joy!