Owners: Gaumont-British Picture Corporation, Ltd.

Architects: Gray & Evans. 

Builders: George Platt & Son of Liverpool.

Opened By:  The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Alderman J. C. Cross.

Seating: Stalls 1100- Balcony 500.  Capacity: 1600.

Date Closed: 26th November 1960.

Gaumont Palace, Anfield

The old Kings Cinema was demolished early in 1931, making way for a new luxurious cinema that was to be known as the Gaumont Palace. With a generous budget of £50.000, the Gaumont British Picture Corporation had commissioned the well known Liverpool architects, Gray & Evans to design a 1600 seat cinema to be built on the site. Demolition and construction was completed within a ten month period.

The imposing 79′ wide frontage of the new Gaumont Palace was built of brick & buff coloured terracotta stone. Central marble steps led customers to five pairs of glazed oak doors completed with stainless steel fittings, covered with an eye catching gold coloured lacquered canopy.

Photographed from the balcony. The Gaumont Anfield.

The large auditorium measured 72′ x 96′, the walls of which were treated in a textured  fibrous plaster finish and decorated in delicate shades of rich red and gold with a metalled green dado. Ornate grills cleverly concealed the ventilation ducts.  The proscenium was 40′ in width and 33′ in height with a fitted silk velour pelmet in autumnal shades.   The gold stage curtains complemented the pelmet colour and were finished off with a rich silk bullion fringe. The theatre was equipped to present cine variety complete with dressing rooms and the provision of a movable floor  to accommodate an orchestra.

The opening ceremony was performed by Liverpool’s Lord Mayor, Alderman J. C. Cross. Miss Mary Fawcett sang the National Anthem before the programme began. The first film shown was “The Devil To Pay” starring Ronald Coleman and Loretta Young.

In the fifties the cinema began to struggle mainly because of film product allocation. CinemaScope  was screened from the 25th March 1955 with the film “Sign Of The Pagan” starring Jeff Chandler. However, this did little to halt the decline in admissions which led to matinee performances coming to an end from 16th June 1958. Inevitably the cinema closed on 26th November 1960. “The Unforgiven” starring Burt Lancaster was the final film shown.

The building has been used by a range of businesses. In 1998 it was converted into a religious gospel music & arts centre known as the Liverpool Lighthouse, which has a seating capacity of 430.

Liverpool Lighthouse has undergone a major refurbishment in order to reopen as a community cinema.

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