Majestic Cinema, Regent Street, Wrexham
Wrexham, LL11 1RR
Architects: G.E. Marshall & Co (Liverpool).
Opened 1910 as a skating rink.
Films shown from September 1910.
Named the Rink Theatre: Tuesday 2nd May 1911.
Re-branded the Majestic Super Cinema: Approx. 1930.
First sound film: “The Grand Parade”, starring Helen Twelvetrees, Fred Scott. Shown on Monday 13th December 1930.
Capacity: 1800 seats.
Closed: Wednesday 22nd June 1960.
Final film: “Oscar Wilde”, featuring Robert Morley, Ralph Richardson.
Building extant: ‘The Elhiu Yale’, J.D. Wetherspoon chain.
The Rink and Pavilion, Regent Street, Wrexham, was designed by G.E. Marshall & Co of Liverpool. The large structure opened in early 1910. Despite being intended to be a skating rink, the business was disappointing. A quick decision was made to incorporate the showing of films by September of the same year.
Moving pictures became far more successful than skating. From Tuesday 2nd May 1911 the building became the Rink Theatre, showing films with variety performances sometimes included in the programme. The name was changed to the Majestic Theatre during 1914 when it presented it’s first pantomime on stage.
Majestic Cinema, Regent Street, Wrexham. 1924.
The cinema business was well supported and in the late 1920s it was re-branded the Majestic Super Cinema. “If Business Interferes”, a 1928 comedy-drama, starring Marie Prevost and Monte Blue, was the final silent movie to be screened at the cinema, on Saturday 13th December 1930. On the following Monday, the first sound film at the Majestic, “The Grand Parade”, starring Helen Twelvetrees, Fred Scott and Richard Carle, was shown to a captivated audience.
Majestic Cinema, Regent Street, Wrexham.
The 1800 seat building was re-vamped during the early 1930s which included a restructured façade, and interior decoration fashioned in the Art Deco style.
Strong competition appeared in the town when Odeon Theatres opened their cinema on Brook Street. However, the Majestic was able to attract a reasonable level of audience during the cinema heyday of the 1940s.
Staff of the Majestic cinema in Wrexham
Like many independent operators, the cinema suffered with the drop in business caused by television, etc. The final film shown was “Oscar Wilde”, featuring Robert Morley, Ralph Richardson, Phyllis Calvert and Alexander Knox. The Majestic Cinema closed on Wednesday 22nd June 1960.
The building was converted into a Fine Fare supermarket, then a Cantors furniture store. On Monday 21st December 1998 it opened as one of the pubs in the J.D. Wetherspoon chain, this one named ‘The Elhiu Yale’.
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