Gaumont Cinema, Dingle

The Gaumont Cinema is situated on Park road Dingle in Liverpool it was built and opened in 1937 and housed Britain’s first Gaumont projectomatic system. This is a cinema system that automatically changed film reels and controlled the lights.
The 1,500-seat Gaumont was designed by WE Trent, the chief architect for the Gaumont-British group, with a specific curved frontage to follow the shape of the corner of Park Road and Dingle Lane
The art deco building was built to replace the Dingle Picturedrome. After the Gaumont theatre was decommissioned it was turned into a bingo hall.
The cinema also boasted an impressive Wurlitzer organ which is currently in a Manchester museum.
Cliff Richard and The Shadows played here in 1961 apparently.
In the 1960s, the building, which is not listed, was turned into a bingo hall.
Mobile phone operator 02 use the old projector room and have masts on the roof.

Massive Thanks to Georgie for spotting an opportunity to see inside and giving me the lead for this, Thanks again m8









22 comments:

  1. Anonymous8 May 2012 at 08:10

    eerie, I love this building, and wondered what it looks like inside now.

    Cheers,

    Meg

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  2. Anonymous22 August 2013 at 08:52

    Spent two years here bdetween 1987 and 1989 as General Manager of the Top Rank Club, and remember us re-furbishing the building in the pastel colours. Re-launched with the Bachelors and Billy Ellis on the Wurlitzer

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  3. Anonymous21 September 2013 at 02:32

    I would love to help reform this place and reopen it

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  4. Anonymous22 October 2013 at 14:38

    This old building is said to be haunted. It featured on TV show Most Haunted.

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  5. Unknown28 February 2014 at 08:35

    my mum worked there as an usherette in 1968,a movie poster from there of "bullitt" now hangs on my wall.

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  6. Anonymous6 August 2014 at 12:09

    I've notice the sale/auction sign has now gone, I seen two men trying to gain access to the building today, I just hope this iconic building has not been purchased so that the new owners can turn it into flats.

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  7. Anonymous27 October 2014 at 14:33

    Great blog. I noticed the for sale/auction sign myself with being local to the area. I did see it had been sold by auction but since August, nothing has changed. I've not so much seen a Munster of movement, It's a shame that the council is willing to let iconic buildings fall into disrepair, whilst still continue to fund builds for monumental amounts of student accommodation and empty office blocks, I suppose the building isn't council owned but surely more should be done for the community.

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  8. Anonymous11 March 2015 at 12:37

    Love to know who owns this building would love to use it for a future project that would benefit the area x

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    Replies
    1. Mummy 003 November 2017 at 17:24

      Maybe do something fir the community # new community centre for families and young people

      Delete
  9. Anonymous24 December 2015 at 02:51

    I remember going to the Saturday matinees for kids during the 60s. Noisy lot, but I loved watching the movies in this iconic building.

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  10. Anonymous9 June 2016 at 03:12

    "Anonymous22 October 2013 at 14:38
    This old building is said to be haunted. It featured on TV show Most Haunted"

    Reply

    Do you know which episode this was? Would be interesting to see it

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  11. Anonymous5 February 2017 at 14:27

    I use to go there every weekend , I won a best pet copetition 1966, and we use to sing on stage in the interval of film , it was great loved going there with me mates hope they restore it

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  12. Anonymous2 March 2017 at 04:52

    This building is on the corner of my street, and since I was a kid, I've always wanted to get inside and explore it as it's said to be one of the most haunted places in Liverpool

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  13. Unknown18 August 2017 at 13:46

    Just watching Episode Three of the Beatles Anthology and Ringo said he used to go to the Gaumont in Liverpool all the time. Guessing this is the one.

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  14. Mummy 003 November 2017 at 17:21

    Should open up as something for the community as there's nothing round are area for young people and families to do

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  15. Mummy 003 November 2017 at 17:22

    I would even help run it my self as being a mother of four children from the area

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  16. Anonymous4 November 2017 at 05:08

    Wow I worked both upstairs and downstairs from about 1986 and that was an amazing throw back session.
    I had to look after Bee Smith from prisoner cell block h one day , she was vile, rude and two faced to be honest, didn't enjoy that day one bit.

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  17. Emilia Bona28 November 2017 at 01:30

    I work for the Liverpool ECHO and we are writing a feature about this cinema. We would love to use some of your photos, with full credit. Could you please contact me on emilia.bona@trinitymirror.com ? Many thanks!

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  18. Unknown7 March 2019 at 09:28

    Please publish on Face book

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  19. Unknown18 May 2019 at 11:24

    Used to go here every Saturday for the kids matinee in the mid 50s to 60s loved the singing in between the movies the words used to come up on the screen with a white ball dancing over the words to sing the organ was awesome .. happy days.. sorry to all the girls who's hair I pulled x

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  20. Anonymous30 May 2019 at 06:07

    How did you manage to get in?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Unknown11 February 2020 at 01:30

    Is this still available? I would be interested in getting the building open again?

    ReplyDelete

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