Lost cinemas of Sunderland

After the sudden closure in 2023 of the Empire, Sunderland city centre was left without a single cinema.
Reporter Tony Gillan guides us through a lost era when Wearside was teeming with picture houses.

[@rednwhitetillikickthebucket]

Great video 👍

[@joeblogs4701]

I remember going to the Odeon in 1956 to see (live) Bill Haley and The Comets - Rock Around The Clock ----overwhelming.

[@user-nr2xw8hy7s]

I was there as well , 16 yr apprentice.

[@kevingray3550]

No mention of the Picture House in High Street West which was located on part of the site that's now occpied by Primark .It opened in 1912 & specialised in showing Westerns and because of that it was known by everyone as the "Ranch".
It was also known for its sliding roof that could be opened in the warm summer months too cool the auditorium. Other than to let out all of the cigarette smoke and let some fresh air in I don't know how many times the searing heat of a Sunderland summer actually called for the roof to be opened.
The Picture House closed in 1966 and was demolished to make way for the town centre's original shopping precinct which was later converted into a shopping mall and re-named The Bridges.
As a kid I visited the Odeon the ABC the Royal and the Havelock and have memories of them all and the films that I saw in them but I never visited the "Ranch".

[@sunderlandecho9332]

Thanks for sharing your memories Kevin - the 'Ranch' does get a mention in another of our videos, 'Sunderland's lost cinemas of the 60s'

[@user-nr2xw8hy7s]

Saw Love Me Tender there , I look at the lost pubs , and have the Sunderland pubs , publication , nowhere have I seen mention of the pub next door to the Ranch , is The Caxton

[@user-nr2xw8hy7s]

What about the Marina , Regent , Picture House , Plaza , Roker , Savoy .??

[@sunderlandecho9332]

This feature isn't intended to comprehensively cover every cinema that's no longer around in Sunderland - but if you do have memories of others you'd like to share, please get in touch with our nostalgia specialist [e-mail]

[@jimmystokoe6917]

The regent grangetown now a gym

[@derekscott6563]

i no this is late to the party what about the fair world cimina in the east end or the empire cimina as part of the empire threater