Castle Cinema

Castle Cinema
The Castle Cinema as of 2011
General information
Location	Swansea, Wales
Address	Worcester Place, Swansea SA1 1JQ
Coordinates	51°37′15″N 3°56′28″W / 51.6208°N 3.9411°W
Inaugurated	14 December 1913
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Thomas, Meager & Jones of London

The Castle Cinema is a former cinema building located adjacent to the grounds of Swansea Castle in Swansea, south Wales. According to Kinematograph year book of 1914 the Castle opened in October 1913.

It was the only building left standing in Swansea's Castle Street vicinity after the Nazi German Luftwaffe bombing raids during the Second World War. It is a grade II listed structure.^[1]

In 1963 the Castle Cinema changed its manager (Mr. Harry Williams who had previously managed The Plaza on Swanseas Kingsway. Mr Williams retired October 1981 age 79). The cinema was in a terrible state and he had the cinema totally refurbished. New wall coverings and screen tabs were installed along with a cinemascope screen. Two hundred seats were lost from the back of the stalls to create a foyer, this meant the small circle had no overhang. Double seats (kissing seats) formed the last few rows of the stalls.

During the 1970s the cinema was famous for showing soft core porn films. By the end of the 1970s Swansea had only two other cinemas (the ODEON on The Kingsway and a small independent operating in a chapel). In 1982 the lease of the Castle was acquired by Circle Cinemas of Cardiff who renamed it the FILMCENTA and installed new projection equipment and Dolby Stereo and started to exhibit Hollywood Blockbusters once again on a First Release basis. The cinema basically showed what had not been secured by the Rank Organisation for its Odeon Chain. This was known as the ABC release stream, E.T. Back to the Future, Basic Instinct, Raiders of the Lost Ark...... filled the house. Monty Pythons Life of Brian was banned by the city council.

Circa 1988 UCI opened a 10 screen multiplex in the town next door to the Filmcenta, this meant that it no longer showed a film exclusively and its audience chose to go to the multiplex with its modern facilities. The Filmcenta soldiered on for nearly two more years before eventually closing, its last film being "Doc Hollywood" with Michael J Fox.

The building was converted to use as a laser gun combat-game zone and assault course called the Lazerzone.^[2]

References