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Empire / Essoldo / Classic / Cannon High Street, Rotherham.
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 Location
The Building The Empire complex was made up of two separate structures, the 3-storey entrance and foyer block with its integral shop and office units with their distinctive white faience façade which is still a notable feature. The adjoining auditorium block with its steep pitched roof is much taller to accommodate three levels of stalls, circle and gallery plus, of course, a sizeable stage house.
Luxurious Interior The Empire boasted comfortable upholstered seating for circa 1,500 people with luxury plush velvet pile tip-up seats and Axminster carpet in the Grand (Dress) Circle and Stalls. The proscenium opening at 32 feet wide, stage and dressing rooms boasted a fireproof curtain and doors separating them from the auditorium part of the building. From the very start, it had a projection room incorporated where "The Empire Pictures will be perfectly shown" as part of the twice-nightly variety stage performances. Lighting was by electricity but with gas as secondary emergency lighting.
Theatre Opening The Empire Theatre opened on Monday 15th December 1913 for Kine-Variety with "The Girl who took the Wrong Turning" on the screen and Arthur Roberts - a well known comedian of the time topping the variety bill on stage. Gradually due to the first World War it moved to more films and less variety on stage. The following year, 1914, when the war started Fred Shaw became the theatre manager. Typical prices were from 3d to 1/-d. Later managers were Jack Thomas, Thomas Hopcutt and Jonathan Dickenson.
Conversion to full-time Cinema The Picture House (or Empire Picture House) was opened on Monday 2nd May 1921 with Rotherham District Cinemas Ltd as lesees and G. Woodman as resident manager and prices of 6d to 1/9d. By 1926 with Joe Steeples still at the helm it had become known as the Empire Super Kinema with Fred Shaw as manager and prices reduced to 6d to 1/3d.
New Owner and 'Talkies' "Broadway Melody" - 1929 USA B/W+colour 110mins. Admission prices ranged from 6d to 1/3d. The cinema was leased to Associated British Cinemas (ABC) for the next 10 years. In 1939 ABC transferred the lease back to Rotherham District Cinemas Ltd. Office properties above the entrance were known as Empire Chambers (and later Essoldo Chambers) and during the second World War housed the Empire Billiards Club with Alfred Steeples as its general manager and secretary. By 1951 it had 1,210 seats for its continuous daily performances with prices from 10p to 2/3d and much cheaper than the nearby Odeon.
Essoldo add CinemaScope CinemaScope opened at the Empire on Monday 22nd March 1954 with . . . "How to Marry a Millionaire" - 1953 USA Technicolor 95mins. The film was advertised as . . . "The Most Glamorous Entertainment of Your Lifetime in CinemaScope. The Empire name remained until late 1955 when it was renamed to Essoldo and new signage added.
Origin of the 'Essoldo' Name
Fire and More Takeovers The Essoldo Circuit sold some of its cinemas including the Rotherham Essoldo to the Classic Cinemas Group founded by E.A. Rhodes and based in London. Rhodes' policy, in a statement in 1967, was . . . "Classic Cinemas are primarily repertory cinemas and we prefer to show a good film, irrespective of its age. We stated a policy of fewer seats and more comfort for patrons in our cinemas . . ." From March 1972 it changed its name to Classic and in 1973 Barbara Allen took over as manager.
Classic Refurbishment "Enter the Dragon" - 1973 HK/USA Technicolor 98mins. In the summer of 1978 Classic carried out the twinning of the auditorium.
Cannon Control Cannon partitioned off the former stage area and sublet. The balcony was reopened as a 314 seater cinema. Catherine Austin was now manageress continuing to its closure.
End of Films "Shirley Valentine" - 1989 UK/USA Technicolor 108mins.
Later Uses of Building The premises were later used as a nightclub and as warehouse storage. The first floor Snooker Club and the shop units still continued. The building still stands in 2004. It was Rotherham's last cinema to close down and filmgoers now have to drive to out-of-town multiplexes. May not be copied or reproduced without permission.
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