- A Cork City and County Archives Exhibition supported by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht -
The Picture Palace and Silver Screen
Moore & Crabtree, a firm of architects from Bradford, designed the Savoy cinema in 1931. The Cork Examiner records the opening of the cinema in 1932 in a wonderful piece printed the following day. The article captured the escapism a visit to the picture house afforded as it described the interior’s atmosphere ‘which entirely lifts one from the dull, grey cares of the daily round to the realms of romance, colour and sunshine of northern Italy’ … and … ‘where luxurious lounges tempt one to regret even their best friends have arrived’ (CE, 13 May, 1932).
Schematic sketch for the front elevation of the proposed Ritz Cinema, Washington Street, Cork, pencil on tracing paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1939, 31 x 45cm, Cork City and County Archive
Sketch of the front elevation of the proposed Ritz Cinema, Washington Street, Cork, pencil and ink on tracing paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1939, 28 x 47cm, Cork City and County Archive
While drawings for the Savoy are contained in the archive collection, including three that were referred
to the City Engineer’s office, there is no other record of Chillingworth & Levie’s involvement with the scheme. For this reason it can only be speculated that they may have had a local site role on behalf of the architects based in England. The impact of the project is certainly evident in firm’s concurrent and subsequent proposals for the new proscenium of the Assembly Rooms (April 1932), and the Ritz Cinema, Washington Street (1939).
A series of rough sketches indicate that a number of options were considered for the front of the Ritz Cinema which was built after the original Washington burnt down in 1938. The sketches deal with the handling of the façade which encompassed two buildings after the adjacent structure was also damaged. The influence of the Savoy design is seen in the creation of a central vertical panel, two levels high. This panel is enclosed variously by vertical side panels or pilasters and shares some of the Savoy’s detailing. Ultimately, the façade as built lacked the critical refinements of the original concept.
Schematic sketch for the front elevation of the proposed Ritz Cinema, Washington Street, Cork, pencil on tracing paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1939, 29 x 46cm, Cork City and County Archive
The former Regal Cinema, South Main Street, Youghal, Courtesy the NIAH
In 1935 Chillingworth & Levie brought Art Deco to the county with their design for the Regal Cinema, Youghal. An essentially two-storey building, the cinema makes a bold statement on the street with the interplay of its component structures. This may be seen in the projection of curved wings, receding steps to the canopied entrance at ground floor and the stepped arrangement of the parapet.
Sketch of the front elevation of the proposed Ritz Cinema, Washington Street, Cork, pencil on tracing paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1939, 33 x 46cm, Cork City and County Archive
‘Elevation showing treatment of proscenium’, Regal Cinema, Youghal, pencil on paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1935, 77 x 72cm, Cork City and County Archives
Front elevation of ‘Proposed Cinema at Youghal for R. Hurst Esq, Suggestion No. 2’, ink, pastel and pencil on paper, 45 x29cm, Cork City and County Archives
Revised sketch of ground floor plan, Regal Cinema, Youghal, pencil and ink on tracing paper, Chillingworth & Levie, 1935, 25 x 47cm, Cork City and County Archives
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