Green's Picturedrome / Rex / George / WMR
Film Centre
Bank Street
Photo courtesy Graham Kelly
Opened as the Green's
Picturedrome around 1912, seating 708. Later called
the Rex, and (from 1976) the George. William Mather ran it as the WMR
from
around 1983. Stadium style-arrangement. Cinema closed in 2001.
Now Pitchers nightclub, which opened 24 September 2003 after a spell of dereliction.
Photo of the exterior after closure
Re-opening night programme and images below courtesy of Bill Mather:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
- Interior just after re-opening as the WMR Film Centre in September 1983
- Projection room & Bill Mather
- Retirement photo of Eric Vickers kneeling, from his visit to Glasgow.
L/R.
Brian Kirk, Brian Kemp (2nd left back of Saltcoats La Scala/Regal),
Donald Macphale Scottish sales for Rank Film Distributors, Bill Mather,
Derek Cameron (Dominion Edinburgh), ??? and Roy Graham Director of
sales Rank FD London HO.
4.
Chief projectionist Alex Girvan passing his time between matinee/eve
shows with his fiddle practice; taken in 1984. He was one of the old
timers and Bill Mather took him over from George Palmer. He originated
from the Inverness cinema scene, & was 2nd projectionist at the
Green's Picturedrome / Rex / George / WMR
Film Centre
Bank Street
Photo courtesy Graham Kelly
Opened as the Green's
Picturedrome around 1912, seating 708. Later called
the Rex, and (from 1976) the George. William Mather ran it as the WMR
from
around 1983. Stadium style-arrangement. Cinema closed in 2001.
Now Pitchers nightclub, which opened 24 September 2003 after a spell of dereliction.
Photo of the exterior after closure
Re-opening night programme and images below courtesy of Bill Mather:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
- Interior just after re-opening as the WMR Film Centre in September 1983
- Projection room & Bill Mather
- Retirement photo of Eric Vickers kneeling, from his visit to Glasgow.
L/R.
Brian Kirk, Brian Kemp (2nd left back of Saltcoats La Scala/Regal),
Donald Macphale Scottish sales for Rank Film Distributors, Bill Mather,
Derek Cameron (Dominion Edinburgh), ??? and Roy Graham Director of
sales Rank FD London HO.
4.
Chief projectionist Alex Girvan passing his time between matinee/eve
shows with his fiddle practice; taken in 1984. He was one of the old
timers and Bill Mather took him over from George Palmer. He originated
from the Inverness cinema scene, & was 2nd projectionist at the
"Orient Ayr" before coming to the George.
- A view from the rear
auditorium of the 35ft CinemaScope screen.This was almost wall to wall.
Bill Mather sitting in the back row.
- Photo from 1988 with the annual "underprivileged" Christmas treat given every year with the Rotary Club of Irvine.
Archive image of it as Green's Picturedrome below, courtesy of the Cinema Theatre Association Archive (Tony Moss Collection)
Pictures of the foyer courtesy Graham Kelly:
