The Cinema
I remember being in the one and sixes..
The opening - by Ray Crawley
The art deco style Gaumont cinema at Rose Hill was designed by architect Harry Weston. It boasted two thousand luxury seats, a full stage, cafe and car park. As well as films, it featured Gaumont British News with Mr. Bevan at the organ. The Gaumont opened on Whit Monday, 17 May 1937. The film star John Loder was the principal guest. So many people turned out to see him (he was attended by eight junior 'starlets') that traffic jams were caused in the surrounding area. The London County Council had set aside the site for an amusement centre and approved the plans for a cinema in 1936. Councillor J. Goodman, Chairman of Carshalton Urban District Council, performed the opening ceremony. The Gaumont closed in 1961, along with many others across the country, as a result of declining attendances.
I remember going to Saturday morning cinema at Rose Hill. It was The Gaumont, I think, with all the other children on the estate and when it opened we got all these presents - jars of jam and things like that for our parents. (Evelyn Rice née Dyer)
The Gaumont at Rose Hill
Sutton Local Studies and Archives
Oh it was beautiful. It was very much adorned inside. I mean you wouldn't get them these days. It was gold all everywhere. Gold leaf on all the interior decorating. And the lovely big curtains that used to come across. And there used to be an organ - of course, halfway through you had an organ - used to play the music there... Cinema was quite big in those days. The Majestic Cinema at Mitcham was another one we used to go to. They're beautiful places inside. Very comfortable. Very good. I remember being in the one and sixes and the one and nines - going back to those prices. (Doreen Porter née Wilkes)
Interior of the Gaumont in 1937
Sutton Local Studies and Archives
The stars used to come every year to the Morden Hall garden parties. J. Arthur Rank Studios used to have these open days up there where you could actually meet the stars. You paid something to meet the stars because I think it was for charity, and we used to wait outside the Hall and see them arriving in their limousines. Margaret Lockwood, John Mills - all the stars of that day. It was just amazing to think you could even take a glimpse of them. (Doreen Porter née Wilkes)
Sunday opening
Cinema was a passion for many people at that period and the Gaumont's facilities were well-used. When the idea of Sunday opening for cinemas was put to the vote locally, it was the overwhelming support from St. Helier people that pushed the decision through. As the local paper commented, this was the first time that the estate's residents had been able to demonstrate their influence in the area.
Saturday Morning Children's Club
A lot of people remember the Saturday morning children's club, which I don't think did cost very much.We used to go there and there was all the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry and all those sort of films at that time until we got onto the more romantic side as we got into teenage years. (Doreen Porter née Wilkes)