Cinema

Let’s go to a movie

Come visit our Super Cinema and admire all the latest stars{a}

What could be better than a night out at the cinema?

If you’re lucky there may be an open-air movie screening while you’re here, but our last actual cinema closed in the 1980s so this page concentrates on the cinemas{3} we used to have.

You will note that there are fewer images on this page than is our norm; people didn’t tend to take a camera when going to the cinema!

Early movie theatres

It is thought that informal ‘Magic Lantern’ shows would have arrived on St Helena at the end of the 19th Century, and a ‘Cinematography Ordinance’ was enacted in 1912{4}, but it was not until July 1921{5} that the first cinema actually opened: the ‘Theatre Royal Bioscope’, launched by Thorpes, located on Grand Parade in the building now known as ‘Rickmers{6}’. This ‘cinematograph’ was followed shortly afterwards by the ‘New Store Theatre’, opened by Solomons in January 1927. We believe this was located in what would later be the PWD Stores and currently designated to be the St Helena Cultural Centre.

There was some debate at the time as to what influence the arrival of this ‘Foreign’ (i.e. American) entertainment would have on the islanders, with the Diocesan Magazine hoping that the films shown would be chosen for the public good. Their hopes were dashed, however, and the November 1927 edition reported that the adventures of Buffalo Bill Jr. are a source of breathless wonder and joy to the youngsters, and to their fathers and mothers describing such films as full of sentimental trash. Even Governor Harper commented that the old world atmosphere of the Island has been broken into by the Cinema and its advertisements.

Despite this the cinema thrived and attending the cinema became a great occasion. A writer to magazine ‘The Outspan’ in 1929 reports:

We sat upstairs in armchairs with cushions, on one side of the gallery, while the Governor with his party sat on the other. They were all in evening dress! The cinema did not start until the Governor had arrived, which was about 8:30pm.

The ‘Talkies’

Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?{b}

Early in 1940 the newspapers gleefully announced The Talkies Are Coming - a new purpose-built Cinema was being constructed by Thorpes behind the space previously occupied by Porteous House. In the following article the St Helena News Review expressed the hope that, despite the expected high American content, talking pictures might do much to correct the more glaring faults of Island pronunciation (fortunately ‘talkies’ seem to have had no such effect, and ‘Saint’ remains alive and well!)

‘Paramount Talkies’ building, behind Broadway House

Paramount attendants, late 1950s{c}

The ‘Paramount Talkies’ (later the ‘Paramount Theatre’), a 600 seat auditorium located behind Broadway House in Main Street, Jamestown, opened on 5th April 1940, in the presence of Governor Pilling, managed by Mr Netto. For the opening the main feature was ‘Shipmates Forever’, a comedy starring Dick Powell, supported by a cartoon, a short feature and a newsreel. Talking pictures were an immediate success, attended by islanders and also the many servicemen stationed on St Helena for World War 2. Even the films’ music was noted to be influencing the younger patrons. The Cinema Age had reached St Helena and was doubtless of some comfort during the privations of war. One serviceman wrote{d}:

Once every week we paid a visit to the Paramount Cinema, which was run by an energetic Brazilian named Netto. The picture only changed once a week, and if no ship called with a fresh supply, old pictures had to be reshown. All the same, it was a great boon.

Cinemas had to pay the Entertainment Tax, introduced in 1943: 1d on a ticket not exceeding 1s; 2d on a ticket not exceeding 2s; 3d on any other ticket. This did not reduce attendances.

Special children’s showing were also arranged by the island’s Education Department, showing a popular film, specially selected from the features available to be suited for viewing by schoolchildren, plus a film of an ‘educational nature’ provided by the British Council and including films of the fighting services, of various parts of the Empire and of the Home Country itself. Cost was 1d per child.

When the film crew arrived in 1962, they attended a cinema performance. In her diary of the visit Jean Johnston reports:

Cinema in the evening. To the amazement of ‘the quality’ we sit downstairs, feel a bit scratchy. Audience laughs uproariously.

Visitors tended to remark that the films shown were usually significantly out-of-date. The line from the 1944 poem by servicemen stationed here Come visit our Super Cinema and admire all the latest stars should certainly be read as sarcasm! Islanders, however, didn’t seem to mind. Casablanca is still a good film, whether you see it for the first time shortly after its release, or ten months (or even ten years) later.

Later Developments

Wide screen ‘Cinemascope’ pictures were introduced in 1961 and on 2nd May 1963 a cinema hall was opened in Longwood, at Apple Cottage{7}. Cinema performances at Apple Cottage replaced those formerly held at Alarm Cottage, where Mr Corker held shows from February 1960 to June 1962 and during that time provided the people of Longwood with 118 shows.

Paramount Cinema board, 1970s

In the 1970s the cinemas were offering three performances every week (photo, right) and on 31st March 1976 the island’s first (and, as far as we can tell, only) Drive-In was introduced at Ladder Hill Fort. From January 1978 a weekly film show took place at the Jamestown Community Centre using a portable projector, and this was later extended to Blue Hill, Sandy Bay and Guinea Grass.

For Christmas 1980 the Paramount programme was:

Christmas Eve  ‘Stand Up Virgin Soldiers’ (1977, 5 reels featuring Leslie Thomas & Robin Askwith)

Christmas Night  ‘The Five Pennies’ (1959, 6 reels featuring Louis Armstrong & Danny Kaye)

Boxing Day Night  ‘A Star is Born’ (1976, 7 reels featuring Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson)

Old Year’s Night  ‘My Sweet Lady{8}’ (1973, 5 reels featuring Cliff De Young & Elizabeth Cheshire)

New Year’s Night  ‘The Eiger Sanction’ (1975, 7 reels featuring George Kennedy & Clint Eastwood)

The last cinema on the scene was the Queen Mary Theatre in Napoleon Street, which opened on 10th December 1981, with 500 seats, converted by John Cranfield from a residential building. Like the Paramount, it also doubled as a theatre. This from the St Helena News Review 15th August 1980:

Since December 1978 John Cranfield has been building his Theatre at the Queen Mary in Napoleon Street which he plans to open in December this year. The Queen Mary Theatre measures 120ft by 36ft but narrows to 29ft at the cliff side. It is built to accommodate an audience of 568. In addition to regular cinema shows held there three nights a week it is planned to have pantomimes and other stage productions in the building which will of course have a stage, balcony, dressing rooms, refreshment stalls, etc. The projection booth will be at the back towards the cliff wall. Films will continue to be screened at Ladder Hill Fort Drive-In and at the Sandy Bay Community Centre.

John’s interest in cinemas started when he was projectionist for Pan Am at Ascension from 1966 to 1972. He launched out on his own at the Ladder Hill Fort Drive-In on 31st March 1976. These weekly shows increased to two per week from October 1979. From January 1978 he held a weekly show at the Jamestown Community Centre. The fortnightly shows at the Sandy Bay Community Centre started about a year ago.

Using two Bell & Howell and two Kodak Pageant 16mm projectors with four speakers and a 100 watt amplifier, the films are well projected and normally enjoyed by all cinema goers. For the past year or so the regular projectionist has been Jeff Scipio who has had considerable experience with this type of work. No doubt in the not too distant future John, his wife Vilma and brother Colin will be able to sit back and watch the business being carried on by young Martin Cranfield who currently accompanies his parents at all the performances. At the moment he is five years old.

Obviously John and his family have worked hard with their private enterprise and we look forward with interest to their future efforts in providing regular entertainment for the public. We also wish them well with the Queen Mary Theatre.

The Queen Mary Theatre has opened its doors for the first time. May they never close.

Other Uses

The Paramount Cinema was also used as a theatre and hosted plays, Pantomimes, musical events (right) and even public meetings. The Gettogethers Orchestra gave their first ever performance at the Paramount on 17th December 1974. A dance was held there for visiting Prince Andrew in 1984.

Public Information Films

In addition to the ‘entertainment’ cinemas, Public Information Film screenings were held around the island in community centres, organised by the Government of St Helena. Here is a schedule from the St Helena News Review of 4th December 1965:

The Government’s Information Services will provide cinema shows at the following places during next week:

Blue Hill School: Wednesday, 8.12.65

Jamestown Community Centre: Thursday, 9.12.65

The programme will include the Edinburgh Festival; Boy Scouts Jamboree in Britain; Sovereign’s Parade, Fleet Review; Festival of Sport; International Cycling; Trade and Development; Flexible Barge; Summer Village; By bus to India; Push Button Post; Water Sport; Kew Gardens and A Touch of Scotland.

These continued until the beginning of 1983 with the closure of the Overseas Film Library of the UK Central Office of Information.

Decline and closure

Early in the 1980s the new Video technology made it possible to view films at home, using a Betamax or VHS tape player, and by 1982 cinema audiences were in decline.

John Cranfield offered the Queen Mary Theatre for sale in April 1986. It was bought by Horst Timmreck and converted into a store, which it remains today although now owned by the Cairns-Wickes family. The Paramount stopped showing films in 1988 and closed for other uses later that year, becoming a warehouse, which it remains today, though apparently still retaining the original features.

The loss of the Paramount Cinema and Queen Mary Theatre deprived the island both of its cinemas but also of its primary theatre venues, as both buildings served a dual purpose. And, apart from the occasional open-air movie screening, which usually attracts a reasonable audience of mostly younger patrons, the cinema era on St Helena can fairly be said to have been over by the end of 1980s.

Modern Cinema

Today St Helena does not have a cinema… as such. But that does not mean the only place you can see a film is at home. Open-air movie showings are organised regularly at The Mule Yard, and attract a reasonable audience of mostly younger patrons. The poster (right) is an example from 2022.

Read More

Article: INFORMATION SERVICES’ FILM SHOWS FOR APRIL

Published in the St Helena News Review 26th March 1982{2}

To explain: a key source for islanders of information about the world was the regular film shows run by Government of St Helena Information Services, using public-information films imported from the UK. Originally delivered on Cine Film, and later on VHS tape, these were discontinued in the later 1980s when radio became more informative and people began importing, or borrowing from the growing Video Stores, a wide variety of tapes.

The delights of the Channel Island of Jersey, fascinating facts about the Bank of England (did you know the Bank burns real money in its central-heating boilers at the rate of £6 million each day) and the problems encountered in New Zealand to bring electricity from the mountains of South Island to the power-hungry North Island. These are the topics behind the titles The Enchanted Isle, The Bank of England and Inter-Island Power which, along with Broad Spectrum - a film about the work of one of the world’s leading antibiotics manufacturers, Glaxo - will be on show around the Island next month as follows: Thursday 1st in the Harford Community Centre; Monday 5th in the Guinea Grass Community Centre; Tuesday 6th in the Children’s Home; Wednesday 7th in the Mental Hospital; Thursday 8th in the Jamestom Community Centre; Tuesday 13th in the Old People’s Home; Wednesday 14th in the Blue Hill Community Centre; Thursday 15th in the Sandy Bay Community Centre; Monday 19th in the Kingshurst Community Centre and Tuesday 20th in Levelwood School.