Adelphi Cinema

Adelphi Cinema was a major city-centre cinema on Middle Abbey Street in Dublin, Ireland. It opened on 12 January 1939 as part of the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) circuit and was designed as a 2,304-seat Art Moderne movie palace. The architectural design was by William R. Glen, assisted by the Irish architect Robert Donnelly. Its opening programme featured Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, establishing the venue as a substantial exhibition site for mainstream film in central Dublin. Although film exhibition was its principal business, the Adelphi also functioned as a live-entertainment venue. During the 1960s it hosted a notable series of touring performers, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, as well as artists such as the Beach Boys, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross and Roy Orbison. The Beatles' appearance on 7 November 1963 was their only performance in Dublin, giving the venue a distinctive place in the city's popular-music history. The Rolling Stones appeared there on 3 September 1965, followed by Bob Dylan on 5 May 1966. The cinema was reorganized to increase the number of screens as exhibition patterns changed. It was triplexed in October 1970 and converted into a four-screen operation in 1973. These alterations reflected the broader shift from large single-auditorium cinemas toward multiplex-style formats, while retaining the Adelphi name and its central Dublin location. The Adelphi closed on 30 November 1995. Its final programme consisted of High Society and Gigi, and admission was free for the closing screenings. The building was subsequently demolished, although part of the façade was retained. A parking garage was constructed on the site, and the former main entrance was incorporated into the later vehicular access arrangement. As a result, the Adelphi survives primarily through historical accounts, architectural remnants and records of the major film and music events held there.

The Adelphi Cinema was built as a major city-centre picture house on Middle Abbey Street in Dublin. It was commissioned for the Associated British Cinemas circuit and designed by William R. Glen with assistance from the local Irish architect Robert Donnelly. The resulting building followed the Art Moderne tradition and contained 2,304 seats, making it one of the substantial movie palaces serving Dublin audiences in the period before the spread of multiplex cinemas. The venue opened on 12 January 1939. Its first programme featured The Adventures of Robin Hood, starring Errol Flynn. From the beginning, the Adelphi's principal role was film exhibition, but its size and stage facilities also enabled it to present live entertainment. This dual role became especially visible during the 1960s, when the cinema hosted touring musicians and other performers. The Beatles played there on 7 November 1963, in what was their only Dublin appearance. The Rolling Stones followed on 3 September 1965, and Bob Dylan appeared on 5 May 1966. Other acts associated with the venue included the Beach Boys, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross and Roy Orbison. As cinema economics and audience habits changed, the Adelphi was adapted from a large single auditorium into a multi-screen operation. It was triplexed in October 1970 and became a quad, or four-screen cinema, in 1973. The changes allowed the operator to show several films concurrently and represented a move away from the traditional one-programme movie palace model. The cinema continued operating until 30 November 1995. Its final screenings were High Society and Gigi, shown without an admission charge as part of the closing. After closure, the building was demolished except for part of its façade. A parking garage was built on the site, with the former main entrance retained as part of the later vehicle entrance arrangement. The Adelphi is therefore a defunct cinema brand and venue whose legacy rests on its architectural character, its role in Dublin's central film culture, and its association with important international music performances.

• 1995

  Closure and subsequent demolition

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema closed on 30 November after free final screenings of High Society and Gigi. Most of the building was later demolished.

• 1973

  Conversion to four screens

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The Adelphi became a four-screen cinema.

• 1970

  Conversion to a triplex

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The cinema was divided into three screens in October.

• 1966

  Bob Dylan performs at the Adelphi

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  Bob Dylan appeared at the cinema on 5 May.

• 1965

  The Rolling Stones appear at the venue

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The Rolling Stones performed at the Adelphi on 3 September.

• 1963

  The Beatles play their only Dublin appearance

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The Beatles performed at the Adelphi on 7 November.

• 1939

  Opening of the Adelphi Cinema

  [1]Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org

  The 2,304-seat Art Moderne cinema opened on Middle Abbey Street in Dublin on 12 January under the Associated British Cinemas circuit.

A prominent Dublin city-centre movie palace that combined mainstream film exhibition with occasional major live performances.

• Cinema exhibition · 1939

  Feature-film exhibition

  The Adelphi's core offering was public screening of feature films in a large central Dublin auditorium. Its opening programme, The Adventures of Robin Hood, illustrates its role as a mainstream commercial cinema. After later subdivisions, the venue could present multiple films at the same time across three and eventually four screens.

• Music and stage performance · 1939

  Live entertainment

  In addition to cinema, the Adelphi hosted live performers. Its stage was used by major touring acts, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross and Roy Orbison. These appearances made the venue an important part of Dublin's popular-entertainment circuit.

• 1973

  Expansion to a four-screen cinemaGeneration change

  Background

  Following the earlier triplex conversion, the venue continued adapting its large movie-palace structure to a multi-screen operating model.

  Action taken

  The Adelphi became a quad, or four-screen cinema.

  Aftermath

  The venue continued operating in its multi-screen form until its closure in 1995.

  Source

• 1970

  Triplex conversionGeneration change

  Background

  The traditional large single-screen cinema format was becoming less flexible as operators sought to serve different films and audience segments in the same building.

  Action taken

  The Adelphi was divided into three screens in October 1970.

  Aftermath

  The cinema later underwent a further subdivision and operated as a four-screen venue from 1973.

  Source

1. 1Adelphi Cinemaen.wikipedia.org