Keighley Picture House

Keighley Picture House is a historic cinema in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. The venue opened in 1913 as a receiving house theatre, a type of establishment that presented touring productions, while also showing motion pictures. Its original auditorium included both stalls and balcony seating, allowing it to serve as a combined theatre and cinema rather than a film-only venue. Over the following decades, the building hosted live entertainment, popular music performances and regular cinema screenings. After the Second World War, the balcony was enlarged, bringing the venue’s capacity to close to 1,000 seats. At that point it was one of the larger entertainment venues in Keighley, although it remained smaller than the town’s Hippodrome, later known as the Queens Theatre. In 1954, the independently owned cinema was acquired by Essoldo Cinemas. The acquisition brought the venue into a growing chain and its traditional Picture House identity was replaced for a period by the name Keighley Essoldo. Around 1974, Essoldo was absorbed by Classic Cinemas, which was described at the time as the largest cinema chain in Europe. Classic substantially altered the building. The former theatre configuration was dismantled, and the balcony was converted into a second screening room and projection area serving the main auditorium. This conversion removed much of the venue’s original theatre function and created the basic two-screen arrangement that remains in use. Classic Cinemas went bankrupt in 1983. Bradford Metropolitan Council acquired the cinema from the company’s creditors and subsequently leased it to a small local firm or cooperative venture. The local operators restored the historic Picture House name, reconnecting the venue with its original identity. That operation later failed, and the cinema closed in 1991. After a period out of operation, the council leased the building to Northern Morris, which reopened it in 1996. The cinema is now operated within Northern Morris Associated Cinemas, a regional independent cinema group with venues elsewhere in northern England. Its current layout consists of a main downstairs auditorium seating approximately 300 people and a smaller upstairs auditorium seating approximately 90. In 2013, both screens were upgraded to digital projection, including 2K projection systems and Dolby Stereo sound. The venue therefore combines a locally significant early twentieth-century cinema history with the practical format of a small modern independent cinema, presenting mainstream and specialist film programming for Keighley and nearby communities.

Keighley Picture House opened in 1913 in Keighley, West Yorkshire, as a receiving house theatre that also exhibited films. Its original format reflected the mixed-use entertainment buildings of the period: the venue had a substantial auditorium with stalls and balcony seating and could accommodate both touring live productions and motion-picture programmes. Cinema remained a central part of its use, but the building also functioned as a local performance venue, later hosting live shows and pop concerts. The balcony was extended sometime after the end of the Second World War. This expansion increased capacity to nearly 1,000 seats and made the venue one of Keighley’s largest entertainment spaces, second only to the town’s Hippodrome, subsequently known as the Queens Theatre. The period of local independent ownership ended in 1954, when Essoldo Cinemas purchased the cinema. The venue was incorporated into the Essoldo chain and was renamed Keighley Essoldo, temporarily losing the Picture House title associated with its early history. Essoldo was absorbed by Classic Cinemas in or around 1974. Classic undertook a major physical conversion of the building rather than preserving its original theatre arrangement. The remaining theatre infrastructure was stripped out, while the balcony was adapted into a second screen and projection room for the main auditorium. This intervention established the two-auditorium configuration that continues to define the venue, although it also removed much of the building’s earlier live-theatre character. Classic Cinemas became bankrupt in 1983. Bradford Metropolitan Council acquired the property from the creditors and leased it to a small local firm or cooperative venture. Those operators restored the name The Picture House, reviving the venue’s historic identity. Their business later failed, and the cinema closed in 1991. The building was subsequently leased by the council to Northern Morris, which reopened it in 1996. Northern Morris Associated Cinemas now operates the venue as part of a regional group of independent cinemas in northern England. The group also operates cinemas including the Cottage Road Cinema in Headingley, Leeds, the Rex at Elland, the Plaza at Skipton, the Roxy at Ulverston and the Royalty at Bowness-on-Windermere. At Keighley, the main downstairs auditorium seats about 300 people and the smaller upstairs auditorium seats about 90. A 2013 modernization replaced or supplemented earlier presentation equipment with digital systems in both auditoria, including 2K projection and Dolby Stereo sound. The cinema remains an active local exhibition venue, retaining its historic name while operating in a compact contemporary format.

• 2013

  Digital projection modernization

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Both auditoria receive digital projection, including 2K systems and Dolby Stereo sound.

• 1996

  Reopening under Northern Morris

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Northern Morris leases the venue from Bradford Metropolitan Council and reopens it.

• 1991

  Temporary closure

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The local operator fails and the cinema closes.

• 1983

  Council acquisition after bankruptcy

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Bradford Metropolitan Council acquires the cinema from the creditors of bankrupt Classic Cinemas.

• 1974

  Conversion under Classic Cinemas

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  After Essoldo joins Classic Cinemas, the former theatre is converted into a two-screen cinema.

• 1954

  Acquisition by Essoldo

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The independent cinema is bought by Essoldo Cinemas and renamed Keighley Essoldo.

• 1913

  Opening as a theatre and cinema

  [1]Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Keighley Picture House opens as a receiving house theatre with film exhibition, stalls and balcony seating.

A locally rooted independent cinema that combines a long-established Picture House identity with contemporary two-screen digital exhibition. Its appeal is based on community access, historic venue character and a more intimate alternative to large multiplex cinemas.

• Cinema auditorium

  Main Auditorium

  The main downstairs screening room is the larger of the venue’s two auditoria and seats approximately 300 people. It is the principal space for the cinema’s regular film programme and forms the core of the building’s modern two-screen layout. The auditorium uses digital cinema presentation equipment installed during the venue’s 2013 upgrade, including 2K projection and Dolby Stereo sound.

• Cinema auditorium

  Upstairs Auditorium

  The smaller upstairs auditorium seats approximately 90 people. It was created through the conversion of the former balcony during the building’s redevelopment under Classic Cinemas in the 1970s. The room provides a compact second screen for film exhibition and is equipped with the venue’s later digital presentation infrastructure.

• Cinema technology · 2013

  Digital Cinema Presentation

  In 2013, both auditoria were upgraded to digital projection. The modernization introduced 2K projection and Dolby Stereo sound, allowing the historic venue to continue operating as a contemporary cinema while retaining its small-scale independent character.

• 2013

  Digital projection upgradeProduct launch

  Background

  Digital presentation had become standard across much of the cinema exhibition industry, creating a need to modernize the venue’s projection systems.

  Action taken

  Digital projection was installed in both auditoria, with 2K projection and Dolby Stereo sound.

  Aftermath

  The cinema gained contemporary digital presentation capabilities in both screens while continuing to operate from its historic building.

  Source

• 1996

  Reopening under Northern MorrisStrategy

  Background

  The cinema had closed in 1991 after its previous local operator went out of business. Bradford Metropolitan Council remained the landlord.

  Action taken

  Northern Morris leased the venue from the council and reopened it under the restored Picture House identity.

  Aftermath

  The venue returned to operation and became part of Northern Morris Associated Cinemas’ regional independent cinema network.

  Source

• 1974

  Conversion from theatre-style venue to two-screen cinemaGeneration change

  Background

  After Essoldo Cinemas was absorbed by Classic Cinemas, the building was modernized for chain cinema operations. Its former theatre arrangement was no longer retained.

  Action taken

  Classic Cinemas gutted the remaining theatre configuration and converted the balcony into a second screen and projection room serving the main auditorium.

  Aftermath

  The conversion established the two-auditorium layout that remains in use, while ending most of the venue’s earlier theatre function.

  Source

1. 1Keighley Picture Houseen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Keighley Picture House official websitekeighley.nm-cinemas.co.uk