Chillingham Road, Scala Electric Theatre
Chillingham Road, Scala Electric Theatre
HER Number
12891
District
Newcastle
Site Name
Chillingham Road, Scala Electric Theatre
Place
Heaton
Map Sheet
NZ26NE
Class
Recreational
Site Type: Broad
Cinema
Site Type: Specific
Cinema
General Period
20TH CENTURY
Specific Period
Early 20th Century 1901 to 1932
Form of Evidence
Demolished Building
Description
Opened by Armstrong Electric Theatres Ltd on 10 March 1913. The architect was Percy L. Browne. The Scala had a spacious tiled entrance with marble staircases to the dress circle. There were 1200 seats which were upholstered in red plush. Reseating later reduced the capacity to 986. The organ was a 2-manual Vincent. Throughout the 1920s music was provided by the Scala Orchestra. In 1928 the General Theatres Corporation (later Gaumont-British) took over. Talkies arrived in 1930. In April 1936 Sol Sheckman (Essoldo circuit) took over the Scala. The cinema closed on 1 July 1961. It was demolished and replaced by a supermarket.
Easting
427100
Northing
566000
Grid Reference
NZ427100566000
Sources
Frank Manders, 1991, Cinemas of Newcastle, pages 159-160; Frank Manders, 2005, Cinemas of Newcastle, pages 33-35, 60, 66, 97, 150, 152, 161; Heaton History Group, http://heatonhistorygroup.org/tag/peoples-theatre/