Yesteryear: The Park Street Picturedrome
In the days before Netflix, Firesticks, and even television, Lutonions wishing to see moving pictures would have to leave their home and visit one of the town’s many cinemas to witness the magic of the movies.
Established in 1911, The Picturedrome at 87 Park Street was Luton’s second purpose-built cinema after the Anglo-American Electric Picture Palace on Gordon Street, which had opened in 1909.
This photograph, likely taken in the 1930s, shows the cinema after it was renovated and relaunched under new management in 1929. An advertisement printed in the Luton News to promote the reopening boasted that the Picturedrome was, “Now Luton’s most up-to-date cine variety theatre with luxurious accommodation for 1000 patrons”, and “one of the most comfortable to be found in the country”. At this time, the venue also boasted a house band, music and dancing licence, and an Edibell sound system.
During the First World War there were six commercial cinemas open in Luton. Durning the Second World War there were eight. However, the small independent picture houses which flourished in the early years of cinema were soon under threat from large corporations which were monopolising the industry.
In 1937 and 1938 Luton welcomed three sizable new venues: The Union Cinema on Gordon Street, The Odeon on Dunstable Road, and The Savoy on George Street. This marked the end of the pioneering cinemas which had brought films to the masses.
The old Picturedrome on Park Street closed its doors for the last time in October 1937. By this time, it was under the ownership of the Union Cinemas chain, which had just opened its swanky new 2,400-seater cinema behind the Town Hall.
The façade was later demolished and replaced with a simpler frontage, but the building on Park Street remains today. Since the closure of the Picturedrome it has served as a motorcycle shop, Pool Hall, and, most recently, an events and wedding venue.
Luton has seen the rise and fall of 12 cinemas in total. Now the town has only one purpose-built venue: Cineworld on Bridge Street. Audiences can also catch an occasional film screening at either Luton Library Theatre or the Hat Factory Arts Centre.