Brixton’s Ritzy Cinema has had many past lives, from starting its life as The Electric Pavillion to becoming the iconic Ritzy Cinema we know and love today. We take a deep dive into the history of this classic, Grade II listed building and its journey through the decades. So, here’s an inside look into Brixton’s Ritzy Cinema!
The Electric Pavillion, as the cinema was initially known as, opened on 11th March 1911. It was built by E C Homer and was notably one of England’s earliest purpose-built cinemas, being able to seat over 750 cinema-goers in its grand auditorium. Similar to other cinemas in this decade, The Electric Pavillion showed silent films, with an organ placed off to the side of the screen to provide musical accompaniment.
The public first viewed the cinema as a ‘scruffy relation’ to the nearby Palladium, gaining the nickname ‘the flea pit’. The cinema humbly pushed through this negative talk and - when the neighbouring Brixton Theatre was destroyed by bombing in 1940 - the cinema expanded into the vacant space. For the next 43 years, The Electric Pavillion soldiered on, going on to show sound films from 1929. The cinema had beaten its odds, surviving competition, the Blitz and economic hard times.
Ritzy Cinema
In 1954, cinema architect George Coles renovated the cinema, installed CinemaScope, and further renamed the cinema ‘The Pullman’. Due to the majority of new films having sound, the organ was removed. CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used until 1967 to shoot widescreen movies. It was used to screen these movies in theatres by using a lens adapter. The cinema was later renamed again as ‘The Classic’, becoming known as a porn cinema, before closing its doors in 1976. For a long time the cinema became abandoned and derelict.
The one man who breathed life into this cinema again was Pat Foster. Foster and a group of like-minded locals teamed up with the council to reopen the theatre in April 1978 as ‘Little Bit Ritzy’. This became a monumental task for Foster, who advertised in Time Out Magazine for 4 people to invest £2,000 each into the cinema. Foster was prompted to put in this request following competition to use the land for the Black Theatre Group. This was an idea the council also liked, but ultimately turned down in favour of the Little Bit Ritzy due to the other needing a considerable amount of public money. The aim of this new and improved cinema was to show less commercial and Hollywood blockbusters, in favour of more independent and arthouse films.
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Once Foster and his team had received their initial investment of £10k, they set to work to revitalise the cinema. During its two years of abandonment, the interior was worn and torn, with the projectors, seats and power systems completely gone. After the team managed to acquire some seats for 50p each, they caught word of a cinema in Hammersmith Broadway being sold. The team got creative and sourced the old gear and electrical equipment during a ‘late night raid’. When they arrived, the display board was also intact, meaning the team worked through the night to dismantle it and use it for the Little Bit Ritzy cinema.
Oxfordian
The work continued, making a DIY stage using spare floorboards and joists from a house that was being dismantled nearby. When a council safety officer deemed this stage unfit for use, the team set to work even harder to get it in shape. Through the team’s blood, sweat and tears, they managed to open the Little Bit Ritzy cinema to the public in 1978. At the time, the building was very different and unique, although it was Grade II listed, the elaborate Victorian facade had been mostly stripped out.
“People used to come into the drab foyer, then when they came into the auditorium, there was often a visible intake of breath. It’s still my favourite auditorium – it’s just beautiful.”
During its run in the 1980s, the cinema gained a reputation for being left-wing and became a political monument. The programme reflected this political affiliation, hosting passionate discussions and showing films that dealt with feminism, LGBT+ rights, Latin American politics, environmental issues and more. This reputation quickly dominated the cinema’s identity, so much so that manager Clare Binns felt compelled to place an ad in the local paper, stating that not all films showed at the cinema were ‘left-wing or gay’.
Throughout the riots in 1981, Pat Foster stood his ground, sleeping in the cinema over the weekend to guard the sound system and speakers from looting. However, the cinema remained untouched. Even during the infamous London riots of 2011, manager Jemma stated that the building suffered no damage. There was a small instance where teenagers tried to kick things over, but after a stern word from a security guard, the Londoners quickly moved on and the cinema survived this disastrous time.
As Brixton entered the early 90s, despite the cinema still bringing in a steady flow of customers, Foster was in need of some money. Clare Binns, who was manager of the cinema at the time, was open to change and eager to expand the cinema and move it into the new decade. This led to the cinema’s team to pitch to the independent cinema circuit for potential investors.
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When Foster, Claire and the team called, investor Peter Buckingham answered. Buckingham was a former Brixton resident himself, as well as the manager of arthouse distribution company Oasis. He convinced owner of Oasis, Chris Blackwell, to put up the funding, leading to the modern Ritzy we know today being born. Buckingham agreed with the Ritzy team that the cinema was in need of an upgrade and added in more screens, services and facilities. He was keen to preserve the cinema’s reputation of having a close relationship with its community and remaining politically conscious.
It was in 1994 the cinema underwent full modernisation and became ‘The Ritzy’. Oasis managed to restore the Victorian facade that was stripped and added in signage to mimic the look of The Electric Pavillion. This project was certainly ambitious considering Brixton’s economical climate that was still haunted by riots and deprivation. The cinema’s transformation revived Brixton as a whole, getting locals excited again to live in this area and be proud of its arthouse reputation.
Ritzy Cinema
Locals will still know the cinema as The Ritzy today, now owned by Picturehouse Cinemas, which was bought by Cineworld in 2012. Inside, you’ll find a modern and exciting design, complete with bar, cafe and even a live music venue attached named Upstairs.
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