Screen Archive South East is a public sector moving image archive serving the South East of England. The archive's collections of magic lantern slides, films, videos and associated materials capture the many varied aspects of life, work and creativity from the early days of screen history to the present day and serve as a rich and invaluable historical resource.
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Unveiling Eros and West End cinemas
Relive the 1980s in this nostalgic film from Alan Stingemore - featuring a variety of flagship cinemas, the relocation of Eros as well as a few cinemas that have since disappeared
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Overview
We begin with views of a fenced off Piccadilly Circus where the relocated Eros monument awaits a grand unveiling. News crews and the public are seen crowding around the monument. Ken Livingstone can be seen chatting to officials. After a short montage of West End flagship cinemas we see a crane lowering a cage.People in the cage unveil Eros while a large crowd looks on. There follows another montage of cinemas in other parts of the West End and an ex-cinema in Kilburn.
Between the 1950s and 1990s Alan Stingemore made a considerable number of films covering a wide variety of subjects with a particular emphasis on railways and cinemas. His films often capture memorable events like those shown in this film or last 'glimpses' of subjects that were about to disappear forever. During the 1980s Alan travelled throughout the region and beyond filming old cinemas, particularly if they were about to be demolished.These films form a fitting tribute to the memory of these buildings, often designed in the 'Moderne' or Art Deco style, which are now lost forever.
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