Gate Cinema

{{Short description|Grade II listed building in Notting Hill Gate, London}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|Gate Cinema, Notting Hill Gate, 2014

The '''Gate Cinema''' is a Grade II listed cinema in Notting Hill Gate, London W11.<ref name="NHLE">{{NHLE|num=1385016|desc=The Gate Cinema, Notting Hill Gate|accessdate= 30 September 2016}}</ref> Since 2003 it has been operated by Picturehouse Cinemas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Gate Picturehouse {{!}} Notting Hill Cinema |url=http://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/the-gate/information |access-date=2026-01-10 |website=Picturehouse}}</ref>

It opened in April 1911 as the Electric Palace with capacity for 480,<ref name=":0" /> having been converted by William Hancock from an 1861 restaurant.<ref name="NHLE" /> The cinema was taken over by Capitol & Provincial News Theatres who later renamed it The Embassy.<ref name=ct/><ref name=":0" /> Capitol & Provincial News Theatres became Classic Cinemas and the cinema was renamed Classic Cinema in 1957.<ref name=ct/> The building was damaged during the Blitz and the replacement exterior was much plainer.<ref name=":0" /> In 1962 the foyer was rebuilt by Douton and Hurst.<ref name="NHLE" />

The cinema was renamed The Gate in 1974 following the demise of Classic Cinemas and was operated by Cinegate.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=ct/> It closed in 1985.<ref name=ct>{{cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1828|website=CinemaTreasures|title=Gate Picturehouse}}</ref> In 1986, it was acquired by the newly formed Oasis Cinemas Group, a division of the Island Group owned by PolyGram, and reopened.<ref name=ritzy>{{cite magazine|magazine=Screen International|date=22 October 1995|page=20|title=Ritzy business}}</ref> Oasis later purchased The Cameo, Edinburgh and, in 1991, the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton.<ref name=ritzy/>

The Gate Cinema was Grade II listed by English Heritage in 2000 as part of a wave of cinema building listings, largely for the mostly unaltered auditorium and its "exceptionally lavish Edwardian baroque plaster decoration".<ref name="NHLE" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eyles |first=Allen |date=March 2000 |title=Screen saving |url=https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hft&AN=503643296&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |journal=History Today |volume=50 |issue=5 |pages=2–3}}</ref> After being take over by Picturehouse Cinemas in 2003, it was refurbished in 2004 and again in 2024.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=de Semlyen |first=Phil |date=1 October 2024 |title=This historic west London cinema has just had a glow-up |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/this-historic-west-london-cinema-has-just-had-a-glow-up-100124 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241008214808/https://www.timeout.com/london/news/this-historic-west-london-cinema-has-just-had-a-glow-up-100124 |archive-date=2024-10-08 |access-date=2026-01-10 |work=Time Out London |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Gate Cinema}} * [http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/1828 CinemaTreasures: Gate Picturehouse] {{coord|51.508686|-0.197332|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gate Cinema}} Category:Grade II listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Category:Cinemas in London Category:Buildings and structures in Notting Hill Category:Grade II listed cinemas