A century of cinema

On 23 November the Phoenix cinema launched a new book: 100 years of Oxford Cinema Memories. To an audience of enthusiasts in the main auditorium, co-author Deborah Allison, gave a rapid history of this distinctive cinema. Though the land to this day is owned by St John's College, the building has changed hands many times. It opened first as the North Oxford Kinema in 1913 but was relaunched as the Scala in 1920. One of the most flamboyant early operators was Ben Jay, who offered free tea and biscuits at matinees - very popular with the people of Jericho who could keep warm and see the whole programme twice round for fourpence. From the 1930s to the 1970s the business was owned by the Poyntz family who built up the Scala’s reputation as an art-house cinema. Things went downhill after that when it was taken over by Star cinemas, who divided it into 'Studios 1 and 2', the latter later becoming 'Studio X', which showed soft-porn films. Fortunately, after a few more changes in ownership, the cinema rose again as the Phoenix from 1977 and is currently part of the Picturehouse group, which is owned by Cineworld.

Present at the book launch were two former projectionists, Martin Selwood and Jim Wright. Martin, now 97, was born in Union Street (now Hart Street) and started working at the cinema aged 14 in the 1920s. He was returning for the first time for 80 years. Much of the early part of the book is illustrated with his vivid recollections. An extract is available in the Jericho Online history section as: Happy days at the Scala. Jim, who still lives in Jericho Street, says in the book: “It was my uncle who used to work there part time who took me to the projection box and put a wooden box there for me to put the reels on. I was eleven years old. The films used to break at regular intervals years ago, because the copies used to do the rounds quite a lot, and so they would run them until they were falling to pieces, really. The joints as they went through – crxch! And you’d get a white screen (Boo!!!) or a burn hole.” Some of Jim’s own cine films of Jericho can be seen in the videos section of Jericho Online. The book is also packed with the memories of customers. Jan Rae, for example, first attended the Scala in 1955. “No snack or hot drinks then (just cigarettes, chain smoked).. Witty catcalling was ‘de rigeur’ if the ‘B’ feature was laughable (it usually was!).” Highly recommended, 100 years of Oxford Cinema memories, by Deborah Allison, Hiu M. Chan and Daniela Treveri Gennari, is available at the Phoenix for £9.99.