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Majestic Cinema

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Cinema that was at Mitcham Fair Green, on the corner of Upper Green East and the original St Marks Road. It opened Friday 6th October, 1933.

Photo from mid-1970s by Eric Montague. Reproduced by kind permission of the Merton Historical Society.

1951 OS map, reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland, reuse CC-BY

Planning application no. 1768 for a cinema and cafe, was submitted by Majestic Theatre (Mitcham) Ltd., 151 Great Portland Street, W.1., as shown in the minutes of the Mitcham Urban District Council, page 731, volume XV, 1929-1930.

It became the 4th of 5 Majestic cinemas.

From the Kinematograph Weekly – Thursday 26 December 1929

Mitcham’s Super

Majestic Theatres Corporation Project

FOLLOWING the successful opening of the Majestic, Staines, preparations are being made by the Majestic Theatres Corporation, Ltd., of 151, Great Portland Street, W.1, to proceed with the erection of the new kinema at Mitcham, the architect of which is S. B. Pritlove, 6, Sherwood Street, W.l, who also planned the Staines hall.

The chairman of the proprietary company is W. E. Greenwood, the eminent decorative artist, who, as in the company’s other theatres, will be responsible for the decorative effects. The new hall will be on a corner site at the Fair Green, Mitcham, and will accommodate about 2,000 persons.

Newspaper articles from the Mitcham News and Mercury:

17th Feb 1933
MITCHAM’S NEW CINEMA

Plans for Majestic Complete

The Majestic Cinema, at the Fair Green. Mitcham, is proceeding apace. The architect, Mr. S. B. Pritlove, L.R.I.B.A., of Denham-street. Piccadilly, has already got the plans and specifications completed, and next week the whole of the tenders for the work will have been let. A condition is that the contractors must begin operations within a week of accepting the tender.

The steel work contract has been let to Messrs. Dorman Long, the well-known Middlesbrough firm, who built the Sydney Bridge in Australia, one of the biggest undertakings of its kind in the world. The cinema is certain to be one of the smartest in the Metropolis when it is finished.

2nd March 1933
ORDERS PLACED
Messrs Dorman Long and Co. Ltd., have been awarded contracts for the supply and erection of the steel framework for two kinemas – the Ritz, Nottingham, and the Majestic, Mitcham.

The steelwork for the Ritz amounts to 600 tons, and work is expected to start at the end of April.

The Majestic will contain 350 tons of steel.

17th March 1933
CINEMAS ON SUNDAY
APPLICATION FOR MAJESTIC, MITCHAM The Majestic (Theatre) Mitcham, Ltd., who are building the new super cinema, the Majestic, at the Fair Green, have applied to the Home Secretary for a draft order for Sunday opening.

The matter will come before the Mitcham Urban District Council at their next meeting.

This raises the question locally of Sunday opening of cinemas, which, is nowadays agitating other districts.

12th May 1933

12th May 1933

23rd June 1933
SUNDAY CINEMAS.
The application of Mitcham Council for an order under the Entertainments Act, based upon the decision of the recent public meeting, has been granted by the Home Secretary. This enables the Sunday opening of cinemas. The construction of the Majestic Cinema at the Fair Green is being pushed forward with all speed, and the roofing is nearing completion. It is confidently expected that the Cinema will the ready for opening by the end of September

7th July 1933
IT IS THE MAJESTIC.

The Majestic Cinema is rapidly rising on the site opposite Mitcham Fair Green. The name “Majestic” seems very appropriate, for the building looms high and lofty in an important and busy area, and as far as one can judge it will be as imposing and handsome as any of the new buildings recently opened in the vicinity. When completed, the cinema, baths and library will each be calling for support at a distance of less than 150 yards apart. So we shall have the library for the mind, the baths for the body, and the cinema for the relaxation of both.

8th October 1933

6th October 1933

13th October, 1933

13th October 1933

13th October 1933

There were remarkable scenes in Mitcham last Friday evening, when Mitcham’s own cinema, the Majestic, was opened, a huge crowd assembling. Inset are (left to right) Ald. J. Chuter Ede, Mrs. Ede, Mr. Silverton Miles (manager), Lady Meller and Sir R.J. Meller, M.P., at the opening ceremony.

13th October, 1933

13th October, 1933

Newspaper Headlines

Date Headline Newspaper Page
12/05/1933 Sunday opening agreed to Mitcham News and Mercury 1
13/05/1933 Sunday cinemas at Mitcham Mitcham and Morden Guardian 10
20/05/1933 Mitcham Sunday Cinemas Mitcham and Morden Guardian 4
16/06/1933 Mitcham Vicar and Sunday Cinemas Mitcham and Morden Guardian 9
09/09/1933 Mitcham’s new Cinema Mitcham and Morden Guardian 5
15/09/1933 Official opening set Mitcham News and Mercury 1
30/09/1933 Mitcham’s new Cinema Mitcham and Morden Guardian 2
13/10/1933 Opening Mitcham News and Mercury 1
14/10/1933 The Majestic Theatre Mitcham and Morden Guardian 3
30/12/1933 1,500 Council School children entertained Mitcham and Morden Guardian 5
04/10/1951 Origin (letter) Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 4
11/10/1951 Origin (letter) Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 6
07/02/1958 Farewell day for the Majestic’s Mr Kaye Mitcham News and Mercury 8
04/04/1958 Meet the new cinema manager (Mr Cave) Mitcham News and Mercury 8
11/04/1958 Duke competition Mitcham News and Mercury 8
24/04/1958 They are shy of their Teddy Boy Suits Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
09/05/1958 Friendly manager Mitcham News and Mercury 8
06/06/1958 Gala show Mitcham News and Mercury 8
04/07/1958 Calling Marjorie Mitcham News and Mercury 8
10/10/1958 New manager Mitcham News and Mercury 8
30/10/1959 Rumour quashed Mitcham News and Mercury 1
30/06/1960 Majestic Cinema in £170,000 take over bid Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
03/08/1961 Future of Majestic Cinema in the balance Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
04/08/1961 No bingo at the Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 1
17/11/1961 Majestic cinema – no more films Mitcham News and Mercury 1
23/11/1961 Cinema turned over to big-time bingo Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
01/12/1961 Bingo comes to the Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 11
01/12/1961 Why Mrs Wood was last to leave Majestic Cinema Mitcham News and Mercury 11
15/12/1961 Majestic to be flats, shops? Mitcham News and Mercury 10
21/12/1961 Reopen Majestic, say Young Socialists Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
22/12/1961 Let town take over Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 1
29/12/1961 Majestic – talks are planned Mitcham News and Mercury 1
05/01/1962 Shops on Mitcham Majestic site Mitcham and Morden Guardian 1
15/03/1962 Majestic is going over to quizzes and wrestling Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
16/03/1962 Variety for Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 1
23/03/1962 Granada Theatres – a denial Mitcham News and Mercury 1
23/03/1962 Dancing school not affected and last game of bingo Mitcham News and Mercury 11
05/04/1962 Clickety click the V.S.A. Way Mitcham and Tooting Advertiser 1
06/04/1962 It’s American bingo now at the Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 1
18/05/1962 Pop singer Jerry pulls in crowds Mitcham News and Mercury 1
30/07/1971 Development plan rejected Mitcham News and Mercury 1
03/01/1975 It’s bye bye Bingo Mitcham News and Mercury 1
15/02/1975 Family cinema planned Mitcham News and Mercury 1
28/02/1975 Bingo’s days are numbered Mitcham News and Mercury 5
04/04/1975 Last minute Let Off for Majestic Mitcham News and Mercury 1
17/10/1975 Majestic’s bingo fans hear last call Mitcham News and Mercury 11
30/01/1976 Old cinema wrecked by vandals Mitcham News and Mercury 1
02/09/1977 Superstore plan for cinema Mitcham News and Mercury 15
04/11/1977 Firm plan for cinema site Mitcham News and Mercury 68
03/03/1978 Supermarket plan for Majestic site Mitcham News and Mercury 68

See also Cinema Treasures

Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Urban District Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.

1915 Inquest of butcher’s death by anthrax

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Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser – Tuesday 05 January 1915

DEATH THROUGH ANTHRAX.
ANONYMOUS LETTERS TO CORONER.

At Southwark Coroner’s Court yesterday Dr. Waldo resumed the inquiry into the death of Charles Farrant, (46), of Ravensbury Cottages, St. Marks-road, Mitcham, who died in Guy’s Hospital December 17th. The deceased was employed by the Home and Colonial Meat Stores, and managed the shop, 1, Fair Green. Mitcham.

At the previous hearing the Coroner said that the deceased was believed have contracted anthrax. He had been handling frozen rabbits from New Zealand. He complained of headache on December 12th and a little pimple appeared on the left side of the neck.He was taken to the hospital and an operation was performed.

Dr. Waldo, taking his seat at the resumed hearing, said that whenever he had an adjourned an inquiry he always got a number of letters, anonymous and otherwise. He been in communication with Dr. Jackson, the Croydon Coroner, who himself had received an letter with regard to the death of a man named Penn of Frith-road, Croydon. If it had not been for that letter Dr. Jackson would have known nothing of Penn’s death, which the writer of the letter alleged was due to anthrax. Dr. Jackson further said that the doctors at the hospital where Perm was treated did not think it was a case in which they should advise the coroner. Dr. Jackson, however, made inquiries, and found that Penn had been buried three days after death, so no inquest took place. He (Dr. Waldo) had received an anonymous letter in regard to the present case. The writer said he could throw light on the matter, but did not come forward.

Walter Curtis Martin, butcher, said that he managed his father’s shop at the Fair Green, Mitcham. He sometimes bought rabbits in London and sometimes in Croydon. The rabbits came from Australia and New Zealand. On December 7th he bought some beef in Church-street, Croydon, and some from London. When witness was visiting the deceased he heard that there was a man named Penn suffering from anthrax in the Croydon Hospital, and witness became apprehensive. Witness had a pimple on his neck something like Farrant’s. He was operated upon.

The Coroner: Can you account for Farrant’s death?

Witness: No, not in any way; I have noticed nothing wrong, and we havec had no complaints of any kind.

Dr. Legge, H.M. chief medical-inspector of factories and workshops, said that anthrax was not a disease compulsory notifiable, but two years ago the Local Government Board issued a memorandum recommending local authorities to add anthrax to the diseases which were compulsorily notifiable. It was most useful that such cases should be investigated. It would be good thing all cases of death from anthrax were reported.

The Coroner : All cases at Guy’s are notified but it does not seem to have been done in the case of Penn.

Dr. Legge said that death was due to anthrax, which frequently passed unrecognised. It might never known that, an anthrax infected carcase had been disposed of, and a person consuming the flesh of anthrax infected meat did not necessarily die, or suffer. The germ was killed by the cooking of the meat. Cases of intestinal anthrax from consumption of infected meat were rare.

Mr. Marsden (who appeared for Mr. Martin): Can a man give it to an animal as well as the other way about?

Witness: He could infect the meat, but should say it was a negligible probability.

Dr. Robert Clarke, Medical Officer of Health for Croydon, said that he could not trace Penn’s death; nor could say how Farrant became infected.

The Coroner: Are there not cases where men have got it from infected corn or oats?

Witness: I know of none.

Witness said that he had had an examination of the place where the meat was bought, and he was quite satisfied that everything had been done there that could be done.

Mr. C. H. Nelson, cashier Messrs. Armour, from whose place meat referred to in the ease was bought and concerning which, place the previous witness had said that he was quite satisfied that everything had been done there that could be done, said that his son Lawrence, who was a junior clerk to. the firm, was taken ill on December 11th. He-was removed to Guy’s Hospital, where it was found was suffering from anthrax. An operation was performed, and he was now progressing satisfactorily. Witness had never known a case of anthrax at Messrs. Armour’s.

The Coroner, in summing up, said thought Messrs. Armour had taken every precaution.

The jury returned a verdict that deceased died from external anthrax, but that there was nothing show how it was contracted. They recommended that anthrax should be added the list of notifiable diseases, and that all deaths from it should notified to the coroner of the district which occurred.