Seaford's Three Cinemas: A Century of Silver Screen Entertainment
From the Brooklyn Road Picture Theatre in the early 1900s to the art deco Ritz, Seaford once boasted three cinemas serving a town of just a few thousand people. Here's the story of all three.
Brooklyn Road Picture Theatre
Seaford's first cinema was a basic affair on Brooklyn Road, one of the earliest picture houses in Sussex. In the days before talkies, silent films were accompanied by a pianist, and the whole town would turn out for the weekly programme. Little is known about its exact dates of operation, but it served as Seaford's introduction to the magic of moving pictures.
The Empire Cinema (1913)
The Empire opened in 1913, bringing a purpose-built cinema to the town. Located on the High Street, it became the centre of Seaford's entertainment for decades. The Empire showed the great films of the golden age — from Charlie Chaplin to the early Technicolor spectacles. It operated through both World Wars, providing escapism during the darkest years.
The Ritz (1936)
The Ritz was Seaford's grandest cinema, opening in 1936 in the art deco style that defined the era. With comfortable seating, a proper foyer, and modern projection equipment, it represented the height of small-town cinema luxury. The Ritz served Seaford through the post-war years until the rise of television gradually eroded audiences.
All three cinemas eventually closed as viewing habits changed. Today, none of the buildings survive in their original form, but they live on in the memories of older Seaford residents and in the archives of the Seaford Times history project.
Sources: Seaford Times archive (seafordtimes.com — site now offline, content preserved via Wayback Machine and Google cache); Seaford Museum collections