The Ritz / ABC

Located in the High Street opposite Woolworths, the cinema opened on the 13th May 1937 with seating for 1,700. It closed in the late 1980s and was later used as multiple screen cinema and bingo hall.

This cinema was the last one to be opened in Aldershot. It was opened at the height of the cinema era, and is the last one to survive today, as a multi cinema complex with three cinema rooms upstairs and a bingo hall downstairs. It is owned by the Cannon Group.

The building of the cinema was speeded up to coincide with the Coronation of King George VI: with the opening on 13th May 1937 taking place during a hectic week of Coronation celebrations. The Grand Opening by the Mayor of Aldershot, Councillor W. J. North JP was an impressive affair. This splendid building had a large downstairs auditorium, a balcony and also a cafe which was open to the public, where customers were served by smart waitresses in black dresses with white aprons. Although built as a cinema, much more went on in the Ritz. The theatre had a large stage which was used for a old style variety shows, community singalongs and local talent evenings. I suppose the one thing the Ritz is remembered for most was the mighty white Wurlitzer that rose out of the stage to entertain the clients. The resident organist was Reg Dixon, and he filled every square inch of the building with his music.

Wide-screen and Cinema-Scope were introduced in due course, although the sound system was never updated to stereo. The cinema was a very large airy building with good ventilation. The projection box was on the third floor, and only staff were allowed onto the third floor. In the early days the re-wind boy in the projection room received the princely sum of 17/6d a week, and had to work hard for that. In those days people would see the main film along with the newsreels and possibly a cartoon.

The Ritz had a large neon sign which filled the wall on the corner of High Street and Court Street, where the corner of the building also incorporated a small shop. The cinema was later named the ABC, and as a lad I can remember attending Saturday morning pictures at the ABC and singing their song as the little bouncy ball jumped along the words on the screen. Although its nice that the cinema has survived, to myself and others of previous generations, the cinema will never be the same as in those day of large single picture house.