Cinema and film in Looe
You might be surprised to know that Looe had a cinema in the town in 1925. Unfortunately it and all the others that followed have come and gone, which is a great shame.
Considering the small population of Looe and the fact that it was primarily a fishing community, it's amazing that Looe had any cinemas at all and is a testimony to the diversity and spirit of the town's residents.
For information on films in Looe today, click here.
Looe - cinemas of the past
1. Little Cinema
The first cinema in Looe was called The Cinema (later renamed the Little Cinema). It could seat 178 people and operated from 1925 until 1949 on the ground floor of the Town Hall in Fore Street. It's now an indoor market.
2. Pavilion
The next cinema in Looe was the Pavilion cinema (later renamed the Regent) which opened in March 1933 next to the bridge. It could seat 327 people and continued to show films until 1960. The building is now used as an amusement arcade and mini bowling alley.
3. Cinema
The most recent cinema in Looe was situated in Higher Market Street. The cinema was run by Michael Lee who also ran the Olde Fisherman's Arms pub! It could seat 95 people and closed in 1999. The last film shown was Eyes Wide Shut and building is now offices!
Looe - cinema and film today
You may be thinking it's a shame there's no cinema in Looe today, which it is, but never fear as local residents have got together to form the Looe Film Society and carry on the tradition of showing films in Looe.
Looe Film Society was established in May 2006. Using the name Cinema by the Sea and aims to bring world class films using the latest digital technology to Looe. The Society is run by volunteers and is a registered charity (1115142).
Film Society of the Year Awards
In 2007, Looe Film Society was awarded a Distinction in the Best New Society category of the Film Society of the Year Awards. Needless to say everyone was overjoyed at this.
Films in Looe for 2009
The programme of films below is from March to September 2009
- Man on Wire - 13 March
- The Art of Catching Lobsters - 3 April
- Sunrise - 24 April
- Changeling - 15 May
- Slumdog Millionaire - 5 June
- The Orphanage - 26 June
- Revolutionary Road - 11 September
Films in Looe for 2008/09
The programme of films below is from October 2008 to February 2009
- The Lives of Others - 6 October
- Michael Clayton - 3 November
- Persepolis - 24 November
- Mamma Mia! - 15 December
- The Rules of the Game - 12 January
- Happy-Go-Lucky - 2 February
- Abouna - 23 February
Films in Looe for 2008
The programme of films below, covers the period up to September 2008.
- Atonement - 17 March
- Dressing Granite - 7 April
- The Singer - 28 April
- The Golden Door - 19 May
- Grow Your Own - 9 June
- Classic Film evening - Chinatown (1974) - 7 July
- Tell No One - 15 September
If you'd like to see a film in Looe or want more information, check out the LFS website at: www.looefilmsociety.org.uk