The Duke Of York's cinema opened on 22 September 1910 and was one Brighton's first picture palaces and also one of the first cinemas in the world. It was built on the site of the Amber Ale Brewery, the walls of which still form the rear part of the auditorium. The architects were Clayton & Black. The building remains largely unaltered, it even retains one of its boxes in the balcony area. The original colour scheme was red and cream.
The Duke's was always a quality cinema for the more discerning patron, its marketing tagline for many years was "Bring her to the Duke's, it is fit for a Duchess." The name came from the West End theatre which its first proprietor Mrs Melnotte-Wyatt was also associated with. Being slightly outside the town centre, the Duke's catered for its local audience and this has been its saving grace. While other cinemas in Brighton came and went, the The Duke of York's has remained in continuous operation and recently celebrated its 95th birthday.
The cinema has operated as an arts cinema since 1981 and has passed through several owners and suffered various indignities including punk rock concerts. The cinema was in a shabby state when it was purchased in 1995 by City Screen who have invested in the building and returned it to its former glory.
Information courtesy of Allen Eyles and his book BRIGHTON & HOVE CINEMAS
