The Rex Cinema

The Rex Cinema, by Colin Beavis, describes something of the history of the Rex Cinema in Church Street, which opened in 1938 and was popular with the inhabitants of Ventnor, young and old alike, until it closed in 1980.  The artcle includes a photo of the outside of the cinema and one of the site as it is now – the Kingsview complex with apartment block and Rex restaurant.

Mentions: the Bijou, the Gaiety in Grove Road, Isle of Wight Theatres (IWT), Hambrough Road, projectionist Basil Drake, Star Cinemas, the Enchanted Caverns, and many of the films shown over the years. This article was first published in the South Wight Chronicle 27 July 2023.

A PDF of the article is available to read here: The Rex Cinema, by Colin Beavis