“For here in Glasgow is every type of cinema- from the largest in Europe to the smallest and smelliest in the British Isles. And in Glasgow every kind of cinema experiment is being made…” – Film Weekly, 1931

Gordon Barr and Gary Painter of Scottish Cinemas present a double feature, covering the full range of Glasgow’s cinema history, from converted roller-skating rinks to the finest thirties art deco super-cinemas, as well as highlighting some of the most interesting depictions of Glasgow on screen – both as itself and pretending to be other cities along the way. The talk will cover cinemas that were, cinemas that are, and cinemas that might have been.

Gary Painter studied history and archaeology at Glasgow University and supported these studies with a part-time job in the Odeon Cinema in Renfield Street. One night, one of the senior projectionists showed him photos of the interior as it once was, which set his industrial archaeology senses twitching. Thus began a love affair with crawling around in voids and peering through hatches to find forgotten remnants of buildings much altered over the years. He now works as a Stage Doorkeeper at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal and, along with Gordon, is a Scottish caseworker and committee member of the Cinema Theatre Association.