Remembering when Dundee was once the cinema capital of the UK

The Gaumont cinema at the site of the former King's Theatre in Dundee. (Picture: Hugh Pincott / University of Dundee Archive Services)

There was a time when Dundee was one of the most cinema-obsessed cities in Britain. In the early 20th century, it boasted more cinema seats per head of population than anywhere else in the UK.

According to the City Archives, at one point, there was one cinema for every 6,400 people – even outpacing Glasgow. Nearly every neighbourhood had its own picture house, and going to the cinema was a weekly ritual for thousands across the city.

The early days

The story began as early as 1896, when Dundee hosted its first known film screening at the People’s Palace on the Nethergate. In those days, moving pictures were shown in theatres, shopfronts, or in makeshift trailers known as “penny gaffs.”

Demand grew rapidly, and by the early 1900s, purpose-built cinemas were opening throughout the city.

Among the earliest was the Wellington Cinema, believed to have opened in 1906 – the same year the city council, ahead of the rest of the UK, introduced safety rules for these new venues due to growing concerns over fire risks.

The old Odeon cinema just off Caird Avenue. (Picture via Dundee City Archives)

Cinemas at the time were beautiful, if sometimes dangerous, places.

Flammable film stock, heavy machinery, velvet fittings and, before the smoking ban, lit cigarettes made fire a constant threat.

The Empire Theatre on Rosebank Street was one such victim, closing permanently after a fire in 1957.

Local authorities responded early: by 1906, Dundee’s Firemaster insisted projection rooms be enclosed in fireproof boxes and that a fireman be present during every showing. By 1912, the city’s fire brigade was overseeing over 6,000 cinema screenings a year, underlining just how popular and widespread filmgoing had become.

Greens Playhouse was at the heart of Dundee's cinema culture

Among Dundee’s many cinemas, none loomed larger – literally – than Green’s Playhouse on the Nethergate.

Opened in the 1930s, the vast art deco building featured an 85-foot illuminated tower and seating for over 4,000 people. Inside, a grand foyer, ballroom-style tearoom, and famously cosy “chummy seats” made it a favourite for couples and families alike.

Its presence dominated the skyline and embodied the glamour and grandeur of the golden age of cinema. Although it later became a bingo hall and eventually closed, the building was reborn in 2025 as LIVEHOUSE Dundee, a modern venue for events and performances.

The Green's Playhouse was one of the largest cinemas in Europe. (Picture: Dundee City Archives)

Elsewhere in the city, cinemas like the Plaza in Hilltown, the Chinese-themed Rialto in Lochee, and the Kinnaird on Bank Street helped fuel Dundee’s film-going habit.

Each had its own personality and loyal patrons. The Rialto even made history by showing the city’s first full-length ‘talkie’ in the late 1920s.

The Kinnaird, which began life as a public hall, was transformed into a popular cinema by the 1920s, with nearly 1,500 seats.

For many, cinema offered an escape from the demands of industrial life. Screenings were timed to coincide with factory shifts, and many recall finishing work, picking up a fish supper, and heading straight to the nearest picture house.

Even children could find a way in, with stories of jam jars being traded at the door for admission – a quirky but effective early form of recycling.

But by the late 1950s and into the 1960s, the golden glow began to fade. The rise of television meant fewer people were going to the pictures, and cinemas across the city began to close.

Some were repurposed as bingo halls, others were lost to fire or demolition. What was once a booming part of Dundee’s cultural life gradually slipped into memory.

Today, just a handful of cinemas remain in Dundee – but the spirit of the silver screen lives on.

Odeon in Douglas and Cineworld in Camperdown are the city’s two main multiplexes, showing the latest blockbusters to audiences young and old.

Meanwhile, Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) offers a different experience, with two cinemas that specialise in independent, foreign-language and arthouse films, while still screening mainstream titles – often at a more affordable price.

Though the era of 30-plus cinemas may be behind us, Dundee's cinematic heritage continues to shape its cultural landscape – from grand memories of nights at the Playhouse to today’s blend of indie gems and box office hits.