The Maindee Cinema in Newport, South Walesopened in 1939 with “The Vagabond King” starring Ronald Coleman. Situated on a busy road, the cinema seated around 1200. Western Electric was the sound system installed.
The Maindee remained showing films for 23 years until closing in September 1961 with the Bob Hope movie “Paleface”.
The Maindee was turned over to a bingo operation and finally closed in 1994. Ironically bingo lasted longer then it was a cinema.
The cinema remained closed for a number of years before being bought by the JD Wetherspoons pub group and is now one of the three Wetherspoons pubs in the city, but the only one in a former cinema.