Gorey tales of the big screen

Does anyone still remember the ‘gorey’ legacy of a cinema in Newtownstewart?The popular picture house, now a derelict ruin on the Strabane Road, was famous for screening risqué and X-rated films, along with traditional blockbusters.

Before becoming a cinema, the site served as Newtownstewart’s community centre. However, a devastating fire in 1957 gutted the building, paving the way for its rebirth as a movie theatre.

In 1958, Phillip Richardson reopened it, introducing a new widescreen and seating designed for ‘maximum viewing pleasure’. The inaugural screenings featured popular films like ‘High Society,’ ‘Tammy’ and ‘The Fastest Gun Alive.’

Beyond showing films, the Gorey Cinema was a venue for showcasing local talent.

Weekly contests invited locals of all ages and abilities to perform for the community.

These events for juniors and seniors were coupled with guest performers, such as Frankie McBride and The Sherwoods from Belfast.

The influence of the cinema’s on-screen action sometimes inspired less savory actions

In 1968, a 14-year-old boy, joined by another, had an idea to steal some money and cigarettes from a local bookmakers and the Gorey Cinema.

The boys broke into the cinema, damaging the foyer door, and proceeded to steal 2,500 cigarettes and £39 worth of other goods..

At court, they admitted to the offences, adding that the leather gloves used during the break-ins was inspired by shows seen on television ‘to avoid leaving fingerprints’.

Following the break-ins, the boys lay under an old railway bridge throughout the night instead of going home.

This was not the first break-in; a decade earlier two men were charged with breaking and entering, stealing 2,000 cigarettes also. The court heard a similar tale from the 17-year-old, who said he had been ‘carried away’ by gangsters in the films.

The 1960s saw the cinema thrive, showcasing blockbuster hits like ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘El Dorado.’

It even screened the native Irish film ‘Mise Eire’ in 1961.

Controversial

However, the 1970s marked a shift towards more controversial films, aligning with the era’s evolving cinematic tastes. The Gorey Cinema began screening risqué and X-rated films such as ‘Confessions of a Window Cleaner’ and such like.

One notable screening was ‘The Exorcist’ in 1975, which faced significant opposition from the clergy due to its disturbing content. The cinema advised those with a nervous disposition to avoid the film.

The cinema’s history was marred by a Troubles-related event in 1972, when a 16-year-old boy, Alex Moorehead, was shot by the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) near the building.

A patrol on the evening of October 7 spotted the young boy near a fence at the rear of the cinema, claiming they seen him ‘carrying an object’.

The army patrol claimed to have witnessed two youths throw what they believed to be a ‘blast bomb’ under an armoured car before making their way to the rear of the cinema shortly before spotting the 16-year-old.

The soldiers shouted for Alex to stop, however the 16-year-old was partially deaf and didn’t respond to the challenge.

Locals heard a ‘succession’ of shots and found Alex unconscious on the ground. He died at the scene.

By 1983, the cinema’s golden years had faded, and it closed after 25 years of operation. Although there were offers for its sale, a proposal for the council to redevelop the site into a civic center was met with strong opposition and ultimately rejected. Since then, the building has remained dormant.

However, its proprietor, Phillip Robinson, who ran the cinema during its golden years, famously operated the Omagh cinema on the Drumquin Road into the new millennium.

Mr Richardson, who sadly passed away last year, was quite a character with a sharp sense of humour. One cinema-goer recalled going to see The Titanic blockbuster multiple times during the late 1990s.

When Mr Richardson spotted them, he said, “You’re back again? Sure, the ship is still going to sink!”