(electric) Palace Cinema

Formerly the Liberal Hall, built 1886, the first cinema was opened in 1914 by Sheppard. It closed in 1926 when the new Palace opened, but reopened as the Lyric cinema by Mr Stevenson and Mr Church who came to Bridport from Devon, and acquired equipment from the abandoned Hayes Theatre, a temporary structure of wood and canvas, which had been set up in a field outside the town. The Lyric was sold to Dorchester Cinema Co. in 1940/41. In recent years taken over by Bernard Gale for a dance school. The popular local pantomimes and productions (of which B. Gale is a backbone) have taken place here over the years when the Palace Theatre was unavailable. One of the colourful local characters was a manager here: he owned a performing rabbit, did all his own publicity, and painted murals of Eastern scenes in his spare time. Sadly these have been painted out. What is seen today is still, basically, the old Liberal Hall, with a false pros. It has a great atmosphere.