147-149 Northumberland Street, Tatler Cinema

The Tatler News Cinema was originally a café owned by Louis Bertorelli. It had an additional entrance on Haymarket, opposite the bus station. In March 1936 architect J. Newton Fatkin submitted plans to alter the café into a 488 seat newsreel cinema with a café above. The Tatler came under the control of E.J. Hinge. The cinema was decorated by Fred A. Foster of Nottingham. The side walls were decorated with horizontal stripes of cream, silver, orange and old rose with a dado of deep rose and silver. Between vertical pilasters there were rectangular panels of abstract painting. The ceiling had a central panel of rose and cream, flanked by silver moulded plaster coves. The ceiling and ante-proscenium grilles were lit by concealed lighting in the pilasters and above the exit doors. The curtains were cream satin with gold trim. The café above the cinema was decorated in cream, grey and stippled silver with black and red carpet and curtains. In July 1964 the Tatler was bought by Classic Cinemas Ltd, who fitted a new cinemascope screen, Projectomatic system and redecorated the café. By November 1969 the Tatler was one of only four news theatres left in the country. From September 1970 the Classic, as it was now named, became a cinema club for members only. Seated were reduced to 418. From November 1971 there was to be a monthly striptease. The cinema was renamed the Tatler Cinema Club in February 1972. In November 1979 the cinema opened to the general public again as the Classic. It closed on 24 August 1980. Shops and a bank now occupy the site.