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The British Film Institute’s (BFI) online Player features film footage from archives across the UK, including the South West Film and Television Archive – the largest regional archive of its kind in the country.
Here are a few gems from 1960s from entertainment venues in Plymouth.
The Gaumont
This 1961 footage shows the Gaumont Palace on Union Street as it prepares to close its doors for refurbishment. The Gaumont was an art deco building which opened as a cinema in November 1931 and closed in December 1961. It then became an Odeon until 1980 after which it was a roller disco and a nightclub. It ceased trading as the Millennium complex in the early 2000s.
The ABC
In this clip dating from 1962, singer and songwriter Billy Fury (pictured above) is interviewed for Westward TV before an appearance at the ABC cinema.
This 1963 footage shows the world-famous Beatles arriving in a Rolls Royce and larking around in interview before to taking to the stage at the ABC.
The Athenaeum
The show must go on for Sooty! Everyone’s favourite yellow bear is ousted from the Athenaeum in 1966 due to a burst pipe.
Plymouth History Festival 