Early days
The proposal to form a film society in Cheltenham was first moved at
a meeting of interested people on 6 March 1945. A committee was
set
up to examine the proposal and draw up a draft constitution. This
was accepted at a public meeting held in the School of Art on 1 May
1945
and the Cheltenham Film Society was born. With one exception in
the
mid-1980s it has shown films every season since - a total of over 780
full
length feature films and 2000 'shorts'.
The opening show was held at the Daffodil Cinema (now a
restaurant)
during July 1945, the main attraction being Eisenstein's "Alexander
Nevsky"
with about 450 people attending. During the first seasons, shows
were held also at the the Ritz Cinema in the High Street and Poole's
Coliseum
in Albion Street, but in September 1947 the Daffodil became the sole
venue
of the Society's 35mm showings.
A 16mm section was also started from the beginning,
originally in the
School of Art but soon moving to the Playhouse Theatre in Bath
Road.
The first performance was GW Pabst's "L'Atlantide".
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Membership
Membership for the first season was 1,100 making us the 5th largest
in the country. A sharp downturn in membership in the 1950s was
countered
with a drive for new members with the slogan "21 films for 21
shillings".
The campaign was so successful that second showings were introduced at
the Playhouse. In another bid to increase the Society's profile
there
was a proposal to invite Diana Dors, a fairly local celebrity from
Swindon,
to be President but nothing came of this idea! By 1960 membership
was back up to 500.
Moving home
The Daffodil was closed without warning for conversion to a bingo hall
and the Society's last show there was in March 1964. Showings
were
then restricted to the Playhouse.
The last show in the Playhouse was in April 1971 and
later that year
the Society moved to Langhorne Hall, Dean Close School in Lansdown
Road.
Looking back, the hall offered few home comforts - some members may
remember
the hard seats - and the projection box was 'cosy' at best.
During that time the Society courted controversy on
several occasions,
showing the infamous WR Mysteries of the Organism and Andy Warhol's
uncertificated
Chelsea Girls
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The missing year
A crisis arose suddenly in the mid-1980s due to a lack of committee
members and one season was missed. Thanks are due to Cecil and
Nicky
Weir for playing a large part in saving the day.
Moving home again
In 1988 the committee saw the opportunity to move to Shaftesbury Hall
Theatre, which at the time was a venue for fringe theatre and college
events
and offered the advantages a central location and tiered seating.
The society stayed for 4 seasons until threats of closure forced a
search
for a new home.
The Society moved to the newly built New Theatre (now
the Bacon Theatre)
at Dean Close School for the start of the 1992/93 season. The
hall
provides excellent facilities in terms of comfort and projection - not
to mention a large free car park. With the kind permission of the
Theatre Administrator it has been possible to improve the social side
of
membership by holding Wine and Cheese gatherings in the foyer.
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Financial problems
Over the years the Society has faced many financial crises, most
recently
in the early 1990s when heavy operating losses were sustained.
The
response from members when faced with the facts was heart-warming and
there
was talk of a collection and a fighting fund. For a few years the
society just held its own, with most costs such as the hire of films
remaining fairly constant while the hire of the hall became by far the
major
outlay. A dramatic increase in membership followed our winning the Film
Society of the Year 1999/2000, allowing the society not only to prosper
but also invest (in conjunction with the Theatre) in the latest video
projection technology.
The future
With the advent of cable, satellite and digital
television, multiplex
cinemas and local video stores, the concept of members society showing
films for their own entertainment may be thought somewhat dated, but
members
continue to express their support for a society that offers
entertaining
or stimulating films in a friendly and congenial atmosphere.
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Film Society of
the Year 1999/2000
A high point in the history of the Society was winning the BFFS Film
Society of the year award in March 1999. The submission was based
on the very successful 1998/99 season during which the membership
increased
by 20% and a small loss was turned into a healthy surplus. The
full
citation is available here. |
Using publicity from
the event, the society enjoyed an
even better
1999/2000 season, with a further 30% increase in membership, a joint
venture
with the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury and welcome Sponsorship from VFB
Holidays. |
