ABOVE: The Gaumont's proscenium prior to the installation of CinemaScope
Photograph: Scottish Screen Archive Collection.

In the case of The Gaumont, the CinemaScope installation was money well spent as it helped establish it as the main Glasgow venue for epics and "roadshow" films.

Particular successes in the 50s were The Ten Commandments and South Pacific. In the 60s The Sound of Music ran for an astonishing two and a half years from April 1965 to December 1967 and holds The Gaumont's house record, other notable successes included Oliver! and Battle of Britain.

The success of these films was partly due to the "special event" status that "roadshow" films enjoyed with separate performances, advance booking and lavish promotional material, in the Gaumont's case this included the film's poster artwork being printed in sections onto metal panels and covering both sides of the long entrance way, the cost of these giant billboards easily being offset by the long run of their films.

By the early 70s the day of the wide screen epic was over and although Rank considered twining, The Gaumont closed on 15th January 1972 after a performance of Carry on at Your Convenience. Although the red sandstone facade is preserved, the interior was destined for conversion into a cheap indoor market, and demolition began immediately, a process hastened by a fire in March 1972.