film maker, he was also highly respected and today the Rue Feuillade in Paris bears his name.

The Govan Cinema seems to have been the Glasgow Film Theatre of its day - in addition to screening "art-house" films it also ran an "education by cinematograph" programme to which parents and teachers were invited to preview the Pathe Educational Course of films.

By all accounts, the Govan Cinema was a great success, to such an extent that by the early thirties business had outgrown the building, it was closed and the site cleared to make way for a new "super" cinema, The Plaza.

"The earliest opportunity of seeing the newest cinematograph masterpieces" - the promise made to the people of Govan when the Govan Cinema opened on June 20th 1913.

The red sandstone facade of the Govan Cinema featured curved arches and was topped with domed towers and two entrances led to either the cheaper front stalls or the more expensive seats at the middle and rear of the building.

Built by Scottish Cinema and Variety Theatres, which would later become ABC, the Govan Cinema aimed to attract "a better class of patron" into what was claimed to be "the most luxurious house in Glasgow".

The Govan Cinema's up-market approach was confirmed by their choice of first programme - Napoleon, this was not as has been claimed the Abel Gance epic which wasn't made until 1927, but Louis Feuillade's two part feature.

Feuillade made some 800 short and medium length films - in 1912, the year in which he made Napoleon, he also made another fifty eight films! Although a prolific

729 Govan Road, Govan

Opened: June 20th 1913
Closed: 1936

Designed by: Richard Henderson

Number of screens: 1
Number of seats: 1,209