Vertigo Magazine has published an in-depth article about the EMD Cinema.

The article examines the cinema’s history and the campaign to secure its future. You can read the article here.

The family of the men who created Walthamstow’s EMD Cinema are backing the campaign to save the venue.

Showbiz moguls Cecil and Sidney Bernstein founded the Granada cinemas empire in 1930 and the Walthamstow site was one of their first and most lavish projects. The Ilford-born brothers would later build more than 50 cinemas around the country and were the founders of Granada Television. Sidney Bernstein was also a lifelong friend and collaborator of Alfred Hitchcock with whom he formed Transatlantic Pictures in 1948.

Sidney Bernstein’s nephew Toby Stone has been in touch to offer his family’s support for the campaign to save the cinema.

“My family and I are very concerned to hear that the cinema might cease to be a place of entertainment and become a church,” said Mr. Stone. “This building has served as a cinema for many generations of people and is the last substantial place of entertainment in the area. The building was intended to bring the community together and to raise local access to culture and entertainment. It was always meant to be somewhere open to everyone. If it becomes a church then clearly that purpose is completely lost. It would be very sad for Waltham Forest if such a long and important tradition now falls by the wayside through the outcome of a planning decision. I am also concerned at the damage this Grade 2* Listed building will sustain if its use is converted in this way. It was designed by some of the great architects and designers of their generation and forms part of the heritage of the great picture palaces”. 

Mr. Stone has now written to the council to voice his opposition to UCKG’s plans.

Sidney Bernstein pictured with Alfred Hitchcock.

Representatives of Walthamstow’s business community gathered outside the EMD Cinema at the weekend to demonstrate their support for saving the venue.

Waltham Forest Council is currently considering a planning application by owners the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) aimed at converting the historic cinema for religious use despite previous plans being rejected by the government.

“A revived cinema would certainly be the best use for the EMD building,” said Glenn Conn of estate agents Haart. “It would benefit the local community and businesses and make Walthamstow a more attractive place to live”.

Fellow estate agent Andrew Goad of Churchill Estates agreed. “We strongly feel that the community would greatly benefit from the EMD re-opening as a cinema,” he said. “It would enhance local businesses and the regeneration plan for the area”.

His comments were echoed by Ben Tobin, managing director of the borough’s largest estate agent Strettons. “Since the council’s failure to secure a development on the former Arcade site the cinema is one of the most focal points in the town centre,” he said. “There is a strong need for a viable town centre and this would be a significant boost”.

Many of the area’s restaurants and bars are also throwing their weight behind efforts to revive the cinema.

“I want the EMD to come back,” said Peking Chef manageress Ming Feng Li. “It would benefit all the people who live in Walthamstow”.

“The cinema would generate more customers who would use local amenities before and after going to screenings,” added Grove Cafe manager Franc Escuder. “This would help build a sense of community and cohesion”.

Aaron Clingham, co-manager of the Rose and Crown pub, agreed. “A cinema at the EMD is necessary for the continued regeneration of Walthamstow and would be of vital importance to businesses and residents alike,” he said.

Stuart Arnott is the director of the Red Planet multimedia production company based in Hatherley Mews next to the EMD. He believes the venue’s revival would transform the area. “A restored cinema would be a jewel in East London’s crown, a focal point for civic pride and a unique visitor attraction,” he said. “It would benefit a variety of local businesses as Walthamstow would become a destination to spend the day. I urge the council to reject any change to the building’s use and do everything in its power to allow it to remain a cinema”.

Councillors are expected to vote on the EMD’s future in the next few weeks.

PHOTO: Business representatives from Haart Estate Agents (Hoe Street), Peking Chef restaurant (Hoe Street), L’Hirondelle Cafe (Hoe Street), Academy Design (Hatherley Mews), Fenicks Dry Cleaners (Hoe Street), Tidy Books (Hatherley Mews), Kaz Digital Services (Hoe Street), Grove Cafe (Hoe Street), Celsius Wine Bar (Hoe Street), Sibercow (Hatherley Mews), Rose and Crown Theatre Pub (Hoe Street), Strettons (Hoe Street) and Hiltongrove Business Centre (Hatherley Mews).

Waltham Forest Council will shortly decide the fate of the borough’s last working cinema, the beautiful and unique EMD on Walthamstow’s Hoe Street.

Although several cinema operators are actively interested in reviving the cinema, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) want to convert it for mainly church use despite having previous plans rejected by the government. If local councillors approve their new planning application, the cinema is lost forever.

Please note: the deadline for objections has now passed – but you can still write to local councillors and make your views known. Your local councillor’s contact details can be found here. A full list of Waltham Forest’s councillor’s can be found here.

Key issues relating to the current planning application include:

1. The loss of the borough’s only substantial entertainment venue and last working cinema. UCKG’s proposals would permanently deprive the 225,000 residents of Waltham Forest of their only cinema at a time when there is no prospect of another being built.

2. A re-opened cinema would make a vital contribution to the area’s economy and regeneration. In particular it would provide much-needed stimulation to the evening economy, attracting audiences from across the local community and encouraging spending in many of the neighbouring restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.

3. The EMD building remains viable as a cinema. It did not close because of falling attendances but because UCKG bought it and closed it. There is demonstrable public support for reopening the venue and cinema operators who are eager to do so. UCKG admit they have received TWELVE offers to purchase the cinema.

4. With four services a day, seven days a week, the proposed church development could bring a large amount of new traffic into an already busy area. Many nearby streets are Controlled Parking Zones, making parking a potentially unmanageable problem – while putting additional pressure on existing parking facilities for shoppers whose spending is vital to the local economy.

Two of UCKG’s main planning documents are posted below.  

UCKGPlanning Statement      UCKGDocandAppendices 

The remainder can be downloaded at http://www.mcguffin.org.uk/downloads/

UCKG’s latest press release can be found below.

Submission_rel_19.08

Show your support for the EMD Cinema campaign by downloading one of the posters below and displaying in your window, car or workplace.

 SaveWalthamstow’sCinema-poster          SaveWalthamstow’sCinema-poster2

A Day of Action in support of the cinema was held on Sunday 13 September at the Rose and Crown Theatre Pub in Walthamstow.

The event featured free films, children’s entertainment, live music, exhibitions and an opportunity for residents to register their objections to plans for the EMD Cinema. The day also saw the premiere of ‘Save Our Screen’, a new documentary examining the story of the EMD, and a live performance by legendary rocker Ed Tudor-Pole.  More than 500 people attended the event.

See below for images from the Day of Action (click to enlarge).

ROLLING STONES legend Mick Jagger has joined a host of stars backing the McGuffin campaign to save Waltham Forest’s EMD Cinema.

In a statement he said “Cinemas and live venues like The Granada in Walthamstow where the Stones played in the early days, learning our craft on the way, are the lifeblood of our cultural history. They helped launched British popular music onto a world stage and should continue to function as places of entertainment and enjoyment. It’s heartbreaking to hear such a beautiful, important historical building and centre of entertainment is being lost to the local community. I fully support the campaign to keep it open and provide film, music and the arts for generations to come.”

A number of other high profile supporters have recently come forward to back the campaign.

‘Blackadder’ and ‘Time Team’ star Tony Robinson grew up in Leytonstone and was a regular visitor to the EMD throughout his youth. He was mortified to hear about the latest threat to the venue.

“The cinema is an exotic masterpiece,” said Tony Robinson. “It’s where my teenage eyes were opened to the great jazz and rock ‘n roll artists of the 1960s and where I saw a host of great movies. At this exciting time in our history when east London is about to be revitalised, it would be crazy to turn our backs on such a magnificent venue. If not for our sakes, then for the sake of the next generation of film and music lovers, let’s ensure it is given the opportunity to reclaim its place as the hub of Walthamstow’s high-class entertainment”.

Award winning actress and screenwriter Meera Syal MBE once lived near the cinema and has also offered her support to the campaign.

“I’ve spent many happy hours in this stunningly beautiful building over the years,” said Meera Syal. “The Walthamstow cinema has a rare touch of glamour and it would be an absolute tragedy if the film lovers of east London were to be permanently deprived of this beautiful jewel of a cinema”.

Veteran politician, broadcaster and historian Tony Benn has sent a message to confirm his opposition to the current UCKG-council plan.

“I offer 100% support against the vandalism that is being planned,” said Tony Benn.

Actor and comedian Alan Davies – star of ‘Jonathan Creek’ and a regular celebrity panellist on the BBC’s long running ‘Q.I.’ – was born in nearby Loughton and attended school in Woodford Green. He travelled to Walthamstow regularly throughout his childhood and teenage years to watch films at the EMD and has fond memories of the cinema.

“I was shocked to hear of the possible demise of the beautiful Granada Cinema in Walthamstow,” he said. “I spent many happy hours there as a child and find it extraordinary that its preservation as a cinema for local people is not a priority in the borough of Waltham Forest. With the recent demise of the dog track and now this news, it seems the protection of the area’s historic and cultural landmarks is in the wrong hands. Save the Granada Cinema!”

Alan Davies is joined by screen legend David Warner in opposition to the current EMD proposals.

David Warner is an Emmy-award winning actor with a career spanning more than four decades. His extensive film credits include ‘Star Trek’, ‘Titanic’, ‘The Omen’, ‘Time Bandits’ and ‘Straw Dogs’ and he is well known for his long association with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is calling on local councillors to reject plans to alter the cinema.

“It’s essential for our future that we do not destroy the treasures of our past,” he said. “This building saw the beginning of something we now take for granted – the shared experience of cinema. Please allow it to remain for that purpose – a place of memories and dreams”.

Other supporters of the McGuffin campaign include former London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Alfred Hitchcock’s daughter Patricia.

An Evening Standard news report can be found below. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23704737-details/Mick+Jagger+fights+to+save+cinema+where+Stones+played/article.do

According to international press reports, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) is currently embroiled in further controversy regarding their financial arrangements.

The Associated Press has reported the following:

“The founder of one of Brazil’s biggest evangelical churches siphoned off billions of dollars in donations from his mostly poor followers to buy jewellery, TV stations and other businesses for himself, authorities charged Tuesday.

A Brazilian judge accepted charges from prosecutors alleging that Bishop Edir Macedo and nine other people linked to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God committed fraud against the church itself and against its numerous followers. Sao Paulo state’s prosecutors office alleged in a statement that Macedo and the others took more than $2 billion in donations from 2003 to 2008 alone, but charged that the alleged scheme went back 10 years.

Church lawyer Arthur Lavigne told the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo that the accused denied any wrongdoing. Church officials did not respond to attempts to reach them by phone and e-mail.Prosecutors said the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God receives nearly $800 million in donations every year from faithful in 4,500 temples across Brazil. The church claims to have nearly 8 million followers in Brazil and many more around the world. Prosecutors said the church tells its members it needs donations — cash, checks, cars and other goods — to finance new temples and to pay for religious programs on radio and TV.

The church allegedly used fake companies to launder the money, moving the assets abroad and then returning them in the form of loans used by Macedo and his accomplices to buy businesses, prosecutors said.

“There is proof that the money from the donations was used to attend to the personal interests of those being accused” and that they took advantage that the donations were not taxed to make investments in personal business, the prosecutors’ statement said.

Macedo, who founded the church in 1977, owns a large television network, three newspapers and several radio stations. He also owns a tourism agency and an air taxi company. In the early 1990s, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God was investigated for embezzlement and tax evasion, but nothing was ever proven and the church grew stronger.”

Further reports can be found below.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/13/brazil-evangelical-leader-charged-fraud

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bishop-accused-over-billions-of-donations-1770850.html

Meanwhile, UCKG may face prosecution for failing to protect workers called in to maintain the EMD building.

Maintenance staff visited the EMD recently to undertake urgent repairs following the partial collapse of a canopy on the front of the building. A representative from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) refused to allow work to continue after it emerged that asbestos found within a section of the building had not been properly treated and could be dangerous.

HSE has now forced Waltham Forest Council to issue a Prohibition Notice preventing workers entering the building until the asbestos is made safe. UCKG may face prosecution for sending workers into the premises while the asbestos threat remained unchecked. Security staff at the venue may also be interviewed by officials about the potential threat to their health. Maintenance work has taken place inside the cinema recently but this latest development proves it has not been adequate and raises further questions about UCKG’s stewardship of the building.

A report about the partial collapse of the exterior canopy can be found below.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4509811.WALTHAMSTOW__Section_of_EMD_roofing_collapses/#show

The scene outside the EMD on Friday 7 August.

The new documentary ‘Alfred Hitchcock in East London’ is now available as a limited edition DVD.

‘Alfred Hitchcock in East London’ explores the legendary director’s mysterious early days and uncovers many lesser known facts about his formative years.

Retracing Hitchcock’s footsteps around Leytonstone, Limehouse, Stratford and Hackney, the film reveals how his early London life profoundly influenced his later work. The documentary also examines Hitchcock’s associations with the long forgotten Walthamstow film industry and tells the previously untold story of his support for a local cinema during the height of his Hollywood fame.

The film identifies the key sites from the director’s youth which still exist today and features contributions from Roy Ward Baker (assistant director, ‘The Lady Vanishes’), Charles Barr (author of the seminal ‘English Hitchcock’), veteran actor Murray Melvin and numerous others. It paints a portrait of Hitchcock and his roots which is radically different to previous biographies and documentaries.

“a fascinating insight” – Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.

DVD Special Features: 40-minute Alfred Hitchcock audio interview, ‘Working with Hitch – The Memories of Roy Ward Baker’ featurette, ‘The Lost Cinemas of Limehouse and Leytonstone’ featurette, ‘Zeppelins over London’ featurette, ‘Hitchcock’s Leytonstone Today’ stills featurette, ‘BBC Big Screen – The EMD Cinema’ featurette, ‘The Story of Aventure Malgache’ stills featurette.

Scroll down to see a TV news report and the latest reviews of ‘Alfred Hitchcock in East London’.

To order the DVD send a cheque or postal order for £10 payable to ‘McGuffin’ to: The McGuffin Film Society, 458 Hoe Street, London E17 9AH.

TV news report and latest reviews below.

http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/hertfordshiremercury-leisure/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=430002 

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2009/06/film-reveals-hitchcocks-east-e.html

The popular McGuffins Film and TV Quiz Night will return on Saturday 7 November to the Rose & Crown pub, 55 Hoe Street, London E17.

Come and test your knowledge of the film and TV greats to win a selection of prizes including cinema tickets, books, DVDs and movie memorabilia. £50 cash first prize with further cash prizes for second and third places. All welcome. Admission £1. For full details visit the ‘Quiz Nights’ page on the main website via the link at top right.

“possibly the biggest quiz in London” – TIME OUT