ONE of the oldest cinemas in the country has issued a battle cry to the public to help keep it going with an invitation to come and watch a very relevant new movie.

Save the Cinema is a British-made film about a community rallying round to keep theirs open, and volunteers who run Thirsk’s Ritz cinema are hoping local people will do the same.

They had to close the venue for 18 months during the pandemic, but managed to reopen with the help of a grant of £6,390 from the British Film Institute Recovery Fund. Volunteers also used the time to make improvements and are hoping customers will come back to support them.

Originally opened in 1912, the Ritz was closed in 1994, but with the backing of Thirsk Town Council was up and running in a year. It is now the longest running entirely volunteer-run cinema in the country, as well as being one of the oldest surviving of its kind.

From tonight, Friday, February 11, the cinema will be screening Save the Cinema, which was inspired by real-life events. Thirsk volunteer Marc Davies said in 1993 Carmarthen Town Council announced that the much loved but financially stricken cinema would be demolished to make way for a shopping centre.

He added: “The community pulled together and through increasingly desperate measures try to keep the bulldozers at bay. A letter to Hollywood and a famous film director brings a sudden and unexpected lifeline with a premier Carmarthen will never forget. But will this be enough to save The Lyric? We’re asking people to come along to the Ritz cinema to find out. Save the Cinema features an all-star cast including Samantha Morton, Tom Felton, Jonathan Pryce, Adeel Akhtar, Keith Allen and Rhod Gilbert, amongst others.

“It strikes interesting parallels with Thirsk's Ritz Cinema, but fortunately the town council supported us," said Mr Davies. "The hospitality industry has been severely affected by the Covid pandemic, with many cinemas closed for long periods of time, such as ours. Now they are open and welcoming back customers it somehow seems appropriate to bring a heart-warming cinematic tale to the screen.

“We’ve also been supported by Thirsk councillor Gareth Dadd’s North Yorkshire County Council Community Fund. Cllr Dadd was a customer soon after the cinema reopened and was concerned when he heard attendances were so low that closure of this much loved vital community asset was once again being considered.

“During the pandemic improvements have been carried out, the most significant of which is the replacement of the existing downstairs seating with new 'multiplex' style seats matching ones in the balcony, offering all increased comfort. We also installed black acoustic ceiling tiles, new carpets and improved the sound system.  

“As well as offering otherwise unavailable top quality movies in Thirsk, the Ritz is most definitely at the heart of our community and provides a focal point for volunteers and film loving residents alike. Long may it continue.”