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{{Short description|Cinema in London, England}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = Prince Charles Cinema
| image = File:Prince Charles Cinema.jpg
| image_caption = Cinema frontage
| nickname =
| location = {{nowrap|7 Leicester Place}} <br />[[London]], {{postcode|WC|2}}<br /> [[United Kingdom]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|51|30|41.2|N|0|7|48.5|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| type = Indoor [[movie theater]]
| broke_ground =
| built = 1961-1962
| opened = 26 December 1962
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed =
| owner =
| former_names = The Prince Charles Theatre
| seating_type =
| seating_capacity = 300 (downstairs), 104 (upstairs)
| embedded =
| website = {{URL|https://princecharlescinema.com}}
| architect = [[Costain Group|Richard Costain LTD]]
}}

[[File:Princecharlesstalls.jpg|thumb|Auditorium]]
The '''Prince Charles Cinema''' (PCC) is a [[repertory cinema]] located in Leicester Place, 50 yards north of [[Leicester Square]] in the [[West End of London]]. It shows a rotating programme of cult, arthouse, and classic films alongside recent Hollywood releases – typically more than ten different films a week on two screens (300 velvet seats downstairs and 104 high back leather seats upstairs). It also hosts a sing-a-long version of ''[[The Sound of Music (film)|The Sound of Music]]'', as well as ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]'' and ''[[The Room (2003 film)|The Room]]''. The cinema has achieved a cult status amongst fans, and is the only independent cinema in the West End.

== History ==
Constructed between 1961 and 1962, the building was built by [[Costain Group| Richard Costain Limited]] for Alfred Esdaile and designed by Carl Fisher and Associates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/PrinceCharlesTheatreLondon.htm |title=Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Place, London |author=Matthew Lloyd |website=arthurlloyd.co.uk |access-date=7 September 2013}}</ref> The building originally functioned as a theatre with a distinctive 'satellite dish' curve to the floor of the stalls, meaning that audience members are sat at an upwards angle as they face the stage. After a short period supporting the dramatic arts, the venue was reinvented as a porn cinema. During this period it hosted the UK's longest continuous run of ''[[Emmanuelle]]'', as well as ''[[Caligula (film)|Caligula]]'' (1979).

The cinema was used as the setting for a number of stunts in the British sketch show ''[[Trigger Happy TV]]'' in the early 2000s. Filming was facilitated by the cinema having a balcony at the time from which aerial shots could be taken, which was later converted into a second screen in 2008.

During the UK launch of ''[[Kill Bill: Volume 2]]'' (2004), [[Uma Thurman]] recorded a special video introduction for a double bill of both movies being held at the cinema. In it she welcomed the audience to "Quentin's favourite UK cinema". [[Quentin Tarantino]] has said, "The Prince Charles Cinema is everything an independent movie theatre should be. For lovers of quality films, this is Mecca." and "The day ''Kill Bill'' plays the Prince Charles is the day ''Kill Bill'' truly comes home."<ref>{{YouTube|id=U1OZmFurXTI|title=Quentin Tarantino – The Prince Charles is Kill Bill's UK home!}}</ref> He further described it as London's "queen's jewel" of a [[grindhouse]] saying "I was so honoured when ''Reservoir Dogs'' hit so big there that they started playing it at midnight and all the lads would show up in the black suits with little squirt guns".<ref>{{cite news |title=Saint Quentin |author=Duncan Campbell |author-link=Duncan Campbell (The Guardian) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/oct/03/quentintarantino |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=3 October 2003 |access-date=6 September 2013}}</ref>

In April 2007, the cinema opened an official [[Kevin Smith]] toilet cubicle, after the director held a question and answer session at the cinema. He said "I don't know, Quentin Tarantino has never turned up here and they name the bar after him, it's my second visit and they haven't even named a toilet after me!" The next day they screwed a framed picture of him to the first cubicle in the gents and he officially opened the toilet.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cine-files: The Prince Charles Cinema, London |author=James Rawson |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/jan/15/cine-files-prince-charles-cinema |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=15 January 2013 |access-date=6 September 2013}}</ref> The Kevin Smith cubicle is now in the ladies toilets as the cinema swapped the ladies and gents in late 2013.

As a commitment to promoting environmental causes, the PCC screened the documentary ''[[An Inconvenient Truth]]'' every week of 2007.<ref>{{cite press release |author= |title=The Big Ask Cinema Night: 'An Inconvenient Truth' and question time with Environment Minister |date=23 February 2007 |publisher=[[Friends of the Earth]] |location=London |url=http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/the_big_ask_cinema_night_a_23022007.html |access-date=7 September 2013}}</ref> Often the screenings have Q&As with special guests; previous speakers have included [[Tony Juniper]], [[David Miliband]] and [[Menzies Campbell|Sir Menzies Campbell]].

The cinema and surrounding area was featured in the music video to "[[Golden Gaze]]" by [[Ian Brown]]. [[Pete Doherty|Peter Doherty]], lead singer of [[The Libertines]], worked at the cinema for several months in 1999 before being dismissed.<ref>{{cite book |date=2007 |title=The Books of Albion: The Collected Writings of Peter Doherty |publisher=Orion |page=52|isbn=978-0-7528-8242-0}}</ref>

== Canopy ==
The canopy above the cinema is used for regular advertising for films, and also often sports cult film quotes or other obscure messages. Previous messages have cheered on England in the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], proclaimed the cinema to be the ninth wonder of the world, after [[King Kong]], and joked about other cinemas in the area.{{fact|date=February 2020}} The venue used the marquee to announce it had no intention of renaming to King Charles Cinema despite [[Coronation of Charles III and Camilla|Prince Charles ascending to the throne]] in the wake of [[Queen Elizabeth II]]'s passing.<ref>{{cite news |title=This London cinema has a hilarious response to the Coronation |author=Phil de Semlyen |url=https://www.timeout.com/news/this-london-cinema-has-a-hilarious-response-to-the-coronation-050423 |newspaper=[[Time Out (magazine)|TimeOut]] |date=4 May 2023 |access-date=6 May 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.princecharlescinema.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.singalonga.net/soundofmusic/index.html Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music website]

[[Category:Cinemas in London]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Repertory cinemas]]

Prince Charles Cinema - Revision history

SamantBrara at 22:34, 3 March 2026

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article