_1103 Newton Stewart Cinema "<p>Back in 1916 "energetic townsman" George Couldson brough the movies to Newton Stewart in the silent days of magic lantern shows and tinkling pianos. It must have gone down well, for in 1933 the Galloway Gazette advertised the grand opening of the "handsome new picture house" complete with seating for 490 people and "commodious cloakrooom accommodation for ladies and gentlemen". To complete the effect Mr. Gouldson puchased three white marble statues (including a six foot Nubian Slave by Rosetti) from a sale at Cally Mansion House in Gatehouse and placed them in the cinema entrance hall.<\/p><p>The art deco cinema's fortunes rose and fell with those of the film industry in the second half of the 20th century. The cinema closed in 1968, was rescued from developers and re-opened, only to close again in 1991. But Newton Stewart had not finished it's love affair with the silver screen, and by the mid 1990s the Save The Cinema Committee had formed and working with huge determination and enthusiasm, raised grants sufficient to succeed in re-opening the cinema in 1997.<\/p>" Organization "<p>Back in 1916 "energetic townsman" George Couldson brough the movies to Newton Stewart in the silent days of magic lantern shows and tinkling pianos. It must have gone down well, for in 1933 the Galloway Gazette advertised the grand opening of the "handsome new picture house" complete with seating for 490 people and "commodious cloakrooom accommodation for ladies and gentlemen". To complete the effect Mr. Gouldson puchased three white marble statues (including a six foot Nubian Slave by Rosetti) from a sale at Cally Mansion House in Gatehouse and placed them in the cinema entrance hall.<\/p><p>The art deco cinema's fortunes rose and fell with those of the film industry in the second half of the 20th century. The cinema closed in 1968, was rescued from developers and re-opened, only to close again in 1991. But Newton Stewart had not finished it's love affair with the silver screen, and by the mid 1990s the Save The Cinema Committee had formed and working with huge determination and enthusiasm, raised grants sufficient to succeed in re-opening the cinema in 1997.<\/p>"