Henry Scott-Irvine’s Soho Cinema Tales: A Walk Through London’s Vanished Screens

Henry Scott Irvine

June 24, 2025
2 min read

Soho’s Lost Cinemas take centre stage in this award-winning 17-minute documentary by Henry Scott-Irvine, who both produced and directed the film. He revisits key locations from Soho’s cinematic past, guiding us through memories of cinemas that have long since vanished; alongside Soho Square’s lost Hollywood distributor, liquidated laboratories, fired film censors, and the demolished 70mm Super Panavision curved screen at The Casino Cinerama in Old Compton Street – now The Prince Edward Theatre.

Filmed on 12th April 2021, as people reappeared in Soho’s empty COVID-19 streets, pedestrians are seen wandering around Henry, returning to their former lives in an unusually desolate Soho.

This film was awarded the Runner-up Award for Best Documentary Feature at The Portobello Film Festival in 2023.

To watch it free on any digital device, simply click here to go straight to the YouTube link.

Meanwhile, here is a link to the quasi Smiley Cinerama trailer reversion for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

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About Author

Henry Scott Irvine

The published author of Procol Harum's hardback Omnibus Press biography, Henry Scott-Irvine's writing began in the script departments of the British film industry. He continued as a Film & TV 'Music & Arts' producer. He has a long background in published journalism. A radio producer-presenter since 2009 as well as a producer of the award winning documentary film Tales From Tin Pan Alley. He's a successful campaigner for securing listings and preservation for London's music & film heritage sites.