The Ritz cinema is located in Thirsk, Yorkshire. The cinema is one of the oldest continuous run cinemas in the United Kingdom, having first opened to the public in 1912.
Since 1995 the cinema has been run by a dedicated team of volunteers, the cinema aims to bring recent film releases to a rural town at affordable prices.
The cinema was originally built as a Mechanic’s Institute in the middle of the 19th Century; a place of learning for working people of the area and had a library and lecture facilities where people of different trades learnt from each other. This national network gradually disappeared towards the end of the century and in 1912 a local called Walter Power opened ‘The Picture House’ to show the latest silent movies; locally known as ‘Powers’. He was a popular personality and showman extraordinaire; he would often accompany the mood of the films himself on the piano.
The Ritz is constantly looking forward and is proud to continue the tradition of cinema in Hambleton and North Yorkshire. The Ritz today combines the period feel of Mr Power’s ‘Picture House’ with modern comfort and facilities that audiences now expect.