Going to the pictures

The first purpose built cinema to open in Edinburgh was The Haymarket Cinema opening in 1912. In 1914, The Cameo (then called The Kings Cinema) opened, and is one of the oldest cinema's still open in Scotland. It was estimated that by 1917 there were 24 cinemas in Edinburgh. When the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre opened in 1929, it was the city's first super cinema, able to seat up to 3000 people.

Talkies arrived in the late 1920s, but before then cinema operators would enhance the viewing experience by using music and orchestras or adding their own home-made sounds for effects such as horses' hooves, pistol shots and explosives.

Alas, most of the cinemas built in the 20s and 30s no longer exist. These were built in the heyday of Art Deco and were magnificent to look at, both inside and out. Many were turned into Bingo Halls or demolished.

Edinburgh is also host to the longest continually running film festival in the world, The Edinburgh International Film Festival. Established in 1947, it originally viewed documentary films and as its reputation grew expanded to incorporate international films. EIFF's success has continued and notable films premiered include Brave, the Hurt Locker, Billy Elliot, Little Miss Sunshine, and this year, a remake of the 1949 film Whisky Galore!

Edinburgh has also featured in many films, perhaps one of the earliest The Body Snatcher (1945) featuring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Another film adaption from the book by Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie released in 1969 featured Edinburgh heavily. Donaldson's School (now Edinburgh Academy) on Henderson Row stood in for Marcia Blaine School for Girls.

Probably the most well known film featuring Edinburgh is Trainspotting, by Edinburgh author, Irvine Welsh. Although the book is based in Edinburgh, Leith in particular, very little of it was actually filmed here. One very famous scene was though, Renton and Spud being chased by security staff along Princes Street.