Glasgow Road
Denny Town Hall was erected by David Anderson in 1889 to replace the Denny Public Hall, also owned by him, which had burned down the year before. It had a large stage at the west end for variety performances. In April 1897 filmed entertainment was viewed in the hall to help in raising funds for the Denny and Dunipace Cottage Hospital. This was probably the first such screening in the town. Periodically a “geggie”, a local term referring to a travelling theatre booth, appeared in the field behind the hall and these often showed films. From 1904 travelling operators, such as Walker & Co or Bendon’s Bioscope Co, occasionally hired the Town Hall for the odd night. Alexander Gorrie was the first person in Denny to take up sustained cinematograph operating, screening pictures for a long time under difficult conditions in the Town Hall. A projection booth was placed above the balcony at the east end of the building. Tip-up seats were later installed in the balcony.
In 1919 NS Dutton took a lease of Denny Town Hall for a Variety Cinema which was managed by Henry Lowe, with David Ritchie as the musical conductor. For the occasion Duncan Stewart of the Stirlingshire Property Investment Company Ltd applied to install a fireproof cinema box in the form of a bracketed side hut at first floor level on the outside. By the 1930s it was rented by the Commercial Cinematograph Co Ltd. It was opened each Saturday evening as a cinema and at other times was used for public functions and miscellaneous entertainments.
Illus 2: The fire-damaged Denny Town Hall (Falkirk Herald 29 May 1937, 7).
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In the early hours of 28 May 1937 Denny Town hall was devastated by a fire which caused an estimated £7,000 worth of damage.
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The site of Denny Town Hall was sold to the Commercial Cinematograph Co for £210 in November 1937.
Falkirk Local History Society 