It's that time of year when many of us pay a visit to the cinema to be ensconced in a warm theatre and transported away from the dark wet and cold nights by a gripping film.

This ritual must have been even more popular in the glory days when Weymouth and Portland could boast three cinemas.

In the late 1950s there were four cinemas locally.

The Gaumont in St Thomas Street, the Odeon in Gloucester Street – both of which were owned by the Rank organisation – the Regal on Portland and the Plaza in Dorchester, which remains to this day.

Dorset Echo: The auditorium of the Gaumont cinema in Weymouth The auditorium of the Gaumont cinema in Weymouth (Image: Newsquest)

The first to close was the Regal in 1961 due to falling attendance.

In 1968 the Gaumont merged with the Odeon due to cost-cutting, so the cinema in St Thomas Street became the Odeon.

Dorset Echo: A Gaumont programme from 1968A Gaumont programme from 1968

Dorset Echo: Publicity poster for Doctor Faustus starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, whch was screened at the Odeon in Weymouth, formerly the GaumontPublicity poster for Doctor Faustus starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, whch was screened at the Odeon in Weymouth, formerly the Gaumont

The original Odeon in Gloucester Street was sold to the Classic chain.

Dorset Echo: Film schedules from the old Weymouth Odeon takes from June 1959Film schedules from the old Weymouth Odeon takes from June 1959

Dorset Echo: Gloucester Street, Weymouth, in more recent times Gloucester Street, Weymouth, in more recent times (Image: NQ)

The Odeon also became the Top Rank Club when bingo was at the height of its popularity, but then closed in 1968.

Rank then leased the cinema to Cc leisure, who called it The New Invicta, but there was a hot summer that year which led to a bad season, after which it closed.

The Classic was then bought by the Cannon group in the 1980s and was eventually sold to the Picture Drome Group in 1994, finally closing in 1999. Cineworld opened in December of that year.

Dorset Echo: The first brochure from Cineworld in Weymouth after it opened in December 1999The first brochure from Cineworld in Weymouth after it opened in December 1999

And an interesting fact about Weymouth was that the town had a unique way of avoiding a ban on screening films on Good Friday.

In the late 1950s venues had to shut on Good Friday according to a law that no live or film entertainment should take place on that day.

The Rev Blackburn, Methodist minister of Gloucester Street church, had connections with J Arthur Rank who was also a devout Methodist minister.

He suggested that they show religious films on that day for no charge apart from a collection afterwards.

Trevor Matthews, who also had connections with the local church, and his friend Joe Hardy the senior projectionist, ran these screenings for about five years until the law was relaxed.

Most screenings were filled to capacity and included films such as The Robe, Whistle Down The Wind and Ben Hur.