Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.
Past Times

How Cineworld Dundee went from factory rubble to theatre of dreams

The signs may have changed but the drama has continued on the silver screen for 25 years at Camperdown Leisure Park.
Graeme Strachan
Drive-in theatre: Children from Mid Craigie primary arrive for a screening. Image: Dundee Fotopress.
Drive-in theatre: Children from Mid Craigie primary arrive for a screening. Image: Dundee Fotopress.

A multiplex cinema rose from the post-industrial ruins of NCR and became a thriving hub for Dundee movie lovers.

The nine-screen Virgin Cinema opened in September 1999 during cinema’s blockbuster decade of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis.

It became Dundee’s biggest with 1,852 seats.

The large, air-conditioned theatre with cup-holders and surround sound was a world away from the tired picture houses that had looked the same since the 1940s.

At the peak of film-going, in the 1930s and 1940s, Dundee had more cinemas and seats per head of population than anywhere else in the UK.

A two-screen ABC facility and a single screen at the Steps Theatre was all that remained when the Vic on Victoria Road was pulled down in August 1990.

The Odeon was Dundee’s first multiplex

The multiplex revolution began with the opening of the six-screen Odeon at Stack Leisure Park in Lochee in June 1993 with capacity for 1,646 people.

Plans for a second multiplex cinema emerged in December 1996.

A multi-million-pound hotel and leisure development was proposed for the Camperdown area on the 13-acre site at the former NCR factory off Kingsway West.

An exterior shot showing how the former NCR site looked in 1986, with grass areas in the foreground and trees in the distance
How the former NCR site looked in 1986. Image: DC Thomson.

The site was initially sold by Dundee City Council to LBW (Jersey) Ltd for £800,000.

It would be called the Camperdown Leisure Park.

A multiplex cinema, ice rink, restaurant and 72-room hotel were proposed.

The Courier said part of the frontage of the former NCR factory would be retained.

Richard Branson’s Virgin organisation was secured for the cinema.

It was initially to feature 11 screens.

The Camperdown site when work started on the Dundee Virgin Cinema in 1998.
The Camperdown site when work started in 1998. Image: DC Thomson.

The Courier said: “Every one of the screens will be wall-to-wall with digital sound, air conditioning and over a metre of leg room.

“Visitors will be able to relax before their chosen film in a licensed café bar and there will also be a retail movie store on site selling soundtracks, books and videos.

“An exclusive auditorium called the Premier Screen will have executive-style seats with tables for popcorn and waitress service before the main event.”

Dundee was on the brink of cinema wars

Another twist emerged before the turf was cut.

Planning applications were lodged with the city council for a 10-screen cinema at the proposed Eclipse Leisure Park in Douglas.

An eight-screen development by Hoyts was proposed for the Overgate.

Forth Ports were also planning to include a nine-screen multiplex at City Quay.

And this is not forgetting the two-screen cinema at Dundee Contemporary Arts, which was opening in March 1999 on the site of the former Nethergate Garage.

diggers are on site and the metal frame of a building is visible as the Virgin cinema starts to take shape in January 1999.
The cinema starting to take shape in January 1999. Image: DC Thomson.

The Evening Telegraph suggested the growing possibility of a “cinema war” in Dundee.

The Tele said: “Dundee is faced with the prospect, if already tabled proposals and probable plans all come to fruition, of having nearly 50 cinema screens operating in the city, the bulk of these housed in four new multiplexes.

“Despite a surge in cinema attendance in recent years, there is growing concern Dundee cannot realistically sustain so many screens.”

an aerial shot showing the shell of the Dundee Virgin cinema building following the progression of work
The shell of the building following the progression of work . Image: DC Thomson.

There was plenty of gnashing of teeth.

“There is such a thing as overkill,” said an Odeon spokesman.

The City Quay and Overgate Centre cinema plans eventually fizzled out.

Glasgow-based Vico Properties then purchased the Camperdown site from LBW for £1.3m before construction started on the £9.6m cinema.

Construction started in December 1998

AMEC Construction Ltd was awarded the £3.4m contract.

Meanwhile, Odeon was signed up for the cinema at the Eclipse Leisure Park in Douglas, which would become the company’s second multiplex.

The competition was heating up.

The ABC’s closure in December 1998 was put down to the rise of the multiplexes.

scaffolding and workers as work goes on inside the nascent Dundee Cineworld
How things were looking inside the building. Image: DC Thomson.

The march of progress continued at Camperdown Leisure Park.

The exterior shell of the Virgin Cinema was completed in May 1999.

The number of screens was reduced from 11 to nine.

Virgin began recruiting the 70 or so personnel with the “required personality and charisma” who would staff the new cinema.

The launch was confirmed for September 1999.

Bob Vettraino and Ness Wilson with the old copy of Lethal Weapon, a reel so big they can both look the hole in its centre
Bob Vettraino and Ness Wilson with the old copy of Lethal Weapon. Image: DC Thomson.

What was the first movie shown?

Lethal Weapon.

An old copy of the buddy cop movie with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover that delighted audiences in 1987 was used to test the projector.

A VIP evening took place before the cinema opened to the public.

It was hoped Richard Branson would come to Dundee for its opening.

He didn’t.

Runaway Bride was shown at premiere

The ribbon was cut by Lord Provost Helen Wright and Dennis the Menace.

A group of local heroes and heroines who had all shown outstanding service and commitment to their own communities were invited to the premiere.

A 10-minute film made entirely in Dundee by Virgin Cinema TV was premiered.

The Virgin TV crew, pictured in the cinema car park, shooting the Dundee movie.
The Virgin TV crew shooting the Dundee movie. Image: DC Thomson.

It began with a whirlwind tour of some of the city’s landmarks.

Young and old contributed to the film, which featured in-line skaters, line dancers, singers, comedians aplenty and Dennis the Menace.

The city’s football teams were not forgotten and Dundee United’s David Hannah made an appearance, trying his hand at stand-up comedy.

Thankfully for comedy fans, no trace of the film survived.

Dennis the Menace and Lord Provost Helen Wright at the opening.
Dennis the Menace and Lord Provost Helen Wright at the opening. Image: DC Thomson.

The premiere also included a champagne reception and an advance screening of the new Julia Roberts and Richard Gere movie, Runaway Bride.

The romantic comedy reunited the stars of Pretty Woman, but this time around the Roberts/Gere chemistry was largely absent, as were any decent gags.

Maybe they should have shown Lethal Weapon.

From Eyes Wide Shut to Doug’s 1st Movie

The first full public screenings began on September 17.

There were four pay desks in the foyer to ensure queuing was kept to a minimum.

There were also automated ticket machines.

The seats were comfortable, with cup-holders attached, at the Dundee Virgin cinema.
The seats were comfortable with cup-holders attached. Image: DC Thomson.

What would you have watched in September 1999?

The 13th Warrior with Antonio Banderas?

Star Wars fans could watch Ewan McGregor in The Phantom Menace.

The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan?

South Park?

Drop Dead Gorgeous, Instinct, Ravenous and Eyes Wide Shut were other showings and Doug’s 1st Movie was an animated comedy for children.

The cinemas ranged in size from the largest 529-seater Cinema Five to the Premier Screen, which was more exclusive with a 79-seat capacity.

Premier Screen had a private check-in area and fully-licensed bar.

You could take your drink into the auditorium to watch the film.

The first movie shown was The General’s Daughter with John Travolta.

The Premier Screen was fully booked during that opening weekend.

Fancy going unlimited at Virgin Cinema?

The Virgin MegaPass allowed you to see as many films as many times as you liked.

A four-week pass cost £15 and an eight-week one £25.

But the cinema’s time under the Virgin branding was short lived.

Virgin sold the chain’s UK division to UGC for £215m in October 1999.

The Dundee cinema was rebranded as Cineworld in 2005.

The signage changed but the drama continued on the silver screen.

The Dundee cinema finally became Cineworld. Image: DC Thomson.

It was the place to watch noughties bangers like The Bourne Identity, The Dark Knight, The Departed, Gladiator, Sin City, Taken and Wedding Crashers.

And people loved it.

Cineworld Dundee has now clocked up a quarter of a century of sending audiences home happy – and there’s still plenty of movie magic to be made.

Conversation