Barcliff Cinema, Ashton Rd, Denton
The Barcliff Cinema stood on the corner of Ashton Rd and Wilton St, next door to the Old Soldier 'Owd Squaddie' public house at 87 Ashton Rd. It was owned by Clifford Ogle and it opened on the 10 Nov 1939. The first performance was a film about the early days of aviation called 'Men with Wings' (1938) starring Louise Campbell, Fred MacMurray and Ray Milland. The proceeds of the first performance were donated to the Denton Old Soldiers' Fund. The Second World War had broken out 68 days earlier on Sunday, 3 Sep 1939. The cinema manager was the respected Leonard 'Len' Turner (1916-1996) who was an army veteran with one arm.

Barcliff Cinema.

Barcliff Cinema, Aug 1983.

Barcliff film advert, 1949.

Clifford Ogle, proprietor of Clifford Ogle (Warrington) Ltd, based at Offerton, Stockport, was born at Oldham in 1899 and he married Ethel Cooper at Manchester Cathedral in 1932. Their daughter, Barbara Ann Ogle, was born at Knutsford, Cheshire, in 1934 and the name of the cinema, 'Barcliff', combined the names Barbara and Clifford.

The Barcliff was built in the Art Deco style of architecture and it had narrow stained glass windows decorated with tulip motifs. A sweet shop was provided to the left of the main entrance and the foyer contained an aquarium. When the cinema opened, tickets were priced at 6d and 1s 0d for the stalls and 1s 3d and 1s 6d for the balcony. Besides being used as a cinema, pantomimes and local talent shows were also held there during the 1940s and 1950s.

The building was only used as a cinema for 23 years and in 1962 it was closed and sold to Sidney Wild, proprietor of the Savoy Cinema at Romiley, who reopened it as the Barcliff Bingo & Social Club. All the cinematic equipment was retained in the event of it being converted back to a cinema but this did not happen. It closed in 1996, became derelict,and was demolishd in 2002 to make way for the Crown Point North Shopping Park..

Rota Cinema, Ash Rd/Thornley Ln, Denton
This cinema was built in the Art Deco style of architecture and it opened on the 8 Dec 1934. The architect was Henry Elder of Salford/Manchester, who specialised in cinema design, and the client was Jackson and Newport who operated a small local cinema chain. The foyer was circular and the auditorium had seating for 820 in the stalls and 386 in the circle. The cinema was sold to Union Cinemas on the 4 Apr 1936 and they in turn were taken over by Associated Brtitish Cinemas (ABC) in Oct 1937. It was closed by ABC on the 24 Oct 1959 to be subsequently demolished for housing.