ALARM TRIGGERED inside Abandoned State Cinema Essex URBEX

ALARM TRIGGERED inside Abandoned State Cinema Essex URBEX
The State Cinema is a Grade II* Listed building in Grays, Essex. It opened in 1938 as one of the most modern cinemas of its type at the time with seating for 2200 people. The cinema officially closed in 1988 but has held numerous events since including being used as a nightclub, however the building had fallen into disrepair and in 2019 was undergoing conversion into a pub.
This really was an enjoyable,adrenaline pumping urbex adventure. There is something about this building that just feels so creepy inside and we felt constantly on edge however we are very grateful that we had the opportunity to explore this historic building before it is grout back into the modern world.
Where should we explore next?
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[@markrevis6175]

Stumbled accross this and very interesting to see work in progress. In the Eighties I used to go regularly to hire out and play the organ, sometimes taking my students to see and play it. Unfortunately the State was plagued with some terrible owners whose only interest was to demolish and profit, the first when I used to go sold the States' car park which is now Morrison's. Morrison's I beleive wanted to demolish the State and use it for car parking and a property investment company who owned it before Wetherspoons let it go to rack and ruin, hoping it would fall down in order to build a Gym. During their care the building wasn't very secure and in about 2011 low life gained access and stripped most of the metal pipes from the organ for scrap. Thank goodness the State was grade 2* listed otherwise it wouldn't be here today. The organ despite it's impressive console and illuminated surround only had 6 ranks of pipes in two chambers under the stage behind the console. It had a rare Melotone unit ( An early 1930s electro-static tone generation system to add more stops) to save money and space, the grand piano shown in the video was played remotely from the organ console although I was never allowed to use the Melotone or Phantom Piano as it's called. Great shame would have sounded amazing. Around 17.50m -18.50m looks like the open door to the pipe chambers and the infastructure that is left looks like theatre organ parts, maybe even tuned percussion just a shame it's all flooded could be re-used. The other Compton organ shown was donated to the State, I think it's a Compton Electrone and uses a similar system to the Melotone on the pipe organ to produce sound, possibly 1950s -1960s and the speaker is that very Art-Deco looking thing up the few steps in what used to be the Circle Lounge near the bar which isn't original. I was invited to play it and at the time it was at the very top of the Circle seating in the Auditorium, I don't like heights so declined even though I did have a tour of everything including the Projection room and the caretakers tomatoes he growing on the roof. The pipe organ Console I think has been removed for restauration as it will be feature in the new pub and indeed the plynth is the original organ lift so the organ console could decend into the orchestra pit when the films were showing. Good job Wetherspoons came along to give it a future although I don't think the organ will be restored and donar pipes installed, probably never will be heard again with so much damage only the console will be seen. There are a few Superb Cinemas around the London area like Grays where the organs are listed along with the buildings and can't be removed or given a new home where they will be played and loved. The conditions of listing don't require that the organs must be restored and playable. Often these building have other uses now and the owners have no interest, you do need deep pockets to restore and maintain them.

[@markrevis6175]

@@UrbanRockDove Way back then video recorders and decent portable sound recorders were very expensive, I only ever managed a few films photos back then. Like the Melotone and Phanton Piano were deemed too fragile to use, the lighting was limited and had to use torches as house lights too expensive to run, even the illuminated surround could only be switched on for photos and not used continuously. Any pictures taken were in the total dark with just the organ console lights. I did convince them to let me use the lift as the organ sounded dreadful playing next to the swell shutters in the pit. To hear the organ and it's not the best theatre organ in size and voicing by any means, search for David Hamilton organist on KZbin - you will see the State theatres' procenium on the cover - think it was called State Affair recorded I think in the 1970s, the organist passed away decades ago. Been a pleasure sharing this with you as it's all part of history. The buzz I always had from visiting with it's beautiful Art-Deco architecture and 2200 seats was immence.

[@markrevis6175]

Like your vids and subscribed.

[@Fishwithbilly.64.]

My dad actually works as the contractor in there

[@oddcinema]

I was born and grew up in Grays in the 80s for 20 years and never saw inside the State, so thank you for the tour! It's shocking how little has been done to preserve it, and I think it's a shame Spoons is taking it over, the building has so much more potential than a pub. Either way, hope it's treated well whatever happens to it.

[@simbosimbo]

awesome guys👍👍👍

[@TwoWheelsNoSkills]

Looks really cool 👌👌

[@wutang6020]

gremlins was amazing to watch here i went on my 15th birthday, i had never seen the place so packed we were up in the balcony first time up there lol there was so many people the film had to start late and they brought out the organ to play while people were getting seated lol fantastic night and this place will always be in my heart as my dad took me there to see star wars......when life was happier

[@Pcarrett]

Brilliant seen a few films in there

[@mattclark7634]

Been wanting to see in side for 20 years!! i use go as a kid in the early 80s, one of use pay to get in and go open the fire door and let rest of us in, i was about 10, we use sit up the top at the front and though sweets at the ice cream lady that came round half way though the film. great memories Grays was nice back then!! shame this was not in a nicer town as may been how to reopen. shame on Thurrock Council for letting it get so bad in there and leaving it empty, when it reopens as the pub i trip back to Grays for me

[@deniseshephard3347]

I like the name urban banana I throughly enjoy your videos and the time and effort involved to make them keep doing what your doing but also keep safe

[@jbrook8087]

good video 👍👍

[@jbrook8087]

good video

[@richardhumphreys8662]

I saw so many films here in the 50s and 60s. I used to like sitting in the front row of the circle and feel very superior to those down in the stalls!! Up the stairs was a waiting area that had sofas to sit on whilst you waited to go into the auditorium. It's sad to see it transformed from a picture palace to a haunted mausoleum.

[@richardhumphreys8662]

@@UrbanRockDove There used to be life-sized painted plywood ushers holding signs at the top of the stairs. Can't remember what the signs said, probably just something like 'This Way Please'. They used to display lobby cards of the main feature in the lobby (of course), and I can still remember the pictures on some of these. I think the last film I sw there was Julie Christie in 'Demon Seed' in the seventies. But I moved away and came back to Grays years later and literally didn't recognise the town, it had changed so much. Your film is really interesting and it's so strange reconciling the images in it with my memories.

[@mrcrazyjonpresents4312]

@@UrbanRockDove There are loads of pictures around of what it used to look like taken in 1988 when it closed and a few around of it during the years a caretaker used to looks after the place up till his death 2009 he used to have something to do with the place when it was open Apparently he used to fire up the organ and projectors every now and then and did little repairs here and there plus tried to keep the place secure I recall someone managed to talk to him one time He always thought one day it would reopen again so tried his best to keep things in some sort of working order

[@goodtings]

Lived in Grays for 10 years and always wondered what the inside of that place looked like. I did read in the local paper at the time that the organ had been stlen for parts . thanks for the tour

[@TheUrbexTheory]

Great stuff guys, went here during last year or the year before can't exactly remember when but I also set the alarm off lol

[@TheUrbexTheory]

@@UrbanRockDove Hopefully going to hit the place up soon again or might just upload the video for old time sake 🤣

[@mattclark7634]

@@TheUrbexTheory upload the video to you tube please

[@TheUrbexTheory]

@@mattclark7634 unfortunately I no longer have it as I accidentally deleted my 2020 folder 😑😅

[@mattclark7634]

@@TheUrbexTheory gutted lol

[@jamesmorris3123]

If you want to see the original condition of the State, then watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it was filmed in there.

[@admiralcraddock464]

I remember going to this cinema in the sixties with my dad, Sometiimes the place would be packed out. Sad to see it in this condition

[@castle6742]

What amazing peace of History this building is this were a a part of Who Framed Roger Rabbit was film 🎥 here and then also screen the original Star Wars i wish Wetherspoons the best of luck hope then return it to its former glory once more great video by the way 👍 I always wanted to go in there myself well done 👏

[@castle6742]

@@UrbanRockDove your welcome you to 👍

[@castle6742]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/on-ugmx4gM-Lfrs

[@castle6742]

@@UrbanRockDove thark you as you can see state cinema seen better days but still beautiful buildings 🙂 that's the video I made some time ago

[@haydonperry5925]

The reason it’s wet inside check out Jamiroquai deeper under ground music video you will soon realise why it’s soaking inside

[@mattclark7634]

yeah that was real water then used, but would have dried out in over last ten years, the roof was leaking bad for years, 1st job spoons guys down was to make it water tight again

[@DANDIIDAY1111]

This looks so creepy

[@BUSTERSPOT11]

used to bunk into here in the 60s, 70s, used that green door at the bottom of the stairs when we could get someone to open it, think the last film i watched there was tommy steel half a sixpence lol by the way, the organs missing from that small stage near the main one.

[@mrcrazyjonpresents4312]

The organ is in the hands of a chap called Peter Hammond he's got the job of reconditioning the thing Sadly all the pipes were stolen back in 2011 up till then the organ was totally complete and was played every now and then back in the 90s

[@GrindBrandon]

Cranham Court Nursing Home is a good place to explore not to far from grays

[@DavidKrautscheid]

awesonme to see a real comptpn pipe organ there

[@simonsanigar3581]

So do you know the progress of the work weatherspoons are doing to the building?. are they still working on it?

[@simonsanigar3581]

@@UrbanRockDove Ok Glad to read work is still going ahead. I did read a news article from 2 days ago that "Weatherspoon's are dragging their heels"

[@simonsanigar3581]

@@UrbanRockDove I understand there is a lot of work to be done with this place to make it become a pub, i just hope JD weatherspoons make a promise and do what they say they are doing with it.

[@jazzboyfin]

Fascinating! When was this shot please?

[@jazzboyfin]

@@UrbanRockDove thanks very much. Was there much pigeon poo in the projection room by the way?

[@murph.5381]

How do you get in here?

[@Fishwithbilly.64.]

Can you revisit this place

[@Fishwithbilly.64.]

@@UrbanRockDove I saw the window that you entered and I did not look like it was boarded up

[@Jaysonjunior8887]

thoes alarms that went off has to had to have been a speaker strobe or something because no random alarm just speaks to u right

[@alarmmuseum]

Speaker strobes are a type of fire alarm in the USA. This is a ‘SmartAlarm’ burglar alarm system made by VPS (possibly Clearway as well) if I can remember correctly. Some alarms can speak.

[@arbytv5139]

This is the same movie theater that was in who framed Roger rabbit