Phoenix Cinema

The Phoenix opened on 11 May 1912 as the East Finchley Picturedrome, screening The Ill-Fated Titanic over its first three days. It became the Coliseum in 1925, was renamed the Rex in 1936, and took its current name in 1975 when distributor Contemporary Films bought it and turned the programme toward independent and foreign titles. The building was listed Grade II in 2000, citing the 1910 barrel-vaulted ceiling and the 1938 art deco wall panels by Mollo and Egan. A charitable trust runs the single 528-seat screen on East Finchley's High Road, which has recently installed a high-definition laser projector and is fundraising, with help from a Barnet Council grant, for a new Dolby 7.1 surround sound system.