The Ritz in Billericay was once home to all the greats - Dirk Bogade, Kenneth More and Jean Simmons all paid a visit back in the cinema's heyday.

Now, however, the projectors have long since been dismantled and news has come that the building in Chapel Street is set to be demolished.

Basildon Council has received an application to replace it with 14 flats.

Current owners, Radion Snooker, which owns the building, has had its hand forced by declining trade. It wants to sell and move on.

Many will remember the Ritz as being the hub of the Billericay social scene. In the early 1970s it became a bingo hall before changing to a snooker club in 1992.

The Ritz opened more than 60 years ago to eager crowds on Easter Monday, 1938.

The first film to grace its screen was Flying Down to Rio, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The building is to this day is still considered a fine example of pre-war cinema architecture.

Despite changes inside, very little alteration structural alteration has been made and the Billericay Society, an interest group in the town, has tried to obtain listing status for the building on a number of occasions.

The cinema's front walls once displayed huge framed colour posters announcing coming attractions while inside the plush foyer beckoned cinema-goers towards the small screen.

Ted Wright, a local historian and curator of the Cater Museum in Billericay, remembered staff taking drastic action to quell the fumes from customers as they heartily-puffed on their cigarettes.

He said: "At least once during the programme, the manager would perform a regular ritual of walking aisles discharging a perfumed spray from a large dispenser over our heads."

During the Second World War, many residents describe queues stretching down the High Street as the golden age of Hollywood began. Mr Wright said: "The Ritz hardly closed in the war, even during air raids.

"The detonations from falling bombs could be heard above the sound track and nearby anti-aircraft guns added to the cacophony of noise."

When a raid was in progress the projectionist is said to have shown a battered slide telling customers they could leave the cinema if they wished. Before the Ritz made its mark, the site was home to the four weavers' cottage.

Demolished in around 1900, the land became allotments until the Billericay Cinema Company stepped in and built on the site.

Roy Mizen, chairman of the Billericay Society, said it would be sad to lose the building.

She said: "It has got a lot of history attached to it. One of our members was one of the projectionists - she used to operate the equipment - and is still around. She has some very fond memories of it."

Councillor Geoffrey Buckingham, chairman of the Billericay area committee, said he remembered going to the Ritz as a teenager in the 1950's.

He said: "It is pity it has not been restored as one of those old cinemas that are currently being reused. It was acceptable for the day and very popular.

"It wasn't particularly smart inside - compared with the London cinemas it wasn't in the same class but it was cosy and friendly, acceptable place for a teenager."

(Right) Landmark - the Ritz cinema as it used to be

Demolition plan - the Ritz in its current guise of a snooker hall

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.