Louis Dickson was a cinematographer and filmmaker who enriched the cultural life of Bo’ness when he founded The Hippodrome, an early example of a purpose-built cinema and thought to be the oldest to survive in Scotland.
Dickson also produced black and white films on local news subjects, several of which can be found in the Scottish Film Archive. In his capacity as official cinematographer, he filmed the Edinburgh World Exhibition of 1908. On his election as Vice-Chair of the Cinema Exhibitors Association, Dickson was described as ‘one of the pioneers of the cinema trade’.
The principal focus of his career however was The Hippodrome in Bo’ness which was designed by local architect Matthew Steele. The cinema is especially valued by architects and design historians for its early Art Deco detailing.
When it opened in 1912, The Hippodrome was designed to accommodate over 700 people. Since then, the building has undergone a number of alterations. In March 1926 the flat roof was replaced by a pitched one. Ten years later, an additional floor was added over the entrance, topped by a dome, to create a new office and expand the foyer space. The new foyer was decorated with panelling rescued from a ship, which had been broken up locally.
During the 1970s the cinema became a bingo hall before falling into disuse in 1980. From 2006 to 2008, the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust refurbished the building, introducing new facilities and reinstating the 1920s paint scheme. Now under the care of Falkirk Council,The Hippodrome is once again in operation as a busy and popular cinema.
Committed to Bo'ness, he lived locally and ran the Hippodrome for 34 years, driving to work from his home named ‘Hollywood’ in a Rolls-Royce. Having retired, he moved to Edinburgh, where he continued his interest in cinema.
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