The Blantyre Picture Theatre was constructed in 1913 on Glasgow Road near the corner of Alpine Street. It was the first cinema in the area to show reels of film and proved an instant hit with the entire population, young and old alike. Built by EH Bostok, It proved an important local role in the first world war in keeping people informed, visually what was happening in the Great War. It housed 850 seats. The ventilation windows in the projector rooms made the outside of the building look like a dove cot and the building soon had the local nickname “The Dookit”.
In 1929, it was leased out to LCV Circuit who embraced new technologies such as “talkies” or movies with sound. The cinema served Blantyre well and was popular even when a second cinema arrived in 1939.
However, by the 1960’s and with grander picture houses opening nearby in Hamilton, the cinema started to fall into decline (perhaps through its age and facilities). It closed shortly after and today is no longer there.