A FEATURE celebrating the lives of former cinema usherettes will be filmed at The Regal Cinema in Evesham.

BBC’s The One Show is filming a cinema event at their restored art deco cinema on Monday June 18.

Regal customers will be able to enjoy a free screening of the 1953 classic How to Marry a Millionaire and hear about how usherettes were once a vital part of the cinema experience.

Eva Balogh, a senior lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, began a project in the 1990s: Stars in the Aisles: The History of the Cinema Usherette.

She found that there was little written or documented about usherettes and their place in cinema history so interviewed several former usherettes who had worked at cinemas in Portsmouth, during the 1930s-1970s.

“I would have loved to be a film star – that (being an usherette) was the nearest I could get to it” said former usherette, Florence Wall, about her experiences of working in Portsmouth picture palaces of the 1930s and 1940s.”

Since then, the project has continued to grow and Ms Balogh has written articles about the usherette, given public talks, presented at international conferences, held exhibitions and created a website, which is the only comprehensive collection of usherette material to be found on the Internet.

Bringing together former usherettes and Ms Balogh’s research, The Last Usherettes, will celebrate the women who stood at the threshold of the real world and the movies.

Regal customers are encouraged to relive the glamour of cinema and dress in stylish 1930’s attire to celebrate the Golden Age of Cinema and the women who lit the way to a world of dreams.

Ms Balogh said; “I’m so thrilled to be working with The Regal and The One Show to showcase the role of the usherette in cinema history. We’re very keen to hear from former usherettes and their families so please do get in touch if you have some stories to tell or any memorabilia you’d like to feature in our exhibition.”

Sue Wiper, of The Regal, added; “Thanks to The One Show for thinking of us as the perfect venue for filming this important event. We look forward to celebrating the lives of former usherettes, a role that is re-imagined here at The Regal.”

There will be an usherette exhibition in The Regal’s circle bar featuring items from Ms Balogh's personal collection and cinema uniforms loaned by The Cinema Museum.

Regal customers may attend by invitation only, register at boxoffice@theregal.ac. Also contact if you are a former usherette or know someone who is.