In an intriguing advertisement in 1929, the Ambassador tried to drum up trade for its afternoon matinees sighting the observations of the Shoreditch Coroner and Doctors. How true the quotation is remains open to question.

“THE SHOREDITCH CORONER SAYS:

That too many women tie themselves up to their domestic duties, never go out, become depressed and sometimes suicidal, doctors agree with him.  They can, however avoid this by attending the AMBASSADOR MATINEES, DAILY at 2.30

(6d and 3d) “

    In 1930, the advent of 'Talkies' marked a monumental turning point in cinematic history when Al Jolson's iconic words, 'Hold on, hold on, you ain't heard nothing yet folks!' echoed on the silver screen. To embrace this technological revolution, the Ambassador Super Cinema embarked on a substantial transformation, which included the installation of new projectors and a sound system.

    In March 1930, the board made a strategic decision to invest in a British Thomson-Houston sound system and modern projectors. These installations were successfully completed by March, and they were fully operational on Monday, April 7, 1930, when the Ambassador screened its first 'Talkie' film, "Innocents of Paris," starring Maurice Chevalier. To complete that evening's entertainment, the renowned baritone Klinton Shepherd graced the stage, accompanied by the Ambassador Symphony Orchestra.

    While the Ambassador, like many cinemas of its size, had previously featured a full orchestra and a cinema organ to enhance the silent films, the orchestra's services were no longer required once silent films faded into obsolescence in 1931. It’s uncertain when the Ambassador Symphony Orchestra was finally disbanded but we do know that three of the circuits cinema orchestras were combined in a 3rd-anniversary celebration event on Christmas Eve 1931 where it was stated that the Ambassador, Kingsway, and Regal Cinema’s orchestras were present.

    Despite the continued production of some silent films, they were quickly relegated to 'B' movie status and accompanied solely by the organ.

    Four years after its opening, the Ambassador's owners continued to invest in the cinema, initiating a refurbishment and additional enhancements. Notably, they expanded the Rex Gloria organ by adding a new electrically lit glass console. The auditorium also saw improvements in its décor and lighting effects, featuring new elements such as lighting fixtures, domes, niches, decorative windows, silhouettes, and rainbow alcoves with ever-changing colours.

    These enhancements complemented the existing Holophane lighting system that was in place when the Ambassador first opened. Repainting and cleaning became routine maintenance tasks, as cinemas of that era had to contend with heavy smoking in their auditoriums.

    According to the opening night program, the walls were originally ivory but likely turned a mucky brown over the years due to nicotine staining.

    In September 1933, Read, Snape & Ward faced a significant setback with the passing of its Chairman, Fred Read, who had been battling illness for three months. Fred Read had been involved in the cinema business since 1921 and had previously run a photographic business called 'Leslie Brothers' with branches across Lancashire.

    This loss had a noticeable impact on the company and its future plans. At that time, the group owned nine cinemas, six of which were of the new "super Cinema" type, and had ambitious expansion plans.

    Following Fred Read's passing, the ownership of the circuit transitioned to Snape & Ward. Interestingly, John Maxwell, the chairman of rival ABC Cinemas, joined the board as a non-executive Director after acquiring Fred Read's shares. While it might have appeared that Maxwell's intention was to eventually take over the circuit, Alfred Snape, in a Kinematograph Weekly announcement on Thursday, May 31, 1934, confirmed Maxwell's appointment to the board and simultaneously dispelled any rumours of an ABC takeover of the circuit.

    In 1953, the adoption of CinemaScope brought about the need for the Ambassador to once more modernize its facilities in order to stay in step with the latest advancements in cinema technology.

    The transition to CinemaScope necessitated several alterations to the projection systems employed by cinemas. The most notable change involved the incorporation of anamorphic lenses onto their projectors. These specialized lenses served to horizontally stretch the image, enabling it to fully fill the wider screen.

    Additionally, cinemas had to install larger screens and make modifications to their auditoriums to ensure that every seat provided an unobstructed view of the screen. This meant a reduction in capacity in some cinemas but there is no record of a reduction in the Ambassador’s capacity.

    This adaptation also introduced motorized screen masking tabs that automatically adjusted from the projection booth to accommodate the specific aspect ratio of the film being shown—an artistic presentation element now largely absent, much like the curtains that used to adorn the screens of cinemas.

    In 1954, Paramount introduced its own widescreen innovation known as VistaVision. This format was developed by Paramount Pictures engineers to rival CinemaScope and other similar technologies. Unlike CinemaScope's anamorphic lenses, VistaVision employed a "flat" widescreen approach, eliminating the need for specialized lenses during filming or projection.

    However, filmmakers did require a unique VistaVision camera capable of shooting horizontally. This technique contributed to the exceptional image quality but also meant that film stock was depleted twice as quickly. When producing prints for cinemas, nothing out of the ordinary was necessary, as the films could be transferred onto standard 35mm film, suitable for widescreen presentations available at most cinemas by 1954.

    In contrast to anamorphic formats, VistaVision offered filmmakers and cinemas the advantage of a widescreen experience without compromising on either height or width, ensuring easy nationwide distribution.

    The inaugural VistaVision film, "White Christmas" (1954), enjoyed tremendous success.

    By the late 1950s and the early 1960s audience attendance was falling in all the cinemas and large ones like the Ambassador suffered more than most. The decline of cinemas was influenced by several factors. The widespread adoption of television, especially following the mass sales and rentals that began around 1952/3, which coincided with Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation had a substantial impact.

    Furthermore, other factors played a role in this decline. Heightened competition for people's disposable income, such as the increasing ease of hire purchase for luxury goods, paid holidays, and improved travel options also affected cinema attendance. As the habit of visiting the cinema two or three times a week waned, audiences became more discerning in their film choices. Some studios began catering to specific niches, like horror or adult films, sometimes overlooking family-oriented content, which meant the film-going habit was effectively lost for the next generation, despite children's matinees.

The once-popular Cinemascope and Vista-Vision technology, introduced at great expense in the mid-1950s, lost its appeal. Even gimmicks like 3D films using Anaglyph red and blue paper glasses didn’t revive cinema’s fortunes. Due to these various factors, numerous cinemas began closing in the late 1950s many became bingo halls capitalising on the Bingo craze sweeping the nation. The Ambassador, for instance, initiated Sunday bingo sessions in 1961.

By November 1964, the final film screened at the Ambassador was a Hitchcock thriller, "Marnie," featuring Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery. On a cold November evening in 1964, when the last reel was shown and the "God Save the Queen” film flickered to an end, the curtains closed on 36 years of cinema and theatre presentation at the Ambassador Super Cinema.

The cinema was subsequently sold to Mecca Ltd and transformed into a full-time Casino and bingo hall.

It was rather fitting that Violet Carson, a TV soap star in her role as Ena Sharples in Coronation Street, also an accomplished pianist, and singer, was invited to inaugurate the refurbished Ambassador as The Ambassador Mecca Casino and Bingo Hall in April 1965.