New look: but the David Lean Cinema’s new logo has erased the image of Sir David Lean
The David Lean Cinema has a new look online – and it has removed the image of the eponymous cinematic knight from its logo.
The volunteer-led cinema’s new website has, they say, been “designed to make it easier for audiences to discover films, book tickets and find out more about the cinema”.
Fair enough, you might think, given that they have been operating with basically the same online booking platform for 12 years, set up soon after they rescued the venue from being a victim of Tory council cuts (when Jason Perry was a mere councillor in the council cabinet that made the decision to close the cinema in 2011).
But the David Lean Cinema’s organisers give no explanation why their refresh has erased Sir David Lean from their logo.
David Lean Cinema: the previous logo, which used the words “David Lean Cinema’, and an image of the cinema great himself
The previous logo was derived from the design used by the successful Save The David Lean Cinema Campaign, which had arisen following an impassioned plea from famous Croydon resident, Ronnie Corbett, after a valedictory screening of Lean’s Brief Encounter in the venue before closure, a campaign promoted by this website.
That version of artwork featured the somewhat heroic image of Sir David, styled as a big movie director. Which is what he undoubtedly was.
Born in Croydon, as a boy Lean saw his first feature-length film in the town centre, thought to be in a cinema on the corner of Scarbrook Road and Surrey Street (where the Market Tavern is/was), and just a short walk from the Clocktower which would one day house the arthouse cinema named in his honour.
Between 1942 and 1984, Lean directed 16 films which between them garnered 26 Oscars and multiple award nominations.
They included In Which We Serve (1942, co-directed with Noël Coward), Brief Encounter (1945; three Oscar nominations), Great Expectations (1946; 2 Oscars), The Sound Barrier (1952; 1 Oscar), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957; 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director), Lawrence of Arabia (1962; 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director), Doctor Zhivago (1965; 5 Oscars), Ryan’s Daughter (1970; 2 Oscars) and A Passage to India (1984; 2 Oscars – including Croydon-born Dame Peggy Ashcroft for best supporting actress – from 11 nominations).
The cinema’s 2026 logo has the words “David Lean Cinema” in banal block capitals. But no image of the man himself.
The committee running the cinema say that the new logo “takes inspiration from the proportions of the cinema screen itself”.
They add: “The two frames reflect the screen and a familiar cinema film format, creating a simple, distinctive mark rooted in the experience of watching a film at the cinema.”
And: “The new visual identity builds on what already makes the cinema distinctive – its independence, its volunteers, its connection to Croydon and its passion for film – while creating a clearer and more consistent presence across its communications.” But no sign of Sir David Lean.
They are selling ‘merch’: but there’s no sign of Sir David
They say: “The cinema’s connection to the famous film director Sir David Lean also remains an important part of its story.” They say that Lean’s films, set in different countries and different periods, “helped inspire a new message for the cinema: ‘See the world. One film at a time’.”
The relaunched website seeks to make it easier to see what’s on, find screenings and events and to book tickets. It now has a news section for special screenings and the cinema’s occasional Q&As with filmmakers and actors.
“We’re incredibly proud of where we’ve come from and excited about where we’re going next,” said Sam Clark, the chair of the David Lean Cinema, without any mention of the erasure of Sir David Lean.
The David Lean Cinema is at Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon CR9 1ET.
Read more: Ronnie Corbett calls for campaign to save David Lean Cinema
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I must say that my response to the new website at the launch meeting was similar to Inside Croydon’s. I too was sorry to see the picture of David Lean dropped from the new “banal block capitals” logo and was concerned that he might disappear from the new website. Now that it is live, I have only found him mentioned on the history page.
That said, the committee did refer a great deal to Sir David in the launch presentation, and they indicated that they had collected a number of images of him which they intend to use in future once their copyright status is clarified.
My impression is that the simplification of the site was a response to the large and growing number of people who access it and book from mobile devices. I am not one of these, but I have found that the new site loads very quickly and doubtless is more suitable for phones.
I will be sorry, though, to see Lean disappear from the cover of the flyers and other promotional material.