The cinema was first known as the Regal, opening on 29 November 1928 with Al Jolson in "The Singing Fool". With a facade high constructed in Portland stone, the building was a notable addition to the West End. The auditorium, arranged in traditional circle and stalls, owed much to the atmospheric style of the U.S., having many Romanesque motifs and much faux decor. It was also fitted with a Christie organ, the largest theatre organ ever built outside the U.S., fitted with 2,514 pipes, a 32-note carillon (the only real organ-operated carillon in the United Kingdom) and a wide variety of special sound effects to accompany the films.