Campaigners are urging Norwich City Council to rescue an original 1961 Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 film projector from the old Hollywood Cinema in Anglia Square before they tear the site down.

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They say the Italian-made device is one of the few remaining and are calling for it to be placed in a museum.

Among them is Trevor Wicks, former director of Hollywood Cinemas, which closed its doors for the final time in 2019.

Trevor Wicks believes the equipment belongs in a museum (Image: Jack Warren)

Mr Wicks, 59, said: "We are worried the cinema will be destroyed with the projector inside.

"There were people in the industry who wanted to put the projector in a museum."

The multi-storey car park at Anglia Square being demolished (Image: Owen Sennitt)

Mr Wicks says the projector has historic value and is one of few remaining of its kind.

"History should have a value - they could easily save the projector.

"It’s a race against time to get it out before they knock it down.

"This cinema was the most luxurious outside the West End when it opened in 1971.

"The projector would have gone into the building in 1970."

The equipment was state-of-the-art technology at the time and could show both 35mm and 70mm — which was the IMAX of the day.

"When the industry went digital we got a digital projector but it was still used until the cinema closed," Mr Wicks added.

Mr Wicks was at Hollywood Cinema from 1989-2019 (Image: Jack Warren)

"A lot of people appreciated seeing original film.

"It was state-of-the-art at the time.

"The most important thing is the history of the thing you need to retain the history and heritage of the cinema.

"The projector would have seen the original Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, all the big Bond films would have been shown on it."

Rob Younger, a cinema engineer from Barnsley who installed the projectors for Norwich's Cinema City in 2007 has also waded in on the subject.

He said: "I would come and take it out. It would be a shame if it were lost.

"There are probably fewer than 10 working of this kind.

"I am looking for projectors like this to install. It is a bit like vinyl, film is coming back."

Rob Younger with two Victoria 8 projectors at The Hyde Park Cinema in Leeds (Image: Submitted)

The projector was also used for the 2013 world premier of Partridge movie spin-off Alpha Papa which was held at Hollywood Cinema.

Mr Wicks getting ready for the premiere (Image: Copyright: Archant 2013)

After a long campaign dubbed Anglia Square Not Leicester Square led by Rob Dodsworth, Rob Wilkes and Raf Turnbull, the Radio Norwich presenter arrived by helicopter.

Mr Wicks added: "I’ve been associated with Anglia Square for nearly 30 years so I have an affection for it.

"The highlight for me was the world premier of Alpha Papa."

The Alan Partridge world premiere was held at Anglia Square (Image: Steve Adams)

Steve Coogan, the actor who plays Alan Partridge, was greeted by hundreds of fans on his arrival at the now-closed Hollywood Cinema, where he met and chatted with the crowd before heading in to watch the world premiere.

A mural of the character was painted by Dave Nash, known as Gnasher, for the premier — the future of which also hangs in the balance.

Anglia Square is being razed to the ground to make way for 1,100 homes on the site off Magdalen Street.

The site is being bulldozed down by Eastern Demolition, with the help of DSM Contractors, as part of the £350m redevelopment scheme led by Norwich City Council.

Norwich City Council has been contacted for comment.

© Eastern Daily Press