So did Christopher Lee, Hughie Green, Billy Fury and Alistair Sim.
But 50 years ago this month, the once iconic 50-bedroom venue in Bridge Street was demolished.
Workers wasted no time in bulldozing the structure in August 1974 and the Sunderland Echo caught the final moments on camera. Here they are once more.
5. Taking a break
A worker takes a quick break before getting back to the daily tasks in 1974. | se
6. Well under way
This bulldozer was soon making inroads into the demolition work in August 1974. | se
8. A tough task
A photo which shows the scale of the demolition work which lay ahead in 1974. | se
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