Leading stars of British cinema took a trip down the red carpet at an exclusive screening of Brighton Rock.

The film’s leading couple Sam Riley and Andrea Riseborough were joined by John Hurt and director Rowan Joffe at the historic Duke of York’s cinema in Preston Circus last night.

Two hundred lucky members of the public were given the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the latest adaptation of Graham Greene’s seminal novel with tickets selling out within a day.

Staff at the cinema, which last year celebrated its centenary, dressed as mods and rockers in keeping with the style of the filmset in the Sixties.

Hove beach huts, Brighton’s Madeira Drive and Eastbourne Pier doing a sterling impression of the Palace Pier all feature in the film following two weeks of shooting in Sussex in October 2009.

Experts are predicting that Brighton and Eastbourne could benefit from a tourism boost from the film worth millions of pounds.

In an exclusive interview with The Argus yesterday, Rowan Joffe, Sam Riley and Andrea Riseborough, who play the doomed young couple of Pinkie and Rose Brown, spoke of their pride and joy at returning to Brighton.

Mr Joffe said: “I think it would have been rude to Brighton to take a book that is so deeply connectedwith the place’s identity and for it to have nothing to do with the people in it.

“I think filmmakers have an obligation to give as well as to take and I hope it has been andwill be a positive experience for Brighton.

“Certainly we felt really supported and we’re really proud to be opening here.”

Sam Riley said: “I knew Brighton from my time in a band playing at some dive.

It was a pretty different experience this time and it’s great to be back for the screening.”

Andrea Riseborough said: “It’s really, really lovely to be back.

“Brighton is a really beautiful place and we had such a wonderful time here.”

Duke of York’s cinema manager Jon Barrenechea said: “It’s definitely one of the biggest events in my time here and has to be the most glamorous.

“We’ve had many premieres but this is the first timewe have trumped Leicester Squarewho are not holding their screening for another week.

“We wanted to have this open for many members in keeping with the film which features many local people as extras and with the city being a star of the film as well.”

The film will be on general release from Friday, February 4.