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Birmingham Cinemas

Hi Jeeze625,and welcome to the forum.
Best I can do is that the Bournebrook Electric Theatre,Grange Road Selly Oak was opened c1911 closed 1933 and turned into a factory,subsequently demolished.

Colin
 
Welcome Jeeze625 I can only confirm Colins findings ( Must get is info from the same place as me:D )

Anyway enjoy the BHW as I'm sure you will, keep the questions coming you are sure to get some sort of reply in the positive:)
 
Hi Alf,The Picture Palaces of Birmingham & Solihull by Chris & Rosemary Clegg is that the same one


Colin
 
Just watched a nice little 15 minute programme on Channel 4 all about the beginning of the ODEON and his son talking about the start of it at Perry Barr. First time I had ever seen anyone from his family other than on Photographs, great:)
 
Hercules Films
--------------

1959 Hercules

1960 Hercules Against Rome

1960 Hercules Unchained

1961 Hercules in the Haunted World

1963 Hercules Against the Sons of Sam

1963 Hercules and the Captive Women

1964 Hercules Against the Moon Men

1965 Hercules Samson and Ulysses
 
News Cinema Relaxant

1950's - Whenever I visited Birmingham to train for a competition, my coaches always used to take me to the News Cinema between training and the competition - to relax me! The news didn't seem to be so horrific then. Good news made the news in those days.
Anne
 
Hi

A really great Cinema was the Bristol.
Alway's showed some fantastic Pictures.
Im sure it did How the West was Won.
This huge projection of what was 3 films
projected on a huge curved Screen.
If you sat near the front it went around you.
Another great film was the Battle of the Bulge.
A great loss. Im not sure of this multi screens
one picture and your out. In a few weeks the
Video is out and within a year its in the 2 for £5.

Mike Jenks
 
I agree Mike- the Bristol Cinema was a great place. The new filming techniques that came along in the l950's bettered technicolour and gave us several options to watch a film....3D, Toddao, Cinemascope come to mind.
A lot different nowadays. The cinema down the road from me has 21 screens:Aah:
 
Thanks Alf.. I will have a look at that site today. Just got started here
at 7:30am. I haven't listened to David Jacob's latest show but will now.
I'll try and remember to put a reminder on for next Sunday's 40th year birthday for BBC2. Lots of interesting programmes are planned.
 
Was there a cinema near Ethel St/New Street

Help !!! My husband thinks there was a cinema near to Ethel Street/New
Street....is he right ??? Lived too long away from B'ham I'm afraid, so my
memory is VERY hazy on this matter !!!
Margaret.
 
There was Margaret not sure if it is now I haven't been to Brum in 10 years but somebody will tell you very high Gods seats.:)
 
Bit more info on the Forum

The street address of the Forum Cinema was 88/90 New Street (cormer of Ethel Street), Birmingham It originally opened as the Theatre De Luxe in 1908 (a conversion of a Masonic Hall). In the 1920's it was re-named Regent Cinema and was taken over by ABC Cinemas.

ABC commissioned their staff architect William R. Glen to reconstruct a modern cinema within the shell of the old building. Due to site restrictions it was a rather tall narrow cinema seating a total of 1,259 (501 stalls, 348 balcony and 410 upper circle). It was equipped with a Compton theatre organ. The Forum Cinema opened on 1st November 1930 and operated as a popular city centre cinema for the ABC circuit, due to its prime location. However it was no match for the new breed of 'Super' cinemas that were being built such as the Gaumont Palace, Steelhouse Lane (1031) or the Paramount which opened just along New Street in 1937. ABC actually had much better cinemas operating in the suburbs of the city, than their Forum in the city centre.
 
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