Recent content by Mike Blakemore

Wrong The ALHAMBRA opened 26th December 1928 the first film was Matheson Long in “The Scarlet Pimpernel”. not the Leslie Howard Version as you think April 1st 1930 Cinema Proprietors merged with ABC The Clift Syndicate still owned the buildings of that company

I used to do Management Relief here from 1968 till it closed.. Designed By Satchwell & Roberts The Interior was Identical to The Odeon Kettering The last Manager was Harold Price My big memory was David Lean's Dr Zhivago I was sent because I could do the Moss Empire system of Advance Booking.

The Great Salberg secret..... Leon Salberg was Chairman of the Clifton Cinema Circuit.... If you read his son Derek's books there is no mention of the fact.. When Derek and I ever spoke about his fathers cinema interest it was always in Private... On Leon demise Sidney Clift...

The Clegg book was inaccurate The Building was designed by Satchwell and Roberts The front Facia they had Archibald Hurley Robinson design that and the quantity surveying. We used the same method at Our Tivoli Yardley in 1927.. 1964 we had a new Proscenium installed for the new 48ft...

The Lozells QuestionAccording to the Files. When First the Cinema opened for a very short time it was known as Aston Picture Palace. Then to Lozells Picture house designed by Hipkiss and Stephens. The new theatre was built to the plans of architect Horace G. Bradley, it opened on 23rd...

Two cinemas have stood on that site.. The last one alas got damaged by Goring's boys

The Picture was taken at the Hippodrome in one of the Bars... Pictures where taken with all the ABC Managers on the Birmingham and the Midland area. It was Basically done on a conveyer belt system. The Theatre Tour was done to coincide the Her new film that would have been released soon...

I think we where involved with two early companies that Joseph Cohen involved with Cinema Proprietors Ltd., and CD Cinemas Ltd., We supplied the pipework for the central heating and building supplies and got part paid in shares and money. Later we had share concerted to ABPC shares... We...

Hi Astonian Sorry I have to correct your final sentence about the Astoria The ABC Astoria was never sold until it became BRMB.This was one of the many oddities of the ABC Chain/ It was owned in association with Sidney Clift & the Salberg Family.. The Studio was set up for ABC...

Hi Both pictures are of the Victoria Playhouse.... The Bristol Road was an Art Deco Theatre.... designed by Archibald Hurley Robinson[ QUOTE=devonjim;546586]Another couple of "cinema" prints. 1) Bristol. 2)Victoria Playhouse. Both about 1937. I don't know any of the people in the...

I have a photo of Judy Garland meeting Arthur Taylor the Manager of the ABC Savoy Walsall on this visit to Birmingham

Chris, You are right about Tom Clarke being Albert Rogers son - in - law .. But I am right about Ray Adams being Alf Mays son-in-law I worked between ABC West Bromwich and ABC Walsall to help out Ray Adams on some promotion work and reliefs.. It was useful that Ray knew about Bowling...

When Sidney Clift died. His son in law Frank Holmes took over and in 1962 ish a falling out with Ken jones Senior happened over the future policy of the Circuit. Ken Jones wanted to maintain Clifton high standards of running the cinemas.. the other wanted to get them sold off...

Chris,Tom Clarke was Albert Rogers Son-in-law... and Ray Adams was Alf May's Son-in-law. I spent some time on loan to Ray Adams when he was manager of ABC West Bromwich

The Regalia Co., Ltd., Was The Rock Cinema in Saltley. This was inpartnership with Sidney Clift and Leon Salberg. The Mayfair was in partnership with Lyons estates The Had a number of small low end of the market cinemas. The Globe The Bull digbeth. Olymipia Ladywood...