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Alhambra Picture House

A

ajwade

Escaped Brummie
Can anyone tell me anything about this establishment? I've searched the forum archives and found a couple of mentions, suggesting it was a fairly upmarket picture palace, but there seems to be little information other than that. Where was it exactly, how big, who owned it, etc., etc. Photographs, anyone? Is the building still standing?

My dad, the late Wilfred Wade, worked there as a projectionist before WW2. He obviously had fond memories of the place and I remember him telling me about how he would cycle to the station (New St. or Snow Hill, I guess) to collect and return the reels of film. Apparently there was an emergency/standby generator powered by a gas engine so they could keep going if the mains failed, or at least evacuate safely. He used to have some photos of inside the projection room but they've disappeared, sadly thrown out, I suspect, when he remarried and moved house in '81.

Any information will be greatfully received.

Regards
Andrew (recently joined member and this is my maiden post)
 
Hi Ajwade and welcome to the forum.

The Alhambra was on the Moseley Road, Balsall Heath. Here are some details ...

ALHAMBRA (RCA) Opened 1929. Architect: Satchwell & Roberts.
Associated British Cinemas, Ltd., 30-31 Golden Square, London W.1. Phone Gerrard 7887.
1,348 seats, Booked at H.O. Continuous performances. Proscenium width 50ft. Phone Victoria 2826.

I have a photo of it somewhere around... I'll post it when found.
 
Perhaps it's failing memory but I cannot remember the Alhambra on the Moseley Road in Balsall Heath, so folks where exactly was it?
The photo looks like the cinema in Kings Heath but the telephone number looks wrong for both; Victoria telephone exchange was (is) miles away, by what is now a great big traffic island on the Coventry Road near the Deritend end, but I suppose it could have been at the far extremity of the area.
Ted
 
Hi SF

The Alhambra was between Chandos Road and Leopold Street. Wilkes & Berger (in photo) was at nos.171-177. Just to the left of the cinema was the Plough & Harrow pub at 195.
 
The first manager at The Alhambra was Mr H Elbourne who worked at several Birmingham cinemas. With him was Paul Morano who conducted the Alhambra Orchestra of eight players. The first film was the Scarlet Pimpernel starring Matheson Lang and Brotherhood starring Jameson Thomas.
Info from The Dream Palaces Of Birmingham by Chris and Rosemary Clegg.:)
 
The Alhambra changed to the ABC, and this closed in Aug. 1968 with the last performance appropriately "The Fall of the roman empire". The inside was rather ornate, as these pictures show. No idea of dates.
mike


inside_alhambra.jpg


inside_alhambra2.jpg
 
Wonderful! Thanks very much to everyone who replied, particularly Icarus and mikejee for the excellent photos and precise location. No one mentioned whether or not the building is still standing - but having looked at the location on a modern map, it seems unlikely. Chandos Road seems no longer to exist and parts of the old Mosely Road have turned into Highgate Middleway. Incidentally, does anyone know whether there was a branch of Wimbush (the bakers) nearby in the 30s?

Something doesn't add up though: the Alhambra opened in 1929 and the first film shown was the Scarlet Pimpernel. According to both Wikipedia and the IMDB that film was not released until December 1934...
 
Thanks Icarus for the location. No wonder I couldn't recall it as it is a little away from the the 'capital', Balsall Heath; it's in Highgate.
Amazingly interesting details as have sprung up here never cease to intrigue me. Thank you.
Ted
 
A bit of extra trivia, Ajwade.

In 1936, the manager at the Alhambra was W H Heyman. F B Leighton replaced him in 1937 and he was there until at least 1939. Maybe your father worked for one or even both of them?

No Wimbush bakery on the Moseley Road between the above dates but there was one at 105 Alcester Road which is a continuation and at 143 Ladypool Road. Or did you mean Hawley's bakery who were at 198 Moseley Road?

Seeing those very ornate interior shots of the Alhambra, I wonder if it opened initially as a drama theatre, especially as it had a very deep staging? The Scarlet Pimpernel was primarily a stage production, being first produced in 1903.
 
It closed as the alhambra in August 1968, became an asian cinema and this closed in 1983. no doubt someone can confirm about the building itself
Mike
 
I seem to remember when it reopened as an Asian cinema, for a while before closing again it was isolated with no buidings on either side of it.
 
According to my book in 1928 there was a race to build the first atmospheric cinema in Britain. It was hoped that Birmingham's Alhambra would be the first, but it was second the Lido, Golders Green London being the first opening on 1st Oct 1928. Nearly three months later, the Alhambra opened, on Boxing Day.
 
thanks for that. I'm up to speed now. I was trying to differentiate between the Alhambra and the Imperial further on down Moseley Road:)
 
Hmmm The Alhambra was not buillt by ABC It was sold as a job lot of Cinema when the Partners in Cinema Properties Ltd., fell out...
Along with the Alhambra, they built Adelphi Hay Mills... Orient Aston. The Edgbaston. plus a load of Old Cinema Stock... inc Palace Saltley. Robin Hood, Hall Green... Palace Erdington Picture House Erdington.. I Think The Cinema Delux new street was including renamed and rebuilt as The Forum New Street.

The company was Headed By Leon Salberg of the Alexander Theatre fame.. with Joesph Cohen of Jacey cinemas Sydney Clifft of Clifton . Leon Salbeg and Sydney Clifft joined forces to build new Cinemas with ABC Cinemas money.... :eek:)
 
hello all, the Alambra was opposite Kirwicks lane and on the corner of kirwicks lane was a bakery as far as i remember, i went to this picture house a few times around about 1957,58 and at one time i left my hat in there and coudent be bothered to get it back11.

shardeen
 
I was in the Alhambra Cinema on Friday, November 22, 1963. A date indelibly fixed in my Memory. Watching the film Heavens Above, starring Peter Sellers and directed by the Boulting Brothers. A note was etched on the Screen that read: President Kennedy has been shot....and later a further hand-written note: President Kennedy is dead.
 
The Alhambra was one of a few i frequented in Balsall Heath as a child usually matinees on Saturday, it was opposite Hawleys Bakery where we would go to buy fresh bread on Sunday, when the shops were closed or had none left, the last film i seen there was the first X rated film i ever seen, although i was actually under-age it was in about 1965, The Pit and The Pendulum, there was a scene where the lead actor was saying "Elizabeth where are you", as there were a few people in there who knew i was in there as well, the second time it was greeted with, "She's over here"
 
Changing the subject a little....talking to my husband about the posting, and he says he and his mate Bill always met in the Alhambra Pub in town for a quick one before going on to the Locarno to survey the talent......:Dancedancer01:
Was there a pub named the Alhambra back then in the sixties and is it still there?
Lynda:)
 
Before it became an Asian cinema, it was, for a time in the 1970's, re-branded as the "Alhambra Rock Theatre"....I went to see Lou Reed there and I seem to remember the New York Dolls. This was at a time when the surrounding buildings had already been demolished and they were in the course of laying out the Belgrave Middleway.
 
hi guys there was two picture house on the mosely road as i recall it in the early years long before the ring road was ever imagined in the
bye gone years and donkeys years before they decided about slum clearance in brum
if some of you lder guys like me remember the old belgrave rd years before the road was ever altered and those lovely green swaying trees was ever choped down from one end to the other end up from bristol rd and right up to stoney lane spark brook
when you went up the belgrave rd pasing all the pubs and up te hill to the cross rds of mosely rd
emediately turn right onto the mosely rd and if you turned left towards the city you would walk about 600 hundred yards
you would have come to a lace called in those days mosely road remand centre as it was called in those days
late fortys to early fifties where upon it was later renamed atherstone house for young crims up to the age of about 13 years old
then you had the big old church right next door to it then you had good ld hawleys bakery
which was formerly winbushes in the foregone yearsbefore they came and took over as hawleys
but getting back on track you turned right at the belgrave lights instead of going left
about one hundred yards from them lights was a picture house a dirty looking place this would be in the same era as the other places in the fortys and early fifties to at least till 1957 i think it as an abc pic house it was called that did not do much trading and eventualy it became an asian pic house that went to rac and ruin and eventualy gone completely and then further down the road on the oppersite side was the alambra
which is the picture wich you have just seen on the forum that was quite posh in those days
but like any think erlse it was taken over and ran down so then it became a asian pic house and then went down the pan afew years of opening
just like the kingstone on coventry rd but at the years of the alambra it came under balsall heath
as i said when you walked to your left at the belgrave rd and mosely rd traffic lights the boundry had to change there was a district sign
which said balsall heath so that alambra was balsall heath as listed
but when you went up the mosely rd passing the brighton rd you entered mosey so in fact alcester rd at the time was king heath mosely
but later yearswith the changing of all boundrys from that balsall heath sign was changed to mosely so it became a very wide area
but as i have said in those days the two pic house was less than half a mile apart
and the when thecommencement of brum was decided the poshish pic hopuse was built first the old abc was reborn on the bottom of bristol street and sun street west as it was in those days then they started the house clearance of the very neibouring little house that surround it
and the little tiny coffee shop that was amongest those house all went and many yearts later they decided to slum clearance lee bank and not before time but as we have said and some one else as said past st pauls rd and in between there was chandous rd and that is where it was almost just offr the centre facing edwards rd on the mosely rd
havea nice day every body best wishes astonion
 
Liz

The other cinema was The Imperial on the corner of Clifton Rd opposite the New Inns at the top of Edward Rd. Saturday morning matinée at the Alhambra and Saturday afternoon at the Imperial a days entertainment all for two tiny sixpences.

Phil

Balsall Heath Imperial.jpg
 
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Great times so many cinemas in such a small area, you have to travel about a lot to find one these days, i think there were at least six within walking distance when i was a kid, the three on Mosley Rd, the Triangle, the Luxor, and the one on the corner of Bristol Rd i think it was just called the ABC. thanks Phil
 
hi guys
yes are are both correct i completely forgotten to mention that one it slipped my mind
thanks again guys for that one
enjoy the rest of your day astonion
 
Lived in Highgate (St Martins Flats), and use to walk up to Leopold Street with my mum and dad, or my nan,to go this cinema. Same for the Triangle in Gooch Street. The use to do the morning cinema for the youngsters too. Cowboys and Indians etc. It was a Club. Such fun, all that cheering when the calvary arrived as the indians were attacking.
 
Saturday mornings at the Triangle, do you remember the queue, pity they don't have those sort of things for children these days,
i lived in William Edward St, not far to go.
 
Certainly do. Not sure if the kids would like it now, too much tv and playstations, and there's the worry of letting them out on their own. Sure we didn't have that. By they way I went to St Albans School, where did you go?
 
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