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Birmingham Cinemas

Yes Len when I worked in the Cinema they had Press Showings of Films at the Scala on Mondays and the Manager would sometimes give me his Tickets.

On my first visit the first Film I saw was 'The Iron Mistress' with Alan Ladd & Virgina Mayo (1952) about the Jim Bowie Knife
 
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Hi Len... Yes I remember those scary balcony seats at the Futurist, you felt as though you were going to topple into the stalls they were so steep.
 
Derek Hudson said:
Does anyone remember the Atlas in Flaxley Road Stechford???
I went to see Cliff on stage there.
There was a good fish/chip shop close by. FISH/CHIPS 1/6P

Derek
Click to expand...
:) i remember the chippie there was two we used to use that one i think was call Effie and peters? and the other one was as near as dammit next to the outdoor bottom of burney lane stechford road?called npistolas?or was it the other way round? the last i heard or saw the atlas that was a bingo hall forever,was a car sales place?great chips though Saturday night special treat happy days..
regards dereklcg.
 
The chip shop is still there, but it's houses and an industrial estate where the Atlas used to be.
 
hi mariaw,thanks for that, can you remember the names of the said chippies?
they must have lost a pretty penny in trade then,until as you say that they,ve built the houses and factories,
i know in days gone by when it was a cinema /bingo hall we used to have to queue,forever.
is the iron horse and the murco garage still there?my sister beryl was a petrol pump attendant there, that,s where she met her husband dave sale.
 
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Sorry I don't know the name of the chippie, but the iron horse and the murco garage is still there.
 
The Tatty shops from the corner of Iron Lane on the right hand of Station Rd have all been demolished and The Bulls Head pub aka The Manor House is demolished, opposite the Atlas site is a retail park, Matalan, Argos, Currys electrical store.
 
The Kingston cinema, corner of Kingston Rd/Coventry Rd, on the opposite corner was the Victorian cast iron urinal much used by Blues football fans, gone now as is the cinema.
 
hi everyone
thanks for your replies.(Alf and Lencops)
I will not be on here for 2 or 3 weeks because my niece is going on holiday and I use her pc.
so speak later
thanks again Peter
 
What an interesting piece lencops thanks for posting it. I loved the cinema at Kingstanding.:)
 
The Odeon Kingstanding at night, and info on the number of Odeon cinemas Harry Weedon`s architects business was employed on.
 
Something different to a cinema, this garage was designed for R.H.Colliers it was built circa 1936/37 at the divide of the New Coventry Rd and the Coventry Rd which was the main route to the south (A45) so it had customers from & to Birmingham city centre it was closed at the start of petrol rationing in WW2, it was bought by another company post-war, but is now in ruins.
 
I've read most of the posts about cinemas but unless I've missed one I didn't see anything about the Robin Hood in Hall Green. it's now a Waitrose Supermarket. I remmeber the Saturday morning kids club when we would watch Flash Gordon etc and everybody used to shout an jump on the seats and if it weas your birthday you would get a free pass for the followign week. I went to see The Student Prince there with my elder sister.This was in the days when you could go in and watch a film over and over again, which we did because I wouldn't leave and finally my mother was so worried that she had a message flashed up on the screen asking us to leave!

I also remember once in the days when people used to smoke in the cinema seeing somebody set fire to a lady's hair.

Guy used to appear out of the floor playing the organ too.
 
The Odeon in Perry Barr is still there Alfie, you will be pleased I know. Now I would love a photo, I was so close last year and didn't think to walk to the end of the Broadway to get one.:rolleyes:

The Clifton Great barr is also still sranding, another lovely Art Deco building.
 
The Pavillion Wylde Green, my Uncle to be, Dave used to play the Organ, and meet his future wife there, Annie working as a Usherette,
also have somewhere a photo of the Plaza Stockland Green with my Grand dad out front in his uniform
 
Found it:) My Grand Dad outside The Plaza Stockland Green, I believe late 40s or early 50s, Grand Dad on the right in uniform
 
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Great photo Dave, he looks so smart like the door men on the big hotels and resteraunts in London now!
 
Thank you Dave many a evening spent at the Plaza, one of the last films I saw there was Carmen Jones when I was on leave from the Army about 1956.

It closed 30th Sept 1978 and turned into a Supermarket after stripping out all those great Fixtures & Fittings:(

Thanks for posting the great Photo:)
 
Wow! Doesn't your granddad look smart Dave, in those days cinema employees were expected to look good in their uniforms. My own dad was a cinema manager for many years between the 1920's to 1940's and he said that in the early days he was always expected to wear a dinner suit when on duty and a clean stiff collar every day! Here is a photo of him (a bit blurred) on the left - not sure of the date or cinema, but it might have been the Tudor at Kings Heath in the late 1930's. Judy
 
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There you are Judy this is about the film that was showing at the time, it was made in 1934

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025546/

It looks like it was the Tudor because I can just make out the TU on the notice board behind Dad

Also if some kind Forum member will have a go at cleaning your photo up it might be better
 
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Well thank you Alf - that was amazing! Thanks for pinpointing the date of the film as 1934 as that gives me a guide as to the date my dad was working at the Tudor. I think by looking at the advertisement board behind my dad closely, I can just about see the name "Tudor". To complete a part of my family history I have been trying to find out more about when he actually joined this cinema and I know it was before 1935 as my Mom also worked there and that is where they met:) Judy
 
Judy39, Wendy, thanks People I think took more pride in them days, do love the old photo`s:),

Alf took a bit looking for, saved now a few times, Alf any chance of placing a date for the photo Big Guy a cert I think Thanks Dave
 
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