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Birmingham Cinemas

capital was fitted with the below said viv in another post

Kalee Limited | Science Museum Group Collection

Kalee Limited was a subsidiary of A Kershaw and Sons Ltd of Leeds. It was established in 1917 as Kershaw Projection Company, but 'Kalee' projectors were manufactured from 1911 as a brand name. Later, the company became Kalee Limited. In 1943, they were acquired by Gaumont British Group becoming...
collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
 
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mw0njm. said:
capital was fitted with the below said viv in another post

Kalee Limited | Science Museum Group Collection

Kalee Limited was a subsidiary of A Kershaw and Sons Ltd of Leeds. It was established in 1917 as Kershaw Projection Company, but 'Kalee' projectors were manufactured from 1911 as a brand name. Later, the company became Kalee Limited. In 1943, they were acquired by Gaumont British Group becoming...
collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk
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Radiorails said:
This has to be before October 1949 as trams to Kings Heath and bus route 35 were replaced bus route 48 and 50.
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1943

Bob
 
brianthelion said:
Hi all. Just walking up to the Alex but cut through Warwick Passage on my way and for the first time I noticed a magnificent art deco building hidden behind Corporation Street.
Looks like an old theatre/cinema and will look up when I'm back home after the show but if there's info on here already I'd be grateful for pointers. Cheers
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I'm late to respond, but was it the building once occupied by New Look and C & A below (built in 1937)?

1676190185923.jpeg
images
 
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Jeeze625 said:
Bournbrook picture house

Hello all,

First of all a "hi" to all. I just recently joined and have found this site a facinating source of information!!

I'd like to know if anyone has any information regarding a small picture house that was in Bournbrook. It was supposedly situated between the Old Varsity Tavern and the Westley Richards gun factory about half way down on Grange Road.

I've heard of references about this in various books etc, but have never seen any photographs, or met anyone that knew it was there. I guess we are talking 1930's till about the 60's?

Many thanks for any information.

Regards

Lee
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Hi Lee,

The small picture house you mention was The Bournbrook Electric Theatre in Grange Road. This existed between 1911 - 1933 at which time it was taken over by Ariel Motors, as can be seen in the attached photo. My step father told of times he used jam jars for entrance!
 

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Was there a cinema in Newhall Street, near the Science Museum in the seventies? It showed foreign language films and arty stuff? I cannot remember its name.
 

--> <title>Cinema Projectionist

A project about projection at the University of Warwick that uses interviews with projectionists, archive research, feature films and photographs to explore historical projection and the digital transformations of the twenty-first century. The site contains the virtual projection box (projection...
projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk

​


Photograph of the projectors in the projection box at the Orient Cinema, Birmingham in the early 1950s.

Projection box - Orient Cinema, Birmingham, 1950s
 
Covroad said:
Attached
Map of Small Heath Picture House (past)
2x advertising / programmes apologies there is some foxing on one of the pages
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I seem to remember this Cinema was referred to as the "Bughole",. But was convenient as close to my home in Imperial Road.
Dick Barton Special agent, I remember my Mom taking me in addition two school mate managed to persuade her to take them in as it was A rated

Ernie
 
mw0njm. said:

--> <title>Cinema Projectionist

A project about projection at the University of Warwick that uses interviews with projectionists, archive research, feature films and photographs to explore historical projection and the digital transformations of the twenty-first century. The site contains the virtual projection box (projection...
projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk

​


Photograph of the projectors in the projection box at the Orient Cinema, Birmingham in the early 1950s.

Projection box - Orient Cinema, Birmingham, 1950s
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting this Pete.
My father was a Cinema projectionist (his occupation on my birth cert 1956) although I don't know which Cinema in Birmingham.
The website gives a good insight into the job itself.
 
mw0njm. said:

--> <title>Cinema Projectionist

A project about projection at the University of Warwick that uses interviews with projectionists, archive research, feature films and photographs to explore historical projection and the digital transformations of the twenty-first century. The site contains the virtual projection box (projection...
projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk

​


Photograph of the projectors in the projection box at the Orient Cinema, Birmingham in the early 1950s.

Projection box - Orient Cinema, Birmingham, 1950s
Click to expand...
I remember the same thing at the Rookery Cinema when they were taking it apart to set up the Plaza Dance hall on Rookery Rd. They explained to us how they changed reels on the fly and had to change the ark burners the same way.
 
  • Appreciate
Reactions: RRJ
Hi Paul,

I only visited once, and that was over 50 years ago, so sadly I can't remember
much about the cinema except that it was very awkward to get to from where
I was living at the time!

Kind regards
Dave
 
Cinephone had the reputation for porn/blue films, only went there the once and I'm sure it was to see West Side Story, honest! Would have been 1965 or thereabouts. Cinema was on corner of Wrentham St/Bristol Rd.
 

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paul stacey said:
Hi Richard, I never went to the cinema, but the little cafe upstairs, with the really quirky Juke Box. that had a sort of TV in it!!
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Hello Paul, I never went to the cafe always went to the EL Sombrero as a gathering place Or Kardohma for coffee. I think the Chinphone we saw a French detective movie with subtitles. Wasn’t very interested in subtitles in those days. I do rember a great Indian restaurant close by.
 
Hi Rob yes it was a little like that , but a memory some 60 years later, I have a mind set that it was shorter , more chrome, and smaller screen, though after so many years could be completely wrong, of course thanks for posting!!
 
I know I'd been to the Cinephone at least once - they were running Straw Dogs and Death Weekend as a double bill. Mostly they seemed to run European subtitled stuff so it got a reputation for "blue" films because of that. What they were showing was more of the stuff the papers said was awful and you could guarantee an audience for. I think they had other horror films and the martial arts pictures.
 
Alf said:
The first Odeon was in Perry (Pear) Barr (Hill).
Opened on 4th August 1930 by Oscar Deutsch the name ODEON derives from part of his name,
Oscar Deutsh Entertains Our Nation.
He was Born of Jewish Hungarian Parents in Balsall Heath 1889 Died 1941.
How many Cinemas do you have stories about and what was your favorite story of that cinema.
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I remember the old Edgbaston picture on Monument Road Ladywood by the Ivy Bush pub. Every Saturday morning there used to be kids films on. You had a luminous badge with Minors on Happy days
 
Mean Machine said:
I remember the old Edgbaston picture on Monument Road Ladywood by the Ivy Bush pub. Every Saturday morning there used to be kids films on. You had a luminous badge with Minors on Happy days
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Cinemas in & around Ladywood were The Edgbaston, The Crown, The Lyric & The Grove. The ones in Birmingham City Centre were The West End, The Forum in New Street, The Odeon again New Street ( which is still going strong ) The Scala on Smallbrook Queensway ( which you had to go downstairs to ) The Bristol on Bristol Street/ Bristol Road ( where McDonald's is now ) The Gaumont by where Lloyd House is now ( The Police Headquarters ) The thing I always remember about The Gaumont was the huge curtains they had which used to open up when the film was about to start. I remember seeing many a film there with my dad when I was a youngster. The Futurist which used to be at the back of the Alexandra Theatre & finally the Jacey / Tatler in Stephenson Street, they used to show all cartoons etc there
 
I remember seeing the 'Sound of Music' at the Gaumont as a 10 year old ( didn't everyone! ?) going there for me was a real event.
Then taking my new wife who was from a small town in Devon to see 'The Omen' there in 1976. she was gobsmacked!
 
Dos anyone remember the cinema near to Snowhill Station, (Gaumont)? had a huge hoarding advertising the film Mad, Mad, Mad , World, it was there for months, about 1964/5 time ??
 
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