Birmingham Cinemas

[carolina]

This one is decorated for King George and Queen Mary's silver jubilee in 1935 - The Empress Cinema Sutton Coldfield.

 

[lofty]

I Remember the Jacy , always spent a few hours in there when I missed the 151/179 bus home to Earlswood at the midland red bus station down the road, was better than sitting in that old fume filled bus terminus coulld sit in the smoke filled picture house instead with bugs bunny etc

 

[lofty]

Kings Norton ( Flea pit) in the Green
Selly Oak on Bristol Road
Stirchley ( Before the Bowling added)
Jacy by the Old Midland Red Bus Depot
Futurist in John Bright St
Kings Heath on the High Street
Shirley picture house and Hall Green on Stratford Road
Just a few I recall from the 60's did some serious snogging at these Cinemas

 

[brumgum]

I Remember the Jacy , always spent a few hours in there when I missed the 151/179 bus home to Earlswood at the midland red bus station down the road, was better than sitting in that old fume filled bus terminus coulld sit in the smoke filled picture house instead with bugs bunny etc

It's a nice place now..
https://www.theelectric.co.uk/

 

[Mike Blakemore]

Kings Norton ( Flea pit) in the Green
Selly Oak on Bristol Road
Stirchley ( Before the Bowling added)
Jacy by the Old Midland Red Bus Depot
Futurist in John Bright St
Kings Heath on the High Street
Shirley picture house and Hall Green on Stratford Road
Just a few I recall from the 60's did some serious snogging at these Cinemas

The Expression "Flea Pit" is not a discription of the Cinema.. It is an insult to the class of people using that Cinema.. Nowing The Kings Norton cinema.. In bright lights the Cinema was always clean spotless... With an Admssion Price that you did not need a wonga lan to pay for your visit..

 

[Phil]

I realise that Chris B has covered the Warwick Cinema, Acocks Green, but that was during his tenure as manager, these three photos show the changing face of the cinema over the years so I hope he doesn't mind.

 

[Phil]

This is one I have no memory of and considering it didn't close until August 1959 there is no reason why I shouldn't remember it. I certainly never visited it, so all I can tell you about it was it was on the corner of Langton Rd and had seats for 950 (remember standing room only) as it opened in 1914 it only had a life of 45 years quite short compared to a lot of cinemas.

 

[carolina]

Here is The Playhouse, Acocks Green which opened in 1913 and closed 1929. It was on the corner of Warwick and Station Road

 

[Phil]

These five Balsall Heath Cinemas have all been mentioned before on this thread, but the photos went missing when the site was hacked. Perhaps a moderator might be able to slot them back in their original posts because I doubt that after all this time the original poster is going to. In fact if the OP hasn't got a copy ofthe photo to reinstate he is quite at liberty to use one of these and I will then delete it. These five cinemas are, The Balsall Heath Cinema later renamed the Luxor it was near the junction of Gooch St on Balsall Heath Rd. TheTriangle Cinema at the junction of Gooch St and Conybere St. The Imperial Cinema at the junction of Clifton Rd and Moseley Rd. The Moseley Cinema near to the junction of Belgrave Rd and finally the only one that still remains the Olympia even if it is an Asian Supermarket now.

 

[roverman]

Hi Phil,
Re the "Grand" Alum Rock, this was one of my local cinemas, one that my Mother and I frequented on many occasions during the war. My Father worked shift work so when he was lates or nights Mom and I went to "The Pictures" . I am fairly sure it was at the "Grand" that we saw "Dangerous Moonlight " with Anton Wallbrook and Sally Gray and of course the the playing of the famous "Warzaw Concerto". I didn't know until recently that words had been put to the music and sung by Mat Monro in a film I think was called " Dogs Of War" Starring Gregory Peck, David Niven and Roger Moore

Regards Reg

 

[carolina]

Here's another cinema The Capitol on Alum Rock Road which opened in 1925

 

[Mike Blakemore]

Hi Reg.. The Film in Question was not "Dogs of War" It was call "The Sea Wolves" Produced By Euan Lloyd Who was trained in Cinema Management at the ABC Savoy Cinema.. Walsall...

 

[Mike Blakemore]

Here's another cinema The Capitol on Alum Rock Road which opened in 1925

View attachment 87758

This picture was taken just after opening in 1925.. 1929 A New Projection Box was built on the roof for the enlagement of the Cinema. It is considered one of the earlist Art-Deco Cinema in the UK.. Desined By Satchwell and Roberts .. With the Frontage facings done by Arhibald Hurley Roberts.. Who also acted as Quantity Surveyer when Building it. It cost us £12,000 to build the first phase The completion in 1929 cost a further £6,000. This was inclusive of the freehold footprint of the building... The First Phase building Contractor was Alfred Francis... The Second Phase was Whittalls Building contractors.. When we converted the Theatre in a 3 screen unit it cost us a Total of £120,000... I was The General Manager from 1974 until it closed 1996...

 

[roverman]

Hi Reg.. The Film in Question was not "Dogs of War" It was call "The Sea Wolves" Produced By Euan Lloyd Who was trained in Cinema Management at the ABC Savoy Cinema.. Walsall...

Hi Mike, Thanks for the correction, not having seen the film myself I wasn't sure. The Capitol was also one of our regular list, I remember seeing Frank Sinatra in "Higher And Higher" there. The "Rock" of course where I saw Errol Flynn in Robin Hood I think that must have been just before the war. (Happy Days)
Regards Reg

 

[Mike Blakemore]

THE CAPTIOL CINEMA ALUM ROCK ROAD..




The PIcture of The Capitol One Screen..


Located in the Ward End district to the East of Birmingham. The 900-seat Capitol Cinema was opened Easter Monday 4th April 1925 with Reginald Denny in “Spring Life”. It was designed by architectural firm Satchwell & Roberts, with the facade designed by architect Archibald Hurley Robinson who also acted as quantity surveyor. Prop., The Capitol Cinema(Ward End) Limited. In 1927 the company built the Tivoli Cinema at Yardley, in 1934 they built the Olton Cinema, Olton and in the 1950’s they took over the Stockland Green Playhouse Co.
In 1929, the Capitol Cinema was enlarged to 1,407 seats, retaining the original Hurley Robinson exterior. Seating was now provided for 1,029 in the stalls and 378 in the circle. The Capitol Cinema was the first cinema in Birmingham to use girder framed construction and a very early Art-Deco style auditorium (The first in Birmingham at least…)
In 1964 it had a major refurbishment with a 48ft picture, with intention of 70mm presentations. This they decided not to change the equipment in the end. In 1979 saw a conversion into 3 screens. We used Modernisiation Ltd., again (headed by John Freeze-Greene grandson of William Freeze-Green father was one of the Fathers of Cinema). Seating capacities in the screens were:– (1) 350 (2) 250 (3)130, and the re-opening films were “Bear Island”, “Love at First Bite” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”. The Capitol Cinema was closed in 1996 with “Muppet Treasure Island”.
I was General Manager from 1974 till 1996.

 

[mike jenks]

Hi

Yep one of the Best Picture Houses in the Brum. Always open at Xmas Holidays, spent hours in the afternoon with the Family
watching all those Disney Films during the 80,s.
Fabulous atmosphere.

Happy days thank you

 

[paul stacey]

#1327, thought I knew all city centre cinemas, not only, had't seen it, never heard of it??paul

 

[wam]

These five Balsall Heath Cinemas have all been mentioned before on this thread, but the photos went missing when the site was hacked. Perhaps a moderator might be able to slot them back in their original posts because I doubt that after all this time the original poster is going to. In fact if the OP hasn't got a copy ofthe photo to reinstate he is quite at liberty to use one of these and I will then delete it. These five cinemas are, The Balsall Heath Cinema later renamed the Luxor it was near the junction of Gooch St on Balsall Heath Rd. TheTriangle Cinema at the junction of Gooch St and Conybere St. The Imperial Cinema at the junction of Clifton Rd and Moseley Rd. The Moseley Cinema near to the junction of Belgrave Rd and finally the only one that still remains the Olympia even if it is an Asian Supermarket now.

Surely some mistake. As far as I know, Gooch Street has always been on the opposite side of the Belgrave Road to Balsall Heath Road so there was never a junction of the two. Since Belgrave Road is usually the boundary with Highgate I would have to say that the Triangle was Highgate rather than Balsall Heath. If you are going that deep into Highgate, you have to include The Alhambra on Moseley Road just by Highgate Rd.

 

[Phil]

Wam


You may be right, but as kids we always considered Gooch St as part of Balsall Heath, but no matter it's about the cinemas not the districts.

 

[Phil]

The "Theatre Royal" Aston opened in 1895 as a theatre, but by 1927 it had closed and re-opened as a cinema "The Astoria" with a seating capacity of 1,194. It closed in 1955 showing The Dambusters. The unusual thing about this cinema was it had a rear projection screen. The cinema was re-opened once again in 1956 as a TV studio until 1974 when it converted to a radio station.

This is another cinema that I believe is mentioned earlier in the thread, but there is no image.

 

[Mike Blakemore]

The Owners of the Theatre before ABC Cinemas.. Was Leon Salberg of the Alex.. and Sir Sidney Clift of Clifton .. It was sold along with the rest of Cinema Propriotors Ltd., Cinema.. May be interesting to note. That the Four main Players if that company was Clift.. Salberg.. Mortimer Dent... J Cohen.. These ended up Salberg & Clift Became the Clifton Circuit plus 6 cinemas Branded Odeon... Mortimer Dent with the Danilo Circuit.. J Cohen with the Jacey Circuit. Sorry... I am so full of useless imformation

 

[Phil]

Mike,

The information I have is that, on the 23rd of September 1893 the Theatre Royal Aston opened after being built for Robert and George Hall by a Mr Bloore to the design of a Mr Ward for a cost of £6.500. After only 1 year the then owner and manager Mr Robert Hall went bankrupt. The theatre was purchased by Charles Barnard who spent £13,000 on the interior and re-opened as a variety house, but soon returned to melodrama and sometimes even Shakespeare. Sadly by 1925 the competition of cinema forced it's closure and re-opening as a cinema.

 

[paul stacey]

As far as I was aware in the 50's/60s, Gooch Street was Balsall Heath. paul

 

[wam]

As far as I was aware in the 50's/60s, Gooch Street was Balsall Heath. paul

From what I saw in the 60s the Balsall Heath border was Balsall Heath Road (that's where the sign was) but I've heard from others that it's always been Belgrave road. Either way Gooch Street never crossed Belgrave Road (the post with the pictures puts the Balsall Heath cinema close to the corner of Gooch St and Balsall Heath Rd). Like I said, if you're going to extend Balsall Heath as far as the Triangle, you have to include the Alhambra which was closer.

 

[Mike Blakemore]

Hi Phil. That matches... 1925 till 1929 was the Salberg and Clift era.... When I worked for ABC I knew a Projectionist known as "Dickie Bird" He told me when they closed the "TABs" a projectionist nipped out of the Box Crossed the stage to prompt corner and open and close them by hand cranked winder.. ABC chose the Theatre Royal because it was the most difficult one to convert to Cinemascope.. The Bonus it had for a TV studio was the stagehouse... and dressing rooms... The Studios througout its life, was owned by ABC never ATV "ALPHA" was a brand name of ABC.. The Architect for the Cinema conversion work was "Satchwell & Roberts"

 

[roverman]

Hi All, The Astoria was also one of my "Locals" particularly when I lived in Rupert Street, pre war. One film in particular I remember was "Aloma Of The South Seas" with Dorothy Lamour. Another cinema was The "Aston Cross" where I saw "Dawn Patrol" with Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone.
Regards Reg

 

[Phil]

Another one that I don't think we have an image of on here. Kings Hall Picture House which opened in 1909. This photo must have been taken some time between 1912 and 1918 when the cinema had been renamed the Royal Cinema De-Luxe. Sorry I don't know what the parade is about, but I can see that George Formby is appearing live at the Grand just down the road.

 

[Richie]

Another one that I don't think we have an image of on here. Kings Hall Picture House which opened in 1909. This photo must have been taken some time between 1912 and 1918 when the cinema had been renamed the Royal Cinema De-Luxe. Sorry I don't know what the parade is about, but I can see that George Formby is appearing live at the Grand just down the road.

This will be George Formby SENIOR, Phil. Both father and son took the same stage name, otherwise the George we all knew and loved would only have been around 8 years old then. Unless of course "our" George, like Shirley Temple in later years, was a prodigious child star by then?

 

[Richie]

These five Balsall Heath Cinemas have all been mentioned before on this thread, but the photos went missing when the site was hacked. Perhaps a moderator might be able to slot them back in their original posts because I doubt that after all this time the original poster is going to. In fact if the OP hasn't got a copy ofthe photo to reinstate he is quite at liberty to use one of these and I will then delete it. These five cinemas are, The Balsall Heath Cinema later renamed the Luxor it was near the junction of Gooch St on Balsall Heath Rd. TheTriangle Cinema at the junction of Gooch St and Conybere St. The Imperial Cinema at the junction of Clifton Rd and Moseley Rd. The Moseley Cinema near to the junction of Belgrave Rd and finally the only one that still remains the Olympia even if it is an Asian Supermarket now.

To remind friends who had their photos and comments stolen at the time a few years ago-and to inform new members-the Luxor was featured due to its prominent location in Balsall Heath in the 1980 'X' certificate suburban drama 'Prostitute'. Here's the link to the then-and-now site "ReelStreets"
https://reelstreets.com/index.php?o...task=view&id=797&film_ref=prostitute&Itemid=3

 

[Phil]

Richie

I won't say I agree with the term "we all knew and loved" but I didn't know about George Formby senior. I did think it a bit strange that he could have been appearing on stage in Birmingham between the years 1912 and 1918. So I class today as a good day because I have learnt something new.