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Birmingham Cinemas

Phil I have that photo as well. The caption I have reads.
The Kings Hall Picture House Corporation St (opposite the Law Courts) opened in 1909 and closed in 1920. Between 1912 and 1920 it was named Royal Cinema De Luxe. A little further up Corporation Street can be seen the Grand Theatre opened in 1883. This became a cinema in 1930 closing in 1933 and the became the Grand Casino Ballroom, finally closing in 1960.
George Formby is advertised as appearing at the time of the photograph.

Here is another one dated 1911

Kings Hall Theatre 1911.jpg
 
Mike Blakemore said:
THE CAPTIOL CINEMA ALUM ROCK ROAD..


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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.
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Very interesting Mike, thanks.

The Capitol was my local cinema and the first film I saw was Grease before the conversion. I always wanted to sit up on the balcony but never did. I can remember queueing up down the side. Usually went on Saturdays, I remember seeing Mork and Mindy when there was something on before the main film.

And I doubt it was the very last showing but I saw The Muppets Treasure Island (screen 2 I think) with my sister, there was just us and a lady with some children. It was a shame and a surprise when it closed but I suppose it was only a matter of time with the multi-screen cinemas.
 
Hi Mike,

Did you ever see the two ghosts during your tenure as manager at the Capitol? Just one other thing the cinema opened with "Sporting Life" according to my book, but I think that was wrong also and the opening film was actually "Sporting Youth"
 
Phil said:
Hi Mike,

Did you ever see the two ghosts during your tenure as manager at the Capitol? Just one other thing the cinema opened with "Sporting Life" according to my book, but I think that was wrong also and the opening film was actually "Sporting Youth"
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Hi Phil. Hmm There were more then 2 Ghosts. and there was something unpleasent on the Balcony Foyer.. I seen brief my predessor Bill Wakefield.. Then there was the Lady that got killed leaving the Theatre during an Air raid. There was a morning one. an old man used to watch the cleaning staff.. None of our spooks bothered the staff.. Except any workmen we had sleeping in the Balcony Foyer.. :eek:) That book is the bane of my life.... The Cinema Treasures site said I was wrong with my information because of that book.. which is full of errors.. Until.. I pointed out it was part owned by me .. The Theatre Opened Saturday April 4th 1925 with Broken Barriers Prices Balcony 1/- Rears Stalls 8d Front Stalls 6d

cap ad.jpg
 
Thanks for posting "The Royalty" brumgum, my local cinema for about 12 years, went first when 6 yrs old for the Saturday Minors, took my first girlfriend there, went often in late 50's early sixty's with mates to meet girls, I remember waiting outside in all weathers to meet a girlfriend of the time, and went often as a lad with my Dad, saw, Shane, Ice cold in alex, the sea shall not have them, d day, so very many memories for me thanks again.paul
 
any body remember the Greet cinema,by the Watsonian factory down from the Greet inn & the prefabs,i used to live in them.
Ogri
 
Ogri

I think the cinema in Greet was called the Tyseley. The prefabs have gone, the Greet Inn has gone, the Tyseley Cinema has gone and Watsonian Sidecars have gone but at least the buildings of the last two remain.
 

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  • Tyseley Warwick Rd Tyseley Cinema.jpg
    Tyseley Warwick Rd Tyseley Cinema.jpg
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When we were kids in the late 1940s, the Tyseley Cinema seemed to be forever showing Ali Baba and the B film was Hellzapoppin. I think that the whole audience had seen the films umpteen times and, shall we say, was disruptive and noisy. Periodically the manager would stop the film and threaten to throw us all out if we didn't stay quiet. We did, for about five minutes, and then the noise would start again. I think we only went when we were bored to get up the manager's nose!

Maurice
 
Thanks Phil,the picture is how i remember it in the 50's early 60's,i left the area in the early 70's & only passed through about 25 years ago so it is a bit of a shock to google down the Warwick road & see the changes.
Ogri
 
You only went to the Tyseley if you were realy desperate and had seen all the films showing at the other local cinemas. We always called it the flee pit in
the late 40s-early 50s
 
Anne Watton said:
Does anyone ever remember being bitten by a flea at the pictures?
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The Expression "FLEA PIT" as used in Cinemas.. Comes from the class of Patrons that used the Cinema in question... Not the Actual Building... Birmingham Cinemas had a company come in 4 times per anum to clean and Treat the seats and carpets The main one that did cinemas in the UK was "Rapid Cleaners Ltd.," The Birmingham Licensing required this under the terms of License...
 
I think we all had a flea pit near us in the 50's, ours was "The Weoley Cinema" in Barns hill, known to all who loved it as the (WOB) .paul
 
Delyawindsor21 said:
Did you know Albert Harris? He was the Manager of most of the Birmingham cinemas at one time and another.
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Hmm ??? Birmingham had 120 plus Cinemas... Albert Harris was manager of the ABC Oak Cinema Selly Oak.. most of his Full Managerial Life. Then moved to ABC Cinema New Street in about 1973.. When Peter Aulbert moved to Bristol Road.. Albert retired 1975 ish. I used to relief him at Selly Oak and once at New Street just before I left ABC to Take over "The Capitol" Alum Rock...

The Record for Different Theatres is between Arnold Lewis of ABc and Leslie Gibbons of the Independants.. Any Theatre these went to.... Staff Knew the Cinemas days where numbered..
 
He lived next door to me when I was a child, he also managed the Palace, Erdington and the Plaza, Stockland Green.
He was still alive up until five years ago. When I did a short visit to St Tomas Road. Have not been back to Birmingham since, thanks for the reply. Dee.
 
Delyawindsor21 said:
He lived next door to me when I was a child, he also managed the Palace, Erdington and the Plaza, Stockland Green.
He was still alive up until five years ago. When I did a short visit to St Tomas Road. Have not been back to Birmingham since, thanks for the reply. Dee.
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You are right Palace Erdington was Prior to The Oak.. Prior to The Palace. Could have been "The Picture House Erdington.. The Plaza Stockland Green belonged to us The Capitol... ABC did not own it, and Frank Reago Managed it all its life ABC had around 25 halls and where Graded AA A B and Special..
(I have a Picture of Albert somewhere)
 
I remember. Frank , Albert filled in for him when he had his holidays, I never once paid for my Saturday afternoon matinee, lucky little girl..... Did Frank own the Star Picture House on Slade Road as well ? My Mum worked there for a while. Almost next to my old School, Slade Road infants and juniors.
 
Would love to see your picture, Albert or Mr Harris as I was told to call him was a true gentleman, he looked after his Mum for years and finally, when she died, he got to live with his lovely wife, who had been looking after her Mum.
He was very good to my Mum and me and my brother, like I said, a gentleman.
 
Frank Riego ( I have spelled his name wrong in the past) lived down the road from me and I saw him frequently when growing up as his house was across the road from my school on Marsh Hill. Also, I went often to the matinees at the Plaza in the l940's and early 1950's. We always knew when he was at the Plaza as he parked his Rover car outside. Our family knew him as the Manager at the Plaza for decades. Mr. Riego exercised his several Alsatian dogs at the bottom of the gully close to our house on most mornings. I saw the dogs with Mr. R on my way to school and was quite frightened by them. Perhaps it was because Mr. R often used to feed them raw meat in the gully! He was the President of the Birmingham Alsatian Dog Association for many years. Never heard that Mr. Riego owned the Star. There are a few threads about the Star Picture House on the Forum at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15927&page=2
 
As The General Manager of the Parent Company.. I had to deal with the Closing of the Plaza Stockland Green... I had to go on the Stage and Deliver "The Chaimans Speech" before the Main feature.. Then for the next 2 weeks I had to oversea the stripping out of the Theatre Before handing over the Theatre to Lennons Supermakets Before we Bought the "Stockland Green Playhouse Co.," That Company uesed to Own The Apollo Tyburn Road. and the Lyric Edward St... Frank had nothing to do with the "Star" Slade road

I still have the Plaza Circle entrance Velvet Curtains.. (Redyed) up in my Bay Window during the winter :smug:
 
Mike,
That's a lovely story, so many happy memories, the curtains must have been very expensive, I wish someone knew who owned :The Star: I just remember a rather rotund gentleman in the foyer each time I went there..... Sad all the theatres became supermarkets or, like the one in Wylde Green, can't remember what it was called, became a Bowling Alley !
Thanks for the info, really interesting.
 
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