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Birmingham Cinemas

As most of you know I was brought up in Small Heath and that area was particularly well off for cinemas when we were kids. Within walking distance of our house there was
The Grange
The Coronet
The Kingston
The Green Lane
The Era

and just a short bus ride away there were
The Adelphi
The Tivoli
The Sheldon
The Waldorf
The Piccadilly
The Rock
The Ritz

Very often I'd go to the pictures three times on a saturday, I'd go to a morning matinee at one cinema, an afternoon matinee at another and our mum would take me to pictures on saturday night while the old man went for a drink - Mum didn't drink :wink:
 
Jerry THERE WAS A ROOKERY @ Rookery Road Handsworth opened 4th April 1914 Closed 6th February 1957 was a Temple.
Well done Sylvia
 
Hi Jerry
The robot at the Ritz was just for show, I know cuz we knocked it over and the head came off and it was full of nothing. :wink:
 
Absolutely right Alf, must have had a blackout or something because i did know there was a rookery, the name of the Regal was said to have been made up of the initials of five other local cinemas

Rookery
Elite
Grand Palace
Albion
Lozells

That's what some said, others said it was just a coincidence, take your pick :wink:
 
Hi Alf,
so it was you who was the cause of all the breakdowns at the Mayfair :lol:
Good old Picture house,Saturday Matinee 2d Ho to see Buck Jones & Ken Maynard, (Get someone to open the firedoor and then sneak in,) then we would all trot down the hill on our "Hosses"
incidently my cousin was the projectionist at the Empress, Sutton at one time,chap name of Stan
Regards Dennis
 
I remember my two older brothers taking turns to thump me when I persuaded them to journey all the way out to the Robin Hood at hall Green to see what I assured them was a cowboy and indian film
The film was Pinnochio, well it sounded like a red indian name to me, you know, like Geronimo :cry:
 
What was the name of the picture house which stood where Bristol street motors is. They seemed to show sexy type films, we went there to see the Yellow Teddy Bears in 1962 when I was 15.
 
I've woke up this morning, [you will be pleased to know] and remembered it, it was the Cinephone, Bristol Street.
 
Lets hear it for OLD MOTHER RILEY.
How about ROY RGERS & HOPALONG CASSIDY
ABBOTT & COSTELLO
LAUREL & HARDY
BUSTER KEATON
THE BOWERY BOYS
MICKEY ROONEY
FLASH GORDON & MING PLUS THE CLAYMEN?
Your memories of SNOW WHITE
PINOCCHIO
:lol:
 
:DI know my brother used to clout me for saying Marble Man instead of Marvel Man... Or was it the other way around :lol: :lol: :lol: . And was there a Fu Man Chow, or something :?:

Chris :)
 
The Regal was on Soho Road, i used to go on Saturday mornings to watch Flash Gordon. I saw Help, Hard Day's Night and Let it be at the Villa Cross remember back then you could if you wanted to sit through a film several times and when it came to the Beatles i sure did :p Odeon New Street, Here we go round the Mulberry Bush, The Graduate, we had to sit on the steps as all the seats were taken. The Scala on Smallbrook Ringway but i can't recall the name of any films we saw. It seemed to be far more exciting back then to go to the cinema now half the time i wait for the DVD to come out.
 
:) Nice one PAM,, yeh i remember all them + the screaming Gals at the Beatles Film,, Eh THEY couldn,t hear you mob :roll: But I went Deaf 8) (Ok, ok As well as DAFT :lol:

Smashing at the Pics then,, Wow high priced today, So We wait for DVD,s too :wink:
 
Yes I remember Ming, Flash Gordons arch enemy. But why was he frightened of him, all he had was a stiff collar.
 
Me and my mate were going to the Cinephone and we run to catch a bus at the bottom of Hill Street. I got on but my mate was too slow, so I jumped off again when the bus was doing about 20mph, I fell in the road, broke off my cuban heel and hurt my backside.
But we still carried on with our night out even going to the pub after the film with me limping with one cuban heel on and one in my pocket.
 
We don't often go to the pics now, but I do like to see a real biggie on the biggie screen.

I remember going in half way through a film Pam, then you sat through the whole of it again. :D

Do youngsters know what The Pictures are, or do they all call it the Cinema. :D
 
DAVE BRICK said:
I've woke up this morning, [you will be pleased to know] and remembered it, it was the Cinephone, Bristol Street.

I remember being daring enough to got there when I was about 14 to see an X film. I think it was Violent Ecstasy or summat. I think it starred Elke Somer. Three of us went in trench coats with the collars turned up (in mid-summer).
eyebrows.gif

The film turned out to be such a load of old cobblers we came out halfway through.

The Regal was my home-base (see Handsworth main site) where, as a scally, I'd pick up all sorts of strange girls. It was till they were in daylight that I'd discover they'd have faces like a bag o'spanners (or worse).
stupid.gif
 
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