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Birmingham Cinemas

went to te Royalty from 5 years of age, from Sat pictures, to my first real date at 14, to visits with my dear Dad over a 10 year period, for such films, as Ice Cold in Alex, The Cockleshell Hero's,, Shane, D, Day, such many and varied happy times though out my young life, this picture house played such a large part, so sad to see it so abandoned!!!
 
Saw my first 'adult' movies at the Plaza Stockland Green, including 'Enter the Dragon' and 'Fritz the cat' although I certainly wasn't 18 :D

A few of my aunties were usherettes at the Gaumont in town during the fifties before getting married.
While I'm thinking of the Gaumont, how long did 'The sound of music' play continuously there for? seemed like
months or years to me at the time.
 
Richard Dye said:
Why are so many theaters closing, are they being replaced by multi screen theaters? Aside from COVID the theaters were doing very good business.
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Most of the ones that were converted to multiplexes were converted in the 80s or 90s. It seems like most new cinemas are built as multiplex except for the odd few that run IMAX movies only (e.g. Millennium point) or the odd independent.
 
wam said:
Most of the ones that were converted to multiplexes were converted in the 80s or 90s. It seems like most new cinemas are built as multiplex except for the odd few that run IMAX movies only (e.g. Millennium point) or the odd independent.
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Thank you!
Same thing is happening here. When we go which is not often we go at 4 in the afternoon then maybe an early dinner/snack. Also at 4 we have a discounted ticket.
 
handlebar said:
Thanks Wam for your reply. The ABC New Street was The Forum. Don't know anything about the Mockingbird as I've not seen the modern Birmingham although, strangely enough, I shall be spending a day there shortly so I may be able to catch up. Ellbrown, many thanks for the link to Cinematreasures. I was aware of the site but not of the Birmingham Cinema pages which I've spent a very happy hour viewing. I'd forgotten the Scala Superama. I went to see 'Fall of the Roman Empire there and very nice it was too. The Cinematreasures page reveals just how many Cinemas have gone but it's not surprising when you can have a screen of any size you like at home with surround sound and home convieniences to hand at any time. In the 50's my Mom, sister and I went to the picures every Tuesday and Saturday. It was a way of life and something we didn't want to miss, but when t.v. came into the house I was left to go to a cinema (The Picture House, Harborne) with a declining audience. It was heartbreaking. Closure was inevitable. They were such happy times and I only wish someone had taken a photo of the inside of the old place.
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The Forum opened in 1930 I believe. My father worked on it installing the ventilation system and was well known at the time for falling from the dome that was above the screen. Luckily the scaffolding saved him otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. I used to go there in the 60's it was a great little cinema.
 
A Sparks said:
I do wish people from outside the Midlands would not say BirNingham though!
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Or Birmin-Gam. (Apologies if that is how you say it.).

Saturday matinees at the Kingston Cinema, near the bus garage on the Coventry Road, defined my childhood. I was heartbroken when Mr Google showed me it had completely gone.

Andrew.
 
Hi COVROAD- I believe the CINEMA WAS THE Adelphi, the Era corner Churchill roads and Bordesley Green Road,
Green Lane Cinema Green Lane and Victoria Street, {known as the bug hole}. The Ritz Bordesley Green East & Little Bromwich Road, a rather naughty film. However very tame for a 16-year-old. There is a Ritz Garage close by.

Ernie
 
Ernie B said:
Hi COVROAD- I believe the CINEMA WAS THE Adelphi, the Era corner Churchill roads and Bordesley Green Road,
Green Lane Cinema Green Lane and Victoria Street, {known as the bug hole}. The Ritz Bordesley Green East & Little Bromwich Road, a rather naughty film. However very tame for a 16-year-old. There is a Ritz Garage close by.

Ernie
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Hello
I remember the Adelphi closed and became a night club in the 70s and then a plumbers supplier
 
My picture houses growing up:

Villa Cross
Odeon Birchfield Rd
Birchfield
Odeon Kingstanding
Palladium Hocky
Regal on Soho Rd
Another Soho near the library
Another on Steelhouse Ln
Odeon New Street (I think)
All within walking distance or 1 bus ride!
 
Alf said:
In the late 40s we used to stay at my Dads brothers house at weekends and used to go to the Clifton to watch Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland pictures.
The Clifton opened Febuary 1938 & closed 10th November 1979 Lord of the Rings and Beyond Waikiki. :wink:
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I worked part time in 1960 a couple evenings as an usherette at the Clifton. It was run by a married couple who came from the Bristol area of Clifton to open and run it. The name was their choice.There were two ladies who sold tickets and sweets in the foyer. They stayed for years. While I was there the manager decided to sell hot dogs from the foyer area and it was may job to man the stand and sell them They were expensive to me at the time and as I had to go straight from my office job to the cinema, it took me all the time to not buy one to eat! Besides that I always missed the middle bit of the film.
Avril.
 
Richard Dye said:
My picture houses growing up:

Villa Cross
Odeon Birchfield Rd
Birchfield
Odeon Kingstanding
Palladium Hocky
Regal on Soho Rd
Another Soho near the library
Another on Steelhouse Ln
Odeon New Street (I think)
All within walking distance or 1 bus ride!
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I also went to several cinemas in the early to latish 60’s with my Girlfriend Ann who lived in Hockley and so mainly kept to that area.
Our first was Villa Cross (Lozells) and simular to Richard (who I guess lived in the area) we also went to Palladium (Hockley), Regal (Handsworth), Odeon or was it the Ritz (Walsall Rd. Great Barr) Odeon (six ways) and the ‘posh’ Odeon (Perry Barr). Great memories!
 
TowerStreetBrummie said:
I also went to several cinemas in the early to latish 60’s with my Girlfriend Ann who lived in Hockley and so mainly kept to that area.
Our first was Villa Cross (Lozells) and simular to Richard (who I guess lived in the area) we also went to Palladium (Hockley), Regal (Handsworth), Odeon or was it the Ritz (Walsall Rd. Great Barr) Odeon (six ways) and the ‘posh’ Odeon (Perry Barr). Great memories!
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That was the way in our youth the pictures house were within walking distance or as you correctly sat a bus tide away
 
For me living in Sheldon obviously the Sheldon on Cov Rd was my local although it was a fair old walk from my house in Frodesley Rd. Then the one at the Swan, the Tivoli? That was a bus ride. Saw many films there, loved Zorro. My mum bought me a plastic sword with a section at the top end so you could put a piece of chalk in it and sign the 'z' sign on a wall just like my hero. I dont think I was ever successful it never worked.
 
FNQBRUMMIE said:
For me living in Sheldon obviously the Sheldon on Cov Rd was my local although it was a fair old walk from my house in Frodesley Rd. Then the one at the Swan, the Tivoli? That was a bus ride. Saw many films there, loved Zorro. My mum bought me a plastic sword with a section at the top end so you could put a piece of chalk in it and sign the 'z' sign on a wall just like my hero. I dont think I was ever successful it never worked.
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Yes I had forgot the Sheldon on the 58 bus route; I also had a Zorro sword with the chalk tip on the end from Woolworth’s on the Coventry rd , not very good mine broke in two after a day or so☹️
 
Covroad said:
Yes I had forgot the Sheldon on the 58 bus route; I also had a Zorro sword with the chalk tip on the end from Woolworth’s on the Coventry rd , not very good mine broke in two after a day or so☹️
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Does anyone remember the Adelphi Hay Mills which ended up as a i think Bathroom or Plumbing suppliers.
 
FNQBRUMMIE said:
For me living in Sheldon obviously the Sheldon on Cov Rd was my local although it was a fair old walk from my house in Frodesley Rd. Then the one at the Swan, the Tivoli? That was a bus ride. Saw many films there, loved Zorro. My mum bought me a plastic sword with a section at the top end so you could put a piece of chalk in it and sign the 'z' sign on a wall just like my hero. I dont think I was ever successful it never worked.
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The Zorro film is on talking pictures (channel 82 on my tv) at 12 today
 
Jerry said:
Sylvia, there was never a cinema called the rookery in handsworth, could it have been the Regal you're thinking of?
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Located in the Handsworth district of Birmingham. The Rookery Picture House was opened on 18th April 1914 with “The White Witch”. It was operated by G.F. McDonald, and was advertised as ‘The Coolest House in the Midlands’. Seating was provided for 700 and the proscenium was 20 feet wide.

The Rookery Picture House was equipped with CinemaScope around 1954, and the proscenium widened to 23 feet. Around this time it was renamed Rookery Cinema, but this was short lived as it was closed on 6th February 1957. It was a dance hall then a Mosque after it closed.
 

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