Clifton Cinema, Great Barr

[Chris B]

Re: Clifton Cinema, Great Barr saved

Yes oldmohawk in answer to your question
the Clifton & The Beacon were both owned by the same company whose head at one time was Sir Sydney Clift. I can remember a Manager at the Clifton possibly the last one as a Cinema named Ernie Hedge, formally of the Tivoli at Yardley, and towards the end of the Beacons life he Managed the 2 cinemas for a short while.
All the best Chris B

 

[Jayell]

Re: Clifton Cinema, Great Barr saved

You are right Chris, the Clifton was owned by the Clifton Cinema Circuit who had several cinemas in the Midlands. In the late 1930s/early 1940's my dad was not only Manager of the Clifton at Great Barr but also supervisor to several other cinemas owned by the company in the area. His general manager was Ken Jones, and I myself worked for him in Cinema Accessories Ltd which was the Clifton Cinemas' Film Booking Department for a short while. This was situated in offices in Princes Chambers, 6 Corporation Street near C&A's.

Judy

 

[davpen]

Re: Clifton Cinema, Great Barr saved

Remember seeing a few Charlie Drake movies......Carry On movies and the Sundowners.......
The "Teddy Boys" were scary and i still remember some of the seats were vandalised.....Not to mention that smoking was the norm....cough..cough..
At the interval i remember the nice choc ices and that weak cordial.......Great memories........Life was simpler back then.

 

[Peter Brackley]

Re: Clifton Cinema, Great Barr saved

Great news; although I'm an exiled Brummie, I lived on the Beeches estate for 10 years and the Clifton and the Beacon were our two local cinemas. I distinctly remember talking my way in to see the Day of the Triffids, when I was still a couple of years under the age limit for an 'X' rated film.
So pleased to see that it will be saved; when I've been back I've often collected fish and chips from marco's which has been there for many years, and have wondered what would happen to such a unique building.

 

[A Sparks]

Clifton Cinema Great Barr - Fire

Just seen on the BBC Birmingham website that there was fire at the Clifton cinema in the early hours of this morning which they say was an arson attack. Don't know how much damage has been done.

The cinema which became a Bingo Hall has been closed for some years now I believe? Was it a listed building does anyone know?

I always wonder about these sort of fires - whether they are an insurance scam and have been started on purpose.

Not my place to comment really I suppose but it does happen!!

 

[Astoness]

Re: Clifton Cinema Great Barr - Fire

sparks it was only a matter of time i think...i for one am fed up of our buildings going up in flames for whatever reason..i cant be sure but i think it may have been listed..maybe someone could confirm this for us...last year there was talk of it being converted into yet another chinese restauraunt...thanks for letting us know..


lyn

 

[Wendy]

Re: Clifton Cinema, Great Barr saved

I hope you don't mind I have merged these two threads under one title to try and tidy the forum. The last two posts are very upsetting news.

 

[Astoness]

thanks wend..i am just trying to find out the extent of the damage to the old cinema..

lyn

 

[A Sparks]

That's fine Wendy - thanks. I didn't know if I should start a new thread.

 

[Stitcher]

Further to what A Sparks said in post 39, this was in the morning paper today.

 

[Wendy]

So very sad and highly suspicious in my view!

 

[oldMohawk]

Oh well, that's another of the places of my childhood gone. I was a member of the Saturday morning Clifton Cinema Childrens Club and had a little green badge with CCCC on it. The cinema was very visible on the skyline from the Kingstanding area particularly when it had the CLIFTON neon sign.

 

[chocks2]

I drove passed the Cinema several times yesterday blissfully unaware that a fire had occured and although I didn't know about the fire till just now, by looking at it from the front you really wouldn't know. Or at least, I didn't notice any difference.

 

[Astoness]

as you say wend how very sad...this is what happens when our historic buildings are left unused and unattended for years...

lyn

 

[Wendy]

Lets hope it can be saved unless there are other plans...oh do I sound skeptical.

Reading back on this thread I think they could hold a reunion from our members who went there, I know my brothers did. It was nice to see they screened the coronation there. Thanks our John for the info.

 

[Astoness]

which reminds me wend some time back the manager of the one on kinstanding circle invited me back to tack pics of the upstairs original seating and the art deco living quarters..things happened and i shelved it...i will pop up on monday and hope the offer still stands..

lyn

 

[Wendy]

Good idea Lyn don't put it off you never know what can happen.

 

[Astoness]

my thoughts as well wend..im on the case lol...

 

[lynne webb]

I went to the Clifton up till when it closed and there was no Historical seating, as far as I knew they all went in the skip.
Lynne.

 

[m.humphreys]

I am amazed at this news as whilst I was taking my daily walk on Friday I noticed one set of doors open on the frontage and what looked like contractors working so I just thought things were moving to open the Clifton up again.Wendy, you are not sceptical in my opinion it seems to happen with redundant structures like the Kingsway cinema in King's Heath, if the roof is unsafe nine times out ten the whole building will come down,seems such a pity.

 

[Di.Poppitt]

I'm sad to hear of the fire, I often used to stay at my aunts in Hamstead for the week-end and we always went to the 'pictures' on Saturday night. If we were going to the Cifton we walked along the canal. On the way home we bought chips from Parish's chip shop in Dyas Avnue.

 

[Chris B]

The Clifton after the bingo pulled out and before the fire was started

 

[Chris B]

More pics of THE CLIFTON

 

[Chris B]

More Pics of THE CLIFTON

 

[Jayell]

Thanks for those photos Chris. I wish I could show them to my Dad who was manager at the Clifton from its opening until about 1942. I wonder what he would think of what has become of the lovely old cinema?? We lived opposite the cinema in those days and often sheltered in the cellars when there was an air raid on during the war.

Judy

 

[Chris B]

Jayell,
some more pics of THE CLIFTON in better times.

 

[Chris B]

The clifton

 

[Jayell]

Thanks Chris. I've never seen that inside shot before. It was a lovely cinema wasn't it, in it's day?

Judy

 

[Chris B]

Hi Jayell found a couple more Clifton pics, the black & white date from about 1938, the colour ones from the mid 70s

 

[Jayell]

Great pictures Chris. The black and white one would have been taken when my dad worked there. I have one of him holding me as a baby on the front steps. I'll have to try and find it and post it.