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Erdington Picture House

fiftiesboy

proper brummie kid
I'm looking at a 1913 map of Erdington (east) and on the present site of the fire station were a skating rink and a picture house. I can find photos of the picture house which was next to the Swan and the Palace somewhere near the site of the present Co-op but I can't find any photos of the picture house shown on the map.
 
Welcome to the forum. Is this the one (left) ? Not the best image. I've seen a better one but can't find it at the moment. Enjoy the forum. Viv.
image.jpeg
 
I used to go there Viv the ABC Picture house, saw the Student Prince and later Love Me Tender.

There is a record of a death in 1938 in Wokingham Berks in a home for Retired Cinema managers of a Albert T Bridge who worked as manager of the Lozells Skating Rink which was in Erdington birmingham and later became a Cinema.

1911 census, 38 Hart Road Erdington
Albert thomas Bridge age 37 b Cape Town S A. Gen. manager of skating rink
Florence age 34 b Derby
Mary Lucy Eileen age 1 b Erdington.
 
Albert Thomas Bridge born South Africa was at one time Fancy trick roller skater and Speed skate champion.
 
I'm sure there is a picture of the Erdington skating rink somewhere. It's probably in one of the books I've read. I seem to remember 'The Roller Rink' somewhere. Don't remember mention of any other cinema apart from the Picture House and the Palace. The Picture House had a long corridor which led from the High Street to the screen at the back. There were pictures of past stars on the walls. For some reason it was known as the flea-pit but it seemed all right to me. The Palace was a bit posher.
 
The Erdington Roller Rink that was on the corner of Orphange Rd & Edwards Road after it closed as a roller rink it became the Empire Picture Palace in 1911. Later in 1914 it became the New Erdington Picture Playhouse.Erdington Roller Rink.jpg
 
Surely the two black and white pictures are for the other picture house on High St.
 
That was the picture I was thinking of Phil, thanks. I don't remember the picture house that followed it - I expect it was long gone before I arrived on the scene. When I think of this end of Erdington I do miss the old buildings especially the Swan and the Palace. It will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with a picture of the Empire Cinema etc.
 
The Picture House Erdington 67 High Street opened on October 18th 1913 it closed on 24th November 1956.
 
That surprises me Phil, I went to all the cinemas in Erdington in the 50s/60s and i was sure i saw Love me tender at the Picture house but it was not released in USA until november 15th 1956.so it must have been the Palace.
I definately saw and fell in love with Edmund Purdom in the Student Prince at the Picture house.
 
Thanks for all the replies, surprised by the response as it's my first question on history forum . I'm trying to upload my map but told that the file is too large probably due to windows photo viewer trying to attach every photo I've got on my laptop Grrrr. will get back when sorted
 
This is presumably a portion of the map you meant
 

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  • map c 1915 showing empire palace orphage road.jpg
    map c 1915 showing empire palace orphage road.jpg
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Thanks Mike. I managed to get it uploaded. You can see the site of the picture house I was referring to on the map, corner of
Edwards Road.
The Erdington picture house in Viv's picture was built after the map was published but the picture shows its location beautifully.
The ABC/Palace can also be seen on the map.

map crop.jpg
 
That places it into context, the picture house must have been built on the land adjacent to the swan inn and Wilton Road. I can remember the long corridor off the High Street with the pictures hanging on the wall.


I did see the film Pinocchio there, but I have better memories of it as a car dealership.
 
That surprises me Phil, I went to all the cinemas in Erdington in the 50s/60s and i was sure i saw Love me tender at the Picture house but it was not released in USA until november 15th 1956.so it must have been the Palace.
I definately saw and fell in love with Edmund Purdom in the Student Prince at the Picture house.

Alberta this is the information I have, it comes from the 1986 book by Victor J Price "Birmingham Cinemas" Their Films & Stars 1900-1960.

It doesn't make it very clear if it closed in 1956 as the "Picture House" or if it continued after that date as an ABC cinema.

img455.jpg
 
Alberta this is the information I have, it comes from the 1986 book by Victor J Price "Birmingham Cinemas" Their Films & Stars 1900-1960.

It doesn't make it very clear if it closed in 1956 as the "Picture House" or if it continued after that date as an ABC cinema.

View attachment 109528
My edition of "The ABC Story", the cinema trade's encyclopaedia of ABC cinemas does confirm 24 Nov.1956 as the final screening day.
 
Phil , we called them the Palace and The ABC so I am sure the cinema must have continued after 1956 with the new name.

As for the other cinema , I have been going through old posts on an Erdington forum which states that the Skating rink was on the opposite corner of Edwards rd, Orphanage road than the present Fire Station and when people began to tire of roller skating it became a picture house.
Which makes sense as Albert Bridge the manager of the rink became a cinema manager.
 
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