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Ideal Film - Picture House ?

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
Think this photo is possibly of staff of the Kings Heath cinema mentioned here on the Cinema Treasures site http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37646

But the title “Ideal Film” suggests to me a company, don’t know if there were other Ideal cinemas or maybe they made/distributed films ?

Viv.
4EDC6F84-4358-4614-94F7-FA2585AC0556.jpeg
 
I assume the early Ideal Picture House was linked to the Ideal Film Co. I suppose like ABC cinemas etc ? Viv.
 
If you search on Google there are "Ideal Picture" houses in quite a number of places - so it could have been a chain but no idea if it links to Ideal Film Co.
 
I've just posted requesting any photos of the Ideal Picture House in King's Heath as referred to in the cinematreasures link but I don't think that "Ideal Film" dinner relates to the same company. The Ideal Picture House (in Kings Heath) was run by Ideal Picture House (King's Heath) Limited and was built on land owned by the Holt Brewery who also owned the Hare & Hounds. I am pretty sure that it was a one-off venture and not part of a group but if anyone else has any more information I would love to know. My grandfather's shop Spiers Furniture (now occupied by Admiral) at 106A High Street was the entrance foyer for the cinema with the 'operations' room upstairs.
 
I've just posted requesting any photos of the Ideal Picture House in King's Heath as referred to in the cinematreasures link but I don't think that "Ideal Film" dinner relates to the same company. The Ideal Picture House (in Kings Heath) was run by Ideal Picture House (King's Heath) Limited and was built on land owned by the Holt Brewery who also owned the Hare & Hounds. I am pretty sure that it was a one-off venture and not part of a group but if anyone else has any more information I would love to know. My grandfather's shop Spiers Furniture (now occupied by Admiral) at 106A High Street was the entrance foyer for the cinema with the 'operations' room upstairs.
Hi Zennor

From the information I have looked at and read the old Ritz ballroom was the cinema you are after from 1913 to 1932. The entrance to the cinema was on the High street, originally in an alley at that side of the Hare & Hounds, and the cinema was entered from the rear. We can only surmise that 106 High Street was built to accommodate a better entrance to the cinema. Maybe if you look for old pictures of The Hare and Hounds the entrance may be seen on these.
 
Hi Zennor

From the information I have looked at and read the old Ritz ballroom was the cinema you are after from 1913 to 1932. The entrance to the cinema was on the High street, originally in an alley at that side of the Hare & Hounds, and the cinema was entered from the rear. We can only surmise that 106 High Street was built to accommodate a better entrance to the cinema. Maybe if you look for old pictures of The Hare and Hounds the entrance may be seen on these.
Thanks Janet. As I understand it 106A was the entrance to the cinema with toilets and there may have been an exit in York Road. No 2 York Road was the auditorium and became the Ideal Billiards Club, Ritz Ballroom, Ritz Bingo Club, Cash Converters and then sadly burnt down. There is an entrance in York Road (2A) directly next to the Hare & Hounds but apparently that was a private entrance upstairs to the operations room and projectionist. Yes, I am trying to find any photos of the Hare & Hounds during that period and have posted in a couple of forums. I've found a few advertisements in the British Newspaper Archive but no photos as yet.
 
I've just posted requesting any photos of the Ideal Picture House in King's Heath as referred to in the cinematreasures link but I don't think that "Ideal Film" dinner relates to the same company. The Ideal Picture House (in Kings Heath) was run by Ideal Picture House (King's Heath) Limited and was built on land owned by the Holt Brewery who also owned the Hare & Hounds. I am pretty sure that it was a one-off venture and not part of a group but if anyone else has any more information I would love to know. My grandfather's shop Spiers Furniture (now occupied by Admiral) at 106A High Street was the entrance foyer for the cinema with the 'operations' room upstairs.
This postcard appears in a book "Kings Heath High Street" A Nostalgic Journey by Bob Blackham and Andy Bishop
Obviously of the period, it's descriptive comment says "The right hand side shows Spier's furniture shop next door to the Hare and Hounds"

EPSON360C.jpg.
 
This postcard appears in a book "Kings Heath High Street" A Nostalgic Journey by Bob Blackham and Andy Bishop
Obviously of the period, it's descriptive comment says "The right hand side shows Spier's furniture shop next door to the Hare and Hounds"

View attachment 177413.
Hi Zennor I found this photograph but it is from the late 60's does show Spiers your grandfathers shop and Rhodes next door.

Also found another old photo of Rhodes (next door to Spiers). In this picture the frontage is quite ornate. It looks like there is a framed notice to the left hand side of Rhodes, this may well be the cinema entrance at the time the photo was taken pre 1934.
 

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Hi Janet,
I know exactly what you mean and I did wonder that but a map from 1914 shows the layout of the Picture Theatre and the narrow strip from High St alongside the Hare & Hounds as leading to the auditorium with what was Rhodes next to it. This ties up with our plans of 106A High St (we have the Title deeds). There is also a second floor with entrance from York Road (sometimes numbered 2A) partially above 106a which was the operation room with projector etc. We have the plans.
I did wonder once if it was a wider entrance incorporating both Spiers & Rhodes but Kelly's directory shows that Rhodes Glass & China Dealer was there in 1921 next to Ideal Picture House. The Land Registry Title for 106 (now Golden Scissors was Rhodes) shows it as having been bought by Ideal Picture House from Holt Brewery in 1920 so the cinema did own it then. Maybe it was built as the cinema entrance and then they changed their minds and Rhodes took it on? Neither properties were in the Kellys 1913 directory, just the Hare & Hounds, so both properties (Spiers & Rhodes - 106a & 106b) were built at the same time in conjunction with the Picture House which opened in sometime 1913. The mystery continues.
 

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Zennor.
I think you mean it opene din 1914, not 2013.
Not really relevant to what you want, but here is a map from the 1950s

View attachment 177431
Oops sorry I have corrected the date! I believe it opened some time in 1913. Thanks for that map. It's pretty similar, isn't it? I'm not sure how the Rhodes property at 106 (or 106b as I've sometimes seen) could have worked as the entrance. Very odd.
 
By the way, I took the information here Ideal Picture House (and as mentioned in the first post) as my starting point. It states
"The Ideal Picture House was opened on 5th February 1913. The High Street entrance was almost adjacent to the Hare & Hounds pub, and led along a long passage to the actual auditorium which was at the rear on York Road."

"The front entrance part of the building on High Street still operates as an amusement arcade."

This is what my grandfather understood.
 
By the way, I took the information here Ideal Picture House (and as mentioned in the first post) as my starting point. It states
"The Ideal Picture House was opened on 5th February 1913. The High Street entrance was almost adjacent to the Hare & Hounds pub, and led along a long passage to the actual auditorium which was at the rear on York Road."

"The front entrance part of the building on High Street still operates as an amusement arcade."

This is what my grandfather understood.
This photo says Hare & Hounds on the corner of York Road some time in the 1920s. Next to the pub is the Ideal Cinema

EPSON357C2.jpg
 
By the way, I took the information here Ideal Picture House (and as mentioned in the first post) as my starting point. It states
"The Ideal Picture House was opened on 5th February 1913. The High Street entrance was almost adjacent to the Hare & Hounds pub, and led along a long passage to the actual auditorium which was at the rear on York Road."

"The front entrance part of the building on High Street still operates as an amusement arcade."

This is what my grandfather understood.
Says Hare and Hounds was built in 1907

EPSON359C.jpg
 
I've just posted requesting any photos of the Ideal Picture House in King's Heath as referred to in the cinematreasures link but I don't think that "Ideal Film" dinner relates to the same company. The Ideal Picture House (in Kings Heath) was run by Ideal Picture House (King's Heath) Limited and was built on land owned by the Holt Brewery who also owned the Hare & Hounds. I am pretty sure that it was a one-off venture and not part of a group but if anyone else has any more information I would love to know. My grandfather's shop Spiers Furniture (now occupied by Admiral) at 106A High Street was the entrance foyer for the cinema with the 'operations' room upstairs.
Photo 1926 taken from York Road, shows the entrance to the Ideal Picture House just beyond Hare and Hounds

EPSON364C2.jpgEPSON364C.jpg
 
That's right the pub was built in 1907 by Charles Collett who sold it to the Holt Brewery in 1910. The Ideal Picture House was built on land originally owned by the Holt Brewery in 1913.
 
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