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Birmingham Cinemas

Mean Machine said:
Cinemas in & around Ladywood were The Edgbaston, The Crown, The Lyric & The Grove. The ones in Birmingham City Centre were The West End, The Forum in New Street, The Odeon again New Street ( which is still going strong ) The Scala on Smallbrook Queensway ( which you had to go downstairs to ) The Bristol on Bristol Street/ Bristol Road ( where McDonald's is now ) The Gaumont by where Lloyd House is now ( The Police Headquarters ) The thing I always remember about The Gaumont was the huge curtains they had which used to open up when the film was about to start. I remember seeing many a film there with my dad when I was a youngster. The Futurist which used to be at the back of the Alexandra Theatre & finally the Jacey / Tatler in Stephenson Street, they used to show all cartoons etc there
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And the "New's Theatre" in High St. and wasn't Jacey in Station St.?
 
I've just scanned this programme for the Coronet Cinema dated 23 Oct 1939. My cousin found it in her fathers paperwork.
 

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Stokkie said:
Fond memories of watching The Sound of Music and Waterloo in Cinerama at the Gaumont. https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/2083
Far superior to IMAX in my view, but that probably reflects the nature of the films available.
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Interesting piece of history, what a grand movie The Sound of Music was. No axes to grind, no murders just wonderful family entertainment. I guess I’m old fashioned. That you for posting Derek.
 
I recall going to the Odeon in New Street for the midnight premiere of “From Russia With Love,” We arrived in jeans and leather jacket,
whilst the rest of the audience were in dinner suits and long dresses. We felt a bit uncomfortable but loved the film.
the Cinephone on Bristol Road was only visited once to see “MondoCane,” weird film. The best film ever was “Lawrence of Arabia,“
can you recall the Shot of Omar Sharif, dressed in black riding a camel through the heat haze. Still gives me goose bumps.
We are so lucky to have lived through the great era of cinema. With films like “Becket,” West Side Story, The King and I, saw that three times in one week at the Gaiety in Coleshill Street. Ben Hur, made me cry, as did Spartacus.
 
I particularly remember going to see Hondo in 3D at the Bristol. I was about 16 earning around £3 a week as an apprentice Compositor. It was much more expensive to get in than at The Picture House, Harborne. Then they charged for the 3D glasses! I had to walk home as I had nothing left but what a memorable evening. An advert made cigarettes fall into our laps!!! Great film. Only sorry it's never come out on 3D blu-ray. There were so many good films and so many places to see them. Today theres little pride or showmanship in presentation. My local Cinema has managed to start, the wrong film, show half the picture on the ceiling and allowed a juddering movement. Well, at least we've got a Cinema, but I miss the pre performance music and the curtains opening.
 
Bob Davis said:
Remember in the good old days, there was the B picture, probably an ancient western with tyre tracks in front of the posse who had guns that contained more than six bullets, then possibly a cartoon, at the bigger cinemas there would be an organist, the newsreel and then the main picture always at least 3 hours of entertainment. When we lived in Park Avenue we went to the cinema in Soho Road, went in at 630pm, saw the Glenn Miller story and a Town like Alice and came out at 1115pm. There was a news film, but there were no breaks or lights up between any of the items and there were a lot of people looking for their seats halfway through, no not even a girl with a tray. All of that for 1/9deach it would be about 1960/1961. The cinema was full as well. The great thing was you could pay a premium price to go uptown to see the latest release, wait two weeks and see it an Odeon or the local ABC or another two weeks it would be at the likes of the Star in Erdington or the cinema on Slade Road, (not the Stockland) or the Birchfield and of course on Sundays, you could catch up with very old films. Used to love the Cinephone and appear to be laid back and cool or whatever the 1960s expression was until trying to impress my new girlfriend I took her to see an American art film called Buckets of Blood, the modern jazz background music was great, the film I think it disappeared after that showing as my girlfriend almost did.
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I remember the Palace in Erdington and was it the Plaza at Stockland Green ?
 
johnny082 said:
Totally agree with you Richard, The Sound of Music was a great film. We still remember taking Mom and dad to see it at the Gaumont in 1966. We still watch it every time it's on. we too might be considered "old fashioned" but who cares!!!
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a great film..one of my favourites is the railway children..lost count of how many times i have watched it

lyn
 
The cinema in Nansen Road referred to here must have been the Sparkhill Picture Palace (also once the Savoy). Could have been a nasty accident.


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Source: British Newspaper Archive
 
Chunky AC said:
I recall going to the Odeon in New Street for the midnight premiere of “From Russia With Love,” We arrived in jeans and leather jacket,
whilst the rest of the audience were in dinner suits and long dresses. We felt a bit uncomfortable but loved the film.
the Cinephone on Bristol Road was only visited once to see “MondoCane,” weird film. The best film ever was “Lawrence of Arabia,“
can you recall the Shot of Omar Sharif, dressed in black riding a camel through the heat haze. Still gives me goose bumps.
We are so lucky to have lived through the great era of cinema. With films like “Becket,” West Side Story, The King and I, saw that three times in one week at the Gaiety in Coleshill Street. Ben Hur, made me cry, as did Spartacus.
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Yes Chunky I couldn't agree more , Lawrence my all time hero I saw 7 times at the Gaumont and if it's on TV I'll watch it again I also have the dvd .
Ben Hur , Spartacus , West Side , also brilliant films and if they are screened on tv will watch them over and over again . What an era for films
 
Some memories of Birmingham cinemas, picture houses and kinema. Some well, known, others less so.

Source: British Newspaper Archive
 

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I don't see mention of the Compton Cinema club in this Cinema thread.
I'd left Birmingham aged 17 so never actually attended the cinema myself but it was always a hot topic of discussion with older men I had worked with before I left the area.

Any members? :eek: :p
 
Those were days...a trip to 'The Flicks’ back in the 50's when Television was not yet a permanent fixture in every home (in every room?) Our local Picture House was The Plaza at Stockland Green, at the corner of Marsh Lane and Streetly Road. In the late 70’s it was converted to a supermarket and then became a Bingo Hall before final closure. A little further away was the Palace on Erdington High Street, demolished for road widening sometime in the 70’s. When I was around 9 years old, I was considered old enough to go, unchaperoned, to The Plaza along with a couple of pals to see the Saturday Matinee. Along with dozens of other youngsters I paid one and six to watch Zorro, The Lone Ranger or Daredevils of The Red Circle, before streaming out of the cinema to terrorise the neighbourhood as we re-enacted the stories we had just seen. For some reason, Zorro was always the most popular and we would wear our overcoats like cloaks. By pulling the arms inside out and fastening the coat with just the top button around our necks we had an improvised cloak, and with a suitable stick we also had a sword……some great battles were fought as we made our way back home.
 
Eutrino said:
Those were days...a trip to 'The Flicks’ back in the 50's when Television was not yet a permanent fixture in every home (in every room?) Our local Picture House was The Plaza at Stockland Green, at the corner of Marsh Lane and Streetly Road. In the late 70’s it was converted to a supermarket and then became a Bingo Hall before final closure. A little further away was the Palace on Erdington High Street, demolished for road widening sometime in the 70’s. When I was around 9 years old, I was considered old enough to go, unchaperoned, to The Plaza along with a couple of pals to see the Saturday Matinee. Along with dozens of other youngsters I paid one and six to watch Zorro, The Lone Ranger or Daredevils of The Red Circle, before streaming out of the cinema to terrorise the neighbourhood as we re-enacted the stories we had just seen. For some reason, Zorro was always the most popular and we would wear our overcoats like cloaks. By pulling the arms inside out and fastening the coat with just the top button around our necks we had an improvised cloak, and with a suitable stick we also had a sword……some great battles were fought as we made our way back home.
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Yes, it was "The Flicks" back in the day wasn't it? Such a pity to see The Plaza and The Palace go. I was an ABC Minor and enjoyed The Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon and Old Mother Riley on Saturday mornings, after a few lengths in Erdington Swimming Baths. I think the last film that I took in at The Plaza, may have been "Magnum Force". I know that my father took my mother there to see "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" when they were courting too.
 
Lemonella said:
Went to the Gaumont with our school class in the 1960s to see The Sound of Music when it was released. What a wonderful cinema, very plush and comfortable with curtains opening to show the huge screen. There has never been a cinema since to match it.
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The Gaumont was class. Watched a Pink Panther film there. A friend of mine married an usherette from his local cinema . On their wedding day she walked down the aisle backwards waving her torch and gave us all a Kiora.
 
Lemonella said:
Went to the Gaumont with our school class in the 1960s to see The Sound of Music when it was released. What a wonderful cinema, very plush and comfortable with curtains opening to show the huge screen. There has never been a cinema since to match it.
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My dad & I saw many epic movies there from The Guns Of Navarone to Lawrence Of Arabia. I will always remember those huge curtains from floor to ceiling
 
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