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Birmingham Cinemas

Alf

Alf

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
The first Odeon was in Perry (Pear) Barr (Hill).
Opened on 4th August 1930 by Oscar Deutsch the name ODEON derives from part of his name,
Oscar Deutsh Entertains Our Nation.
He was Born of Jewish Hungarian Parents in Balsall Heath 1889 Died 1941.
How many Cinemas do you have stories about and what was your favorite story of that cinema.
 
I never saw a film here, although my uncle now deceased, helped build the three vertical columns/fins at the front.
My wife won £1,000 twice here, now that it's a bingo place.

Oh yes, my Ford Cortina was nicked from the car park at the back and it was found in Weycroft Road, Kingstanding, minus my socket set.
 
:shock: Yo Dave,, even Car thieves are sensible :roll:

WHEN they eventually got it to work they drove it a few 100 yards & dumped It :twisted:

ps,, The Socket set was rusty anyway :oops: (According to my M8) Alledgedly :wink:

Povrey Barrbry was The Best Odeon pics,, Saturday Matinees throwing Orange peel at Keemo Sabay,, Hi ho Silver & Away :lol:
 
He only got to the Globe on saturdays I thought and I also thought it was Hi Ho Sylvia in honour of our Aston friend
 
Yo Alf,, right on there M8,, Sylvia HAS been riding "Osses" & Our Aston Friend has been following her Oss with a bucket & spade,, still got the cement on it,, won,t do the gardens much good with it :!: too much Lime, but the Ringmaster (See Beer Garden :!: ) lets him do it because he likes to watch the Ladies swinging about :roll: nearest he,s Ever got to them Eh :!:

Now,,, bet you Remember THE Back Row @ Odeon Perry Barr & "the Gals :oops: " Oooh Alfie 8)
 
Whats the name of that picture house next to the odeon perry barr. Well anyway I had a date to meet a bird outside. At the arranged time she did not turn up, but I was lonely and desperate for company [a bit like I am nowdays I suppose] [I wonder why that is ?] anyway I waited and waited I think up to 1 1/2 hours, knowing that no one would now come.

I'ts a bit like that Sandy Shaw record, you wait & wait, girl don't come.

Boo, Hoo, Hoo
 
Dave, it was the Birchfield Cinema, where you were stood up. I think it was on the corner of the Broadway and Birchfield Road.
 
Our dad worked nights at Fisher & Ludlow and he had a morning job cleaning at the Gaumont in town (worked hard did our dad)
Anyway, I was the envy of all my mates (yes I did have some) :P because all the cinema staff had a free pass and he used to let me use it whenever there was a film on that I wanted to see
So I used to get to sit in the posh seats in the balcony :wink:
Happy days
 
I suppose most people growing up in the 50s and 60s were cinema addicts
I went to them all in Aston and district, as I got older and went to work we used to go to town and the Bristol Cinema on Sunday afternoons.

Cinemas I recall
Astoria,
Aston Cross
Globe
Orient
Victoria Playhouse
Newtown Palace - never went there, it was considered a flea pit.
Odeon - Perry Barr
Birchfield
Plaza -Stockland Green
Clifton - Great Barr

We used to go two or three times a week. Some cinemas had the same programme all week, others Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, then changed for the rest of the week, but with a different film on Sundays, I think this was something to do with the archaic licensing laws in Brum.

I used to go to the Orient nearly every Sunday, I think they opened late afternoon because I used to come out of Sunday School at Christ Church,
Six Ways, take off my ankle socks, put on lipstick, and join the queue which ran down the side of the cinema into Rifle Crescent, there were usually three of four of us, and the queue was mainly made up of youngsters early teenagers upwards, we had a great time laughing and joking while we waited and it wasn't much better when we got inside, the films were very old like Jeannette McDonald & Nelson Eddy, Ida Lupino,
Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan, some of the stars I remember. In the interval we used to walk all round to see our friends, and try to catch the eye of any lads we were interested in. I bet the staff were glad to see the back of us.
 
Another great memory was when I went to see "Forbidden Planet" at the Ritz in Bordesley Green. They had a full size model of Robby the robot in the foyer, I'm not sure if it actually worked or not, does anyone else remember seeing this at their local? it would have been 1956/7
 
Hey jerry, you must have been fed up watching the same film, the Gaumont showed the Sound Of Music for 16 years
 
The Cinema's I can add to Sylvia's list are the Forum in town, the Empress - AKA The Flea Pit in Witton Road, they showed Flash Gordon on Saturday afternoon. The News Theatre in town, The Bristol in Bristol Road where they showed the first 3D films, The Futurist in town.The Beacon and The Clifton, Great Barr, and one in Villa Cross where I saw The Wizard od Ozz. I went to them all, I loved the cinema so much.

The Odeon New Street is where I used to go on Sunday afternoons as a teenager, standing in the queue was half the pleasure, chatting up the lads. Every Saturday morning in the 40's I headed off for the Odeon Perry Barr. It was the best sixpence worth of my childhhod.
 
Thanks Silv. yes thats it the Birchfield. Her name was Donna, fancy standing me up, I mean, what was she doing that was more important.

I bet if I were to see her now she probably looks like my grandma.
I would say Hi granny you old so & so, go and collect your pension.
 
To add to Di's list. The Gaumont, where I saw the first film of my life
"Snow White". The West End, The Scala in Smallbrook Street, knocked down in mid 50s to make way for the "new" Bull Ring. I also went once to the Gaiety in Coleshill Street, and I think it was called the Rookery in Handsworth not sure. When I was about 13 years old we were mad about "Annie Get Your Gun", and would follow it round the circuit.
 
I saw flash gordon at my mates house a couple of months ago, but it was'nt the original.
 
Congratulations to Donna, a woman who must be blessed with foresight,
a lucky escape I would say, if Dave's postings are to be believed.
What woman would want a panty hose - any strength - or a duster for her birthday.
 
Sylvia, there was never a cinema called the rookery in handsworth, could it have been the Regal you're thinking of?
 
Dave I got in for Free at all Cinema's 1951-52 I worked as a projectionist at the Mayfair also saw most of the new films first showing at the Scala with the Press every Monday Morning.

Sylvia I saw The Robe(1953) in Cinemascope at the Birchfield.
Astoria wa.s the Theatre Royal till 1927
Clifton closed 1978 with The Lord of the Rings :?
 
As most of you know I was brought up in Small Heath and that area was particularly well off for cinemas when we were kids. Within walking distance of our house there was
The Grange
The Coronet
The Kingston
The Green Lane
The Era

and just a short bus ride away there were
The Adelphi
The Tivoli
The Sheldon
The Waldorf
The Piccadilly
The Rock
The Ritz

Very often I'd go to the pictures three times on a saturday, I'd go to a morning matinee at one cinema, an afternoon matinee at another and our mum would take me to pictures on saturday night while the old man went for a drink - Mum didn't drink :wink:
 
Jerry THERE WAS A ROOKERY @ Rookery Road Handsworth opened 4th April 1914 Closed 6th February 1957 was a Temple.
Well done Sylvia
 
Hi Jerry
The robot at the Ritz was just for show, I know cuz we knocked it over and the head came off and it was full of nothing. :wink:
 
Absolutely right Alf, must have had a blackout or something because i did know there was a rookery, the name of the Regal was said to have been made up of the initials of five other local cinemas

Rookery
Elite
Grand Palace
Albion
Lozells

That's what some said, others said it was just a coincidence, take your pick :wink:
 
Hi Alf,
so it was you who was the cause of all the breakdowns at the Mayfair :lol:
Good old Picture house,Saturday Matinee 2d Ho to see Buck Jones & Ken Maynard, (Get someone to open the firedoor and then sneak in,) then we would all trot down the hill on our "Hosses"
incidently my cousin was the projectionist at the Empress, Sutton at one time,chap name of Stan
Regards Dennis
 
I remember my two older brothers taking turns to thump me when I persuaded them to journey all the way out to the Robin Hood at hall Green to see what I assured them was a cowboy and indian film
The film was Pinnochio, well it sounded like a red indian name to me, you know, like Geronimo :cry:
 
What was the name of the picture house which stood where Bristol street motors is. They seemed to show sexy type films, we went there to see the Yellow Teddy Bears in 1962 when I was 15.
 
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