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Birmingham Cinemas

Chris B,

Would this be the Cinema just down from the Rock Cinema that you mentioned it was called The Saltley Picture palace.

Phil

SaltleySaltleyPicturePalace.jpg
 
Such a pity that these old stars of yesterday cannot be seen on TV of today. I guess they try to appeal to the younger generation but to me its mostly a lot of rubbish with just a few exceptions. All that talent of years ago dont seem to fit in today but it would to me.
 
Re Rock

PMC1949.The rock yer after school before the main pics.we whatched the matina.great place. also the boufort but you had to sit with a overcoat and hot water bottle it was freezin. in there pete
 
Gervan22. We are very lucky here to have a movie channel on the TV that plays old movies going back to the l930's and l940's - 24/7. The interesting part is that the films are announced with their backgrounds and anecdotes about the making of the films such as who almost got the leading parts and who did, etc. . It's amazing to see how the world has changed so much over the years and you realize it by watching these films. There are a lot of British films many I have never seen before.
 
jennyann. Are you in England may I ask ? If so what movie channel is it ? I do hope that you do not mind me asking. Some of these comedians were just before my time. One that comes to mind is " Cheeky Chappie " Max Miller but I think he did not do any films.
 
Gervan22....
No I am not living in England. I live in Vancouver Canada, and this movie channel to which I refer is an American one. I know that from time to time they put on the old films on British TV. I am not sure if you have satellite that there is a channel like that available through the British system. It would be great if there was. This American channel with the movies is fairly new here and as you can imagine it is very popular.
 
Stav said:
Does anyone have any information or pics of the Apollo theatre on Tyburn Road, my mother thinks it closed down about 40 years ago but isnt sure and i'm trying to find out for her.
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Hi Stave, go to page 6 of this thread there is a photo of the Apollo,sent in by John.
I lived in Pype Hayes Road 1939/1955
 
Jennyann. Thank you for your reply. To your question I do have satellite which covers Europe and further East. It is Free To Air transmissions although it can also receive Pay Per View. Sky TV is British Satellite which I don't have. Perhaps someone will post if there is such a channel doing old comedy movies obtainable in the UK.
 
old films

GER22VAN.ernie i dont know if is working,there was a prog showing the hilly billiys on sky.i will have a look when i line my dish.some right old films
my d2mac decoder went on the blink, pete
 
the forget me not?

Chris B said:
Hi,
The Electric Cinema was a news theatre for some years, showing cartoons and news reels and it was patronised by people who were "in transit" waiting for trains etc, then it was the Jacey and now the Electric which is possibly the first name it was opened under.
Regards Chris.
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don,t suppose you knew my father in law who almost lived at the for get me not club his name was john jones johnna he was known as way back when, we used to go there often to films and shows and of coarse bingo,
we had some good nights and always but always he would go to remeberance parades for our soldiers,they saw him proud when he past away good bloke..:( happy days regards dereklcg.
 
Cinema Photos

Hi All,
Picture of the Apollo Tyburn Road

51slz6.jpg

Front and Interior

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Interior (Apollo)

2my16ww.jpg

The Clifton Great Barr

2gw84l5.jpg

The Beacon Great Barr

Regards Chris B
 
Hi Dereklcg
My wife used to live around the Pype Hayes area in Gunter Road actually, I think her Father Ted Hubbleday used to go to the Forget Me Not club, and my brother in law Ray Taylor certainly did, coming from Sheldon myself I never went in the establishment so I am sorry but I wouldn't have known your Father in Law.
All the best Chris B
 
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More Info on THE APOLLO CINEMA

The APOLLO PICTURE PLAYHOUSE,
Tyburn Road, Erdington, Birmingham, opened on the 3rd March 1930, the film chosen was a musical comedy, “Follies of 1929” starring John Breeden and Sharon Lynn. The manager was Ernest Ellerslie. Every patron was presented with a mounted farthing, with the wording, ‘Good Luck keep me and you will never be broke’. The
second manager was Capt. Harry Thorburn, D.F.C., M.C., and he was followed by W.H. Fletcher, before being appointed to this position he played the Compton Organ that was installed in this fine cinema. It was the first cinema in Birmingham to have Hollophane Lighting installed. It had
a seating capacity of 1,230. It closed on Saturday 1st April 1960 showing the films, “Last Train from Gun Hill” (A) starring Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn and “High Hell” (A).

Apollo 21st Birthday

Regards Chris B
 
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Photos

Hi All,
if there are any photos of Birmingham cinemas you want to see I have quite a few, if you pm me If I have the pic' I will post it on the site.
Regards Chris B
 
Chris - It was great to see the photos of the Clifton Cinema at Great Barr. Thanks for posting them. Do you have any of the Tivoli which I think was on Coventry Road - my uncle Percy Thompson ran that cinema, probably in the 1940's.
 
The Mayfaire

Hello Chris, have you any of the Mayfaire that i could see please.....Cat..:)
 
Chris - I found this picture of cinema projectors amongst my Dad's photos. Not sure which cinema this was as he worked at many, and I'm not sure of the date as nothing was written on the back but guess they were probably 1920/1930's.

Judy
 
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TIVOLI CINEMA Yardley

Hi Judy39
here are a couple of pics of the Tivoli



Sorry no interior shots.

The Tivoli was the first cinema I took my new girlfriend to, the film was
Midnight Lace, a good thriller so the girl cuddles up close !!! at the time she was going out with with a fellow who was in the navy and naturally she was a little indecisive about going to the pics with me, so to clinch the deal I suggested we toss a coin, heads with me tails she went home and waited for the sailor, what I hadn't told her was that I had ground down 2 pennies and stuck them together so that I had a 2 headed coin, I couldn't lose !!!! (this is what comes of being an avid cinema goer you can learn a lot from the movies) and 40 odd years later we are still married, and yes I did tell her about the penny some time after.
Regards Chris B
 
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Mayfair Cinema

Hi catkin,
here is pic of the MAYFAIR. It is from the same source as the other one on the site but hopefully a bit clearer.
THE MAYFAIR CINEMA.
I used to work for the people who owned it a few years ago. I Managed THE WARWICK CINEMA in Acocks green, one of the last suburban cinemas in Birmingham.
Regards ChrisB
 
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Thanks for the photos of the Tivoli Chris. Seeing the pics brought back a distant memory of seeing the cinema before, so I think I must have visited it a few times when Uncle Percy was there. I am glad that your 'lucky' coin worked for you!! That is a lovely story about you and your wife. The Tivoli must hold a special place in your memory.

Judy
 
Thank you

Thank you Chris,
It looks so big went every Saturday with my brothers and sisters and Sunday evenings with my father, we took it in turns.
Then as i got older i was taken there by my boyfriends.:D:D:D...Cat:)
 
Capitol Cinema

Hi Pete,
2 pics of the Capitol 1 when it was originally built and one after it was altered. Because it was so successful when it first opened they extended the auditorium for additional seating, As a consequence the original projection room under the balcony was no longer any good because the screen end was further away so the beam clipped the balcony overhang, so they built another projection room on the roof (the square box on top in the pic) and also put up a new illuminated sign on the top of the frontage.
Regards Chris B
 
Chris B said:
Hi catkin,
here is pic of the MAYFAIR. It is from the same source as the other one on the site but hopefully a bit clearer.
THE MAYFAIR CINEMA.
I used to work for the people who owned it a few years ago. I Managed THE WARWICK CINEMA in Acocks green, one of the last suburban cinemas in Birmingham.
Regards ChrisB
Click to expand...
Chris B, I motioned that I had worked at the Mayfair in the early 1950s when I welcomed you Chris as a trainee projectionist
 
I used to go to the capitol or the Beaufort when I was young, the capitol is a mosque now, and the Beaufort was knocked down and replaced with a bingo hall, I would love to see a photo of the beaufort if you have one please chris.
 
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