• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birmingham Cinemas

Phil - You are amazing! Where do you get all these photos from? And yes, the upper circle does still make me dizzy. I used to have to hold on to the back of the seats while making my way to the gangway if I remember :D
 
judy39 said:
Phil - You are amazing! Where do you get all these photos from? And yes, the upper circle does still make me dizzy. I used to have to hold on to the back of the seats while making my way to the gangway if I remember :D
Click to expand...

Judy,

I don't know myself, I have collected so many over the years. If I see a photo and it has got any connection with Birmingham I think right I'm having a copy of that.

Phil
 
Alfie, I can't remember ever feeling cold in the Odeon queue on Sundays, maybe it was because it was always well lit in New Street.:)

The upper circle in the forum would have been called the Gods if it had been a theatre, I know what you mean about feeling dizzy Judy.
 
Right Di don't think we ever felt cold.

Also in those days let you in 2/3 or 4 at a time and we always seemed to wait longer being 4, but happy days:)
 
The Doorman would come along the Forum queue calling "Seats in the balcony, an Angel on each shoulder!!", this was circa 1950-55.
 
HI Sylv
Just Been Reading Your List Of Picture Houses
I,VE Been To Most Of Them When I Was A Little Kid ,And The Most Memorable One For Me Is The Astoria,, The Reason Being I Was Knocked Down By A Motor Car After Coming Out And Whatching Roy Rogers All Afternoon ,And MY Memory Will Always Be With Me For That .And Prior To That I Was AT The Lyric On Victoria Rd In The
Morning MattneWhatching Roy Rogers Again Only My Aunt Maud WhomWorked In The Box Office Put Me Under Her Coat And Smuggled Me In And Then I Landed Up In The General Hospital For Six Weeks So I Missed Out On My School Holidays
And Thats When We Got Those Red Hot Indian Summers As We Called Them In Them Days
 
Astonian Hope you have given up watching Roy Rogers now, if not just for you:D

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-r6A7TzvUI&feature=related"]YouTube - The Roy Rogers Show Opening[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcYsO890YJY"]YouTube - Dale Evans & Roy Rogers[/ame]
 
Last edited:
I remember the game getting through the roadworks that was to become Smallbrook Ringway to reach the old Scala Cinema when it was the last thing standing in the redevelopment but still open. The film was Kenneth More in a film "North West Frontier" (or something like that). Must have been one of the last they put on there.
 
Many thanks for your quick resonse Alf - I've just posted another question but under "Questions and Answers". You will probably have the answer if you've got the chance to look there for me.
Mike
 
motorman-mike said:
I remember the game getting through the roadworks that was to become Smallbrook Ringway to reach the old Scala Cinema when it was the last thing standing in the redevelopment but still open. The film was Kenneth More in a film "North West Frontier" (or something like that). Must have been one of the last they put on there.
Click to expand...

According to my records, the "old" Scala closed its doors finally on 4 June 1960. The presentation in that last week was "Too Young to Love" and "The Leech Woman". As you do.

The new "Scala Superama" was four years later in opening, on 23 Nov. 1964. That became the Odeon,Queensway in 1970.:)
 
Richie,

You are spot on with reference to the old Scala, but I have the final weeks double bill as "The Leech Woman" (X) and "Teenage Lovers" (X) the latter probably being the same as "Too Young to Love" but a different name.

There was a big difference between the old and the new cinema, I don't think the new one ever really caught on, being a bit out of the way as it was.
Phil

Lost photo replaced by what I think was same as original

City Scala Small brook St.jpg

Replaced by photo which probably is not the same as original


36-42 Holloway Circus - 1981.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Phil the photo on the left didn't someone post the same photo with nothing around it when the changes were going on.

I thought you had posted it.

Also has it closed for good the Cinema that was there as the Odeon
 
Alf

I don't remember posting a snap of the Scala before, some one else may have. It was obviously taken just prior to demolition when the surrounding buidings had already been demolished.

Phil
 
Great pics Phil, The old Scala at the end, alone in a sea of roadworks. At night when the front neon was lit up it was like a lighthouse in the darkness looking across with nothing in the way from Hinckley Street.
 
Alf said:
Phil the photo on the left didn't someone post the same photo with nothing around it when the changes were going on.

I thought you had posted it.

Also has it closed for good the Cinema that was there as the Odeon
Click to expand...

The Odeon Queensway as it became later known closed finally on 18 September 1988. Has lain dormant since then. Not sure of the final presentation but the info will get to me eventually from elsewhere probably.:)
 
Astonian, I've only just caught up again with this thread (so many posts these days). I think the cinema you referred to as the Lyric in Victoria Road was actually The Victoria Playhouse - near the traffic lights of Victoria/Park Road junction. I think I posted eslewhere when I was about 6/7 years old one of the older girls in our street asked me if I wanted to go to the Victoria Playhouse with her and other kids in the street, I imagined a big house with lots of toys to play with - what a disappointment when I found it was a cinema.
 
Theatre Royal Lichfield Road Aston became the Astoria 1/12/1927 Astonian :)

Victoria Playhouse was in Victoria Road Aston opened 1924 Closed 1965
quite right Syliva :)


I've only just caught up with this little query;)
 
Alf. I remember The Auto Spares and the Sherbourne rubber bouncers. I played for Johnny and The Lawmen, at the Warwick mainly.
 
pam1511 said:
Does anyone remember The Castle cinema at Castle Bromwich?I used to go to the saturday matinee in the 50's.Has anyone got a picture of it?

Thanks Pam
Click to expand...

My first experience of ‘the pictures’ was at the Castle Cinema.
Magic! The first full-length film that I saw there was The Lone Ranger. I saw it again on dvd a few months ago and it was interesting to compare it with what I remembered of it from all those years ago.
The film that was on with it was a black and white war film. I am almost certain that it was The Girl He Left Behind.
The Castle was my local cinema, I loved going there and I was very disappointed when it was closed down.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Alf.
The only part of the war film that I remember is of a plane shooting at our hero who is on the ground. There is an abandoned tank nearby. Dodging bullets he runs to the tank and then uses it to shoot down the plane. :rolleyes: I have no way of checking if it is The Girl He Left Behind as there is no dvd of that film.

The Lone Ranger film is a bit tongue-in-cheek and a little politically incorrect. It's quite good for a B film. Here is the trailer: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjQPxtMv3vY&feature=related"]YouTube - Lone Ranger, The - Trailer (1956)[/ame]
 
Couldn't see this picture on site so am posting it for the record. Hopefully it will bring back memories for somebody though I don't know when it disappeared

Bob
 
glaciermint said:
Couldn't see this picture on site so am posting it for the record. Hopefully it will bring back memories for somebody though I don't know when it disappeared

Bob
Click to expand...
hi bob if thats the old ashed row cinema thats a fantastic find
in my youth it was a popular place for us saturday flicks
what fun we had happy days regards dereklcg.
ps check out my photo album some pics of where i lived.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top