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Birmingham Cinemas

Meldrew (if you're still about):

On 24th Feb 2008 you said:-

I lived in Knowle Road Sparkhill from birth in 1938, and recall many cinemas in the area as I grew up.
The Springfield Cinema on Stratford Road was bomb damaged during the war, and not re opened until the early fifties, the seats had all been removed and we were able to just walk in and use the floor for roller skating. The building still survives.
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I lived at 215 Knowle Road (born in 1937), next to the bombsite behind the Springfield Ballroom (Henry Goodall & his Orchestra in those days - a sort of a poor man's bop-influenced Ted Heath!). During the war, the cinema was used to store sugar by the Ministry of Food, but every so often, some ne'er-do-well would break the lock on the back door and all the local families would replenish their stocks. I can well remember the roller skating that took place when the sugar was removed. :explode:

There's a picture of the place at its opening in 1914 here:-

https://aghs.virtualbrum.co.uk/hazelwood/bradley.htm

Regards
 
Thank you sospiri nice to hear from you again

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR YESTERDAY:)
 
Hi Alf,

When I saw your birthday wishes, I went and checked my site profile again and it definitely says my birthday is January 17th 1937! :)

Another 6 months to go before the next one, I'm pleased to say, the world is spinning ever faster by the year! ;)

Nevertheless the thought was nice, if somewhat undeserved. Thank you!

Regards
 
Rupert said:
Alf,
I think it was still going in the early fities Must have closed later. Only had second rate old movies on though. Small cinema with a low balcony as I recall. Is it all gone now?
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The Grand was still open in 1956 as I remember going there whilst on holiday in Alum Rock (Zummerzet volk do vunny things donem?). There was no balcony but the floor sloped up to the back. I notice many remember The Beaufort as a great cinema, it was but I always found the highbacked seats sent my arm to sleep after a short while around a girls shoulder!. Remember seeing Alfred Hitchcocks 'Psyco' there - "There will now be a short intermission after which the cinema doors will be locked and no one will be allowed to leave until the end of this film. If you are of a nervous disposition you are advised to leave now" That ensured we all stayed didn't it.

Since found out the Grand closed in 1959 to become the car showroom.
 
Re: Birmingham Cinemas Apollo

Having just joined I have enjoyed reading the posts but think the Apollo opened March 3rd 1930 with "Follies of 1929" The manager was Ernest Ellerslie, my grandfather
 
Alf, Have a look at page No 453, the photo of the Scala on the right hand of what looks like a sea of mud when the Inner Ring was being constructed is on there, i posted it. Len.
 
motorman-mike said:
The Grand was still open in 1956 as I remember going there whilst on holiday in Alum Rock (Zummerzet volk do vunny things donem?). There was no balcony but the floor sloped up to the back I thought. Notice many remember The Beaufort as a great cinema, it was but I always found the highbacked seats sent my arm to sleep after a short while around a girls shoulder!. Remember seeing Alfred Hitchcocks 'Psyco' there - "There will now be a short intermission after which the cinema doors will be locked and no one will be allowed to leave until the end of this film. If you are of a nervous disposition you are advised to leave now" That ensured we all stayed didn't it.

Since found out the Grand closed in 1959 to become the car showroom.
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Can't quite do the Beaufort + Psycho + special advertising promo, but maybe that of the first-run cinema in London will do:)
 
I'm sure in my collection somewhere I have another similar one, something to do with "being sworn to secrecy". If I can find it shall I post it up? Or provided its from that first release period will anything from the original 'Psycho' do. Owing to work times etc I usually only have one day a week to visit my collection so next Monday might have to do:)
 
Richie said:
I'm sure in my collection somewhere I have another similar one, something to do with "being sworn to secrecy". If I can find it shall I post it up? Or provided its from that first release period will anything from the original 'Psycho' do. Owing to work times etc I usually only have one day a week to visit my collection so next Monday might have to do:)
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Sorry can't seem to find in my collection a similar "scary" ad for Psycho. I think that type of campaign went on to cover "The Birds" a few years later. Will keep looking though.....

In the meantime, have discovered this one which WAS part of the original "Psycho" set:-
 
The Gaumont in Birmingham City Centre was posh. We went there with our class at school in the 60s to see The Sound of Music. Exciting stuff to see the curtains open for a film to start! Those were the days!
 
Hello Marshall nice to see you back.Sound of Music was on for 168 Weeks between 1965 & July 1968 and over 2 million people saw it in that time.

I never saw it till it was on TV:)
 
Hello Alf - you missed out then - watching it on TV wasn't the same. The seats were big and comfy as well. I used to go to a cinema in Smethwick as a child, the one opposite the Cape Hill Brewery and I took a friend who had never been to the pictures before, we went to watch Disneys Dumbo. I cant remember the name, was it the Odeon?:rolleyes:
Bye for now....
 
I remember going to the Odeon in town to watch South Pacific with friends paid for by my parents. It was in a new type 3D I think but can't remember what it was called?. The trailer was a big dipper coming towards you and we all ducked as though it was going to come out of the screen. Jean.
 
Jean,

I went to see South Pacific with my mom and dad, but I thought it was at The Bristol Cinema, but I could be wrong. One think I'm certain of, falling in love with John Kerr.

Ann
 
Marshell50 said:
Hello Alf - you missed out then - watching it on TV wasn't the same. The seats were big and comfy as well. I used to go to a cinema in Smethwick as a child, the one opposite the Cape Hill Brewery and I took a friend who had never been to the pictures before, we went to watch Disneys Dumbo. I cant remember the name, was it the Odeon?:rolleyes:
Bye for now....
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Was it the Cape Hill Electric Theatre Smethwick Closed Sept 1956?

I went to the Gaumont lots of times till the 1970s when I moved out of Brum
 
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What about the Castle cinema on the Bradford Road, I remember taking my knitting (socks on 4 needles) and the usher telling me the chap behind had complained about the needles clicking. Well what else could a girl do when the lad let me down.
 
Hi Astonian,
Yes, I remember the Lyric picture house it was in Edward Street near the junction of The Parade, Camden Street, Newhall Street etc. I lived on the corner of King Edward's Road and Clement Street in the newsagent shop. As children we used to attend the session for children every Saturday (the 'threpny crush' - three pence downstairs, 41/2d upstairs). Flash Gordon and Hopalong Cassidy were our favourites with the Bowery Boys and Old Mother Riley coming close seconds. This was in the late forties/early fifties. Programmes ran from Monday to Wednesday, Thursday to Saturday and Sunday only. There was always a main film and a supporting 'B' film. My mother loved the cinema and I used to go with her. We visited, regularly, the major cinemas: Odeon New Street (I can remember Billy Haley appearing here), the West End, Futurist, Scala, Gaumont and sometimes the ABC on Bristol Road. I think that there was a cinema next to the Alexandra theatre, am I right? The Odeon was probably the plushest, it had a Wurlitzer organ that rose up from the floor in front of the screen with the organist playing for all his worth! I thought it was a palace, well I was only about 10 at the time. Can anyone remember the name of Hopalong Cassidy's horse?
 
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Chris,

Remember well Saturday mornings in Ladypool Rd. with Flash Gordon etc. I couldn't remember the name of his horse, but according to Google, it was Topper. William Boyd married my namesake Grace Bradley, and he asked her to name the horse. She was reading a book from a series by William Smith called 'Topper', and so came up with that name. Or so it says.

Ann
 
I'm glad someone mentioned going to see Bill Haley at the Odeon. It was wonderful and I've never forgotton it - my parents were amazed that I got up so early - even then all the cheaper seats had gone and we had to pay £5 guineas old money which was more than I earned. Of course I had gone to the 'dentist' that morning - my excuse when I got to work.
Sheri
 
I remember seeing Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Matthis, and the Woody Herman Orchestra, amongst others, at the Odeon. Many of the big stars used to appear there.

Judy
 
The Lyric was Queens Hall before 1919 when it was renamed the Lyric, it closed in the 1950s:)


Judy
I saw Petula Clarke and Jerry Lee Lewis with (Duane Eddy Supporting) in the 1970s a the Odeon
 
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Ann B said:
Chris,

Remember well Saturday mornings in Ladypool Rd. with Flash Gordon etc. I couldn't remember the name of his horse, but according to Google, it was Topper. William Boyd married my namesake Grace Bradley, and he asked her to name the horse. She was reading a book from a series by William Smith called 'Topper', and so came up with that name. Or so it says.

Ann
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Hi Ann,
You are right about Hopalong Cassidy's horse, not a lot of people know that.
Chris:P
 
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