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Birmingham Cinemas

What lovely pics of those Odeon cinema's. They were indeed picture palaces. Architecture since the 1960's has failed miserably. Going to those cinema's felt like something very special. Atmosphere and smells one can remember for ever. Thank you Alf for putting them on the Forum.

Maggs
 
Thanks Maggie the Odeon in New Street always felt special to me with the Staircase as you went in and the Doormen.:)
 
Weren't those cinemas great Alf! What a miserable lot of buildings now replace them.

I loved the Odeon in New Street. Always used to go on a Sunday afternoon (late 50s/early 60s) and there was always a big queue outside, and it went up those stairs as well.

Judy
 
Just to clear up a bit of confusion in the Daily Mail article which appears to show TWO diffferent Odeon cinemas in Kettering. The real one is that which has been transformed in the Newlands shopping centre; the wide building below is that of the Odeon, Littlehampton, Sussex.

Both photos May 1936.
 
The Gaumont or Odeon,which one used to be called the Paramount,and had fish in tanks at the entrance foyer?.
Also when did they turn the Odeon into a theatre?saw Shirley Bassey and Gladys Knight there,but can't remember when.
 
The Paramount was the one which was turned into the Odeon,New St during the war, and doubled as a theatre until the 1980's when it became a mulit-screen jobbe.
 
Ray, they used to put on shows at the Odeon as well. I saw Johnny Matthis, Ella Fitzgerald, Woody Herman, amonst others there. Again late 50s/early 60s.

Judy
 
I saw Johnny Mathis, Petula Clark, Gerry Lee Lewis with Duane Eddy 1970s also saw Shirley Basie don't know when

Got the programmes but no dates on them.:)
 
hello all, i remember seeing Bill Haley andThe Comets at the Odean in New st when they first came to Brum in the early 60's.

shardeen
 
after looking at Alfs link and not liking bingo I am glad to say that most bingo halls that took over picture houses kept the original stucture the same like the royalty in harborne which if it hadnt been for bingo would have long gone :(
 
maggs said:
I don't know Richie, Can't say I remember anything about a wife. I thought he was gorgeous anyway, but as I said disappointing to find out the truth. My most favourite man was James Garner, he was the only pin up I ever had. I think Doris Day has the best of all the blokes to act with.
Click to expand...

Just for you Maggs, a memory of Doris Day and James Garner. I'm quite on topic regarding Birmingham history I'm sure since it shows the old Odeon logo and a Birmingham location. I'm looking to discover that this movie may well have been one of the last at the Odeon in Warley before its transformation into a bowling alley. Hope I'll get the info I'm looking for by the time I do a feature on the Odeon Warley shortly.

Richie.
 
Thank you Astonite:)

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eijof1rLnVI"]YouTube - April in Paris-Doris Day and The 4 Lads [COLUMBIA][/ame]
 
ASTONITE said:
On the hoarding in this picture is a poster for Doris Day in 'April in Paris' at the Gaumont .
Click to expand...

Astonite, could you give me a rough idea of the location please? Later in the year I'm planning on one of the photo-sharing websites a film topic called "Posters in the Picture" meaning film posters spotted on main roads throughout the country. In which case, nearer the time if the title fitted in with a series, might i use it as an illustration?

Richie.
 
Richie, I honestly have no idea of the exact location ,as to using the picture ,I have no idea if the copyright still exists .
 
Doris was Pete's favourite lady when he was a young man. Not sure about now though. Thanks for the clip. Jean.
 
robert said:
Alf could you imagine how much you would have to pay for tickets today.
Click to expand...

Robert my lads are avid Cinema fans but I have not been to a Cinema since 1982 when I saw Xanadu only because Gene Kelly was in it and a friend of ours paid for the ticket, can't remember the Cinemas name but it was in New Romney Kent.:)
 
hi all
everyone keeps going on about the gaumonts but most of the cinemas I had experience of were the ABC's nearly all the local urban cinema's were these, the saturday minors and although nearly all of them ended up as bingo halls they are the ones I remember most, the gaumonts were the posh pictures and carried flagship films,which tended to be too expencive for a whole family to go to the only film I ever saw in 16 yrs was "what a mad,mad,mad, world around 61/62, and then from the front seats balconys way out my price range.
regards
paul stacey
 
Hello Paul 1963 the film Mad Mad World.

At my age now I saw films when I was young, also right through the years but now it works against me with the prices, but we didn't have TV till 1953/54. then it was the Army for 2 years and a year later I was married but we were still able to afford to go to the old Cinemas.

So now I can see the old Films on TV so I had the best of all worlds.:)

Also my sons download them.

But there is some Rubbish around today with the modern films just my opinion :)
 
paul stacey said:
hi all
everyone keeps going on about the gaumonts but most of the cinemas I had experience of were the ABC's nearly all the local urban cinema's were these, the saturday minors and although nearly all of them ended up as bingo halls they are the ones I remember most, the gaumonts were the posh pictures and carried flagship films,which tended to be too expencive for a whole family to go to the only film I ever saw in 16 yrs was "what a mad,mad,mad, world around 61/62, and then from the front seats balconys way out my price range.
regards
paul stacey
Click to expand...

There you go Paul. a memento to go with it. I've got a copy of the Gaumont Birmingham Boxing Day 1963 ad also, but at A3 size (!) its a bit big to scan in easily.:)
 
Paul, I thought the Gaumont in Brum was beautiful. Those luxurious waiting areas, with the sofa's and film star pictures all around. Oh what nostalgia. I think possibly I only went once and can't remember what I saw. Haven't we mostly been talking about Odeon's though? I loved those too.
 
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