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Birmingham Cinemas

Can anyone tell me when "Ben Hur" was shown at the Winson Green Rd Cinema. I can just about remember been taken there, with my parents, to see this film.
 
Phil,This version was made in 1959 so you would have probably seen it around that time.:)
Although there was a earlier version made in 1907...you can't be old enough for that one.:rolleyes:
 
Ray Barrett said:
Alf,
We probably watched Flash Gordon together at the Globe Cinema.
Do you remember the forms we sat on at the front for 4d.,they used to be turned over quite often,causing wonderful opportunities for a downward spiral into disorder and mayhem.:D
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Yes Ray we must have but we were always in the 6d seats left side of the cinema an right by the Exit leaning on those Brass safety Rails which we use to duck under to be first out at the end of the show. We meaning my late Sister Brenda. Why 6d seats thats what Mom would say we had to pay.
What about the Roy Rogers Films which they always seemed to have on at the Globe:)
 
alf,
You must have been posh in the sixpenny seats.:rolleyes:
My mom only gave me a tanner:(,and i had to get my bro.in as well,so I used to lean on his head as we went through,he was only little,and they could't see him.That left 2d for luxuries.:)
 
Alf,
Roy Rogers was always a favourite,I think it was Dale,his girl friend that caught my eye the most.:):):)
Do you remember when we used to pay for one lad to go in,and he would open the panic bolt inside and let 10 more in. All this cinema fun,for free,and you didn't have to pay for the fleas.:rolleyes:
 
I loved watching Flash Gordon at Saturday kid's matinee at the Lyric on Summer Hill. When the film broke down, which it often did, there was mayhem as you say Ray. Boy's used to throw ice cream cartons all over the place, and we all used to shout and squeal. Of course we all got told off.
 
I seen Ben Hur IN 1959 at a cinema on Bristol Rd corner of Belgrave Rd ,when i was 8yrs old i thought it was amazing,
 
Maggs,
How did we ever see a film?:rolleyes:,with all this foolishness going on,great fun to us,no doubt,but those who worked there must have been in despair:redface:.Haven't been to the cinema for a long time,bet they don't have the fun we did.How nice it would be to do it all again,perhaps we could all have a "meet up" at a cinema sometime and create havoc:D.
 
Don't fight it Elizabeth I get my free TV licence next year, looking forward to it:)
 
What Ray, create havoc in this day and age. We would probably be locked up for some 'Human Right's mishap.
 
Maggs, who cares ,so long as we can all be together,and Mary can bring her sewing machine.:):):)
Grow old disgracefully,you know it makes sense.:)
 
Yes Ray I agree with that. Mary can bring the sewing machine, you can bring your wok, and I will bring my needles and pin's. Let's have some fun eh?
 
That's the spirit bab:).Never did take the cinema very serious,after the boyhood misdemeanors,:rolleyes:it just became a place to take a girl and buy 2 shillings worth of dark in the back row.:):):)
 
Living in Yardley Wood as a child we used to go to the Tudor at Happy Valley or the the Robin Hood up on Stratford Road, walking of course, no Moms taxis in those
far off days Bernard
 
maggs said:
Yes Ray I agree with that. Mary can bring the sewing machine, you can bring your wok, and I will bring my needles and pin's. Let's have some fun eh?
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Yes maggs you bring your needles & pins I'll bring The Searchers:D
 
If it Helps The Winson Green Picture House was opened in 1914.

Architect Archibald Hurley Robinson

Closed Saturday 20th March 1959 and Demolished

Ray
 
I remember Frank from my short career as 3rd projectionist at The Plaza Stockland Green before going to The Cinephone, he sometimes had his dogs with him, there was also a manageress there too, anyone know who she was? He was a very nice man and I got on well with him, the chief projectionist was named (Richard) Ted and Brian was a part timer there too, the projectors were BTH Mk1's, even the box was cut at an angle becouse the building was that shape at the front.
 
I've been working on a set of 'Looking into the Past' locations in and around Birmingham city centre, and I have got a couple of cinema shots that may be of interest.

The full set is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparks68/sets/72157623373991736/ but I have attached small copies of the three I have of cinema locations.

I've linked to the original image locations on the individual Flickr photo pages, which are

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparks68/4841673162/in/set-72157623373991736/ - Odeon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparks68/4839600519/in/set-72157623373991736/ - Electric Left/Right
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparks68/4839599139/in/set-72157623373991736/ - Electric Up/Down
 
My Gran worked in the Orient in the High Street Aston. We lived in the next street over Alma Street. Almost opposite the Orient there was a sweet shop owned by an ex-Villa player. Georgie Cummings I think. I remember going to The Rock picture house in Alum Rock, a jamjar was the price of admission on a saturday morning.
 
HI SYLV;
Was you there at the aston cross picture house on the week end when the manager showed the
bill hayley film [ rock around the clock ] ?.
it was reported in the sunday mercury that week end it was showed, and the manager complained and banned the film of bill hayley as the local teddy boys and those from king standing
rocked and rolled down the isles and slashed alot of the seating that week end it cost him money
to replace the seating , personaly as l only lived two hundreds yards from the flic ;
i used to go myself occasionaly but preferred the astoria; where my aunt worked in the kiosk
so i did not have to pay so thats why i always went there
the very last time i went to the astoria i came out in the early fifties after whatching roy rogers
i got knocked down and spent months in hospital when i was a kid
i was a hit and run victim ; it took them months to find the driver
before they tracked him down ;and the amuseing thing was the surgeon whom operated on me was my witness apparrenty he was shopping at the big broom store purchasing some think he told me
after the operation ; do you recall the big broom above the shop ?.
have a nice day sylv; best wishes astonion ;;;
 
Hi ellbrown: Thanks for posting the photos of Piccadilly Arcade. I have photos I took of the ceiling a couple of years ago. It is just an amazing sight. I used to work across the road at New Street Station many years ago and would cut through the Arcade every day. Until now I didn't know that there was a cinema there originally. The Birmingham City Council used to have a dining room on the first floor back in the late l950's. Is there anymore info available on the Picture House's history. Thanks
 
Taken from my books ...


From Images of England: Birmingham Cinemas

Formerly it was a cinema called the Picture House which opened in 1910. The architects were Nichol & Nichol of Birmingham. Claimed to be the 'most luxurious ever', it only ever showed silent films and closed in 1926. After it was closed it was converted into an arcade of shops as it is today. Originally called the West End Arcade because of links to the West End Cinema, it is now known as the Piccadilly Arcade.
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From Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham

The Piccadilly Arcade has a handsome Baroque facade in white and green faience. Built as a cinema in 1910 by Nichol & Nichol. Giant arch entrance, open arcade, Wren-style turrets. It runs through to Stephenson Street. Bronze fascia and shopfronts of 1926 by J R Shaw, who made it a shopping arcade. Inside, the slope reflects the original rake of the seating. More original fronts with thin metal mullions and decorative top lights. Refurbished in 1989 by Douglas Hickman of the John Madin Design Group with trompe l'ceil ceiling paintings by Paul Maxfield.
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Thanks for that info on the Picture House. I certainly recall the slope and now can imagine that
it fitted in with the layout of a cinema. Never occurred to me that it had been a cinema.
Stephenson Place has a slope and I assumed that the Arcade was built to accommodate it.
 
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