Birmingham Cinemas

[cabman2]

Remember the Ashted cinema. Threepenny crush Saturday afternoon . Us lads would be making a row and the manager put on the lights to chastise us. We used to sneak in through the back doors and if he saw us he would chase us with a big stick happy days

 

[maggs]

Can someone tell me where the Birmingham News Theatre used to be in the 1950's please? Was it the newly refurbished Electrc theatre?

 

[devonjim]

From memory it was on the High Street between Albert Street and Carrs Lane

 

[cabman2]

Can someone tell me where the Birmingham News Theatre used to be in the 1950's please? Was it the newly refurbished Electrc theatre?

As you came out ofNew Street station it was exactly opposite in Station street . Went there many times

 

[Jayell]

Hello Maggs - The News Theatre was on High Street, around where M&S is roughly now. The Tatler/Electric was in Station Street. I went to both many times with my Dad to see cartoons when we were in town when I was a little girl.

Judy

 

[maggs]

Thank you one and all for that info. I never went there, but I remember that we had one in the town. Hello Judy, it sounds as though the Tatler/Electric showed a similar sort of thing. What a shame I missed out on them.

 

[mhemery]

Here it is just before albert st,and new meeting street,

 

[Phil]

I think the confusion arises because there were two News Theatre's in Birmingham that bore the same name among many others that were used during their lifetimes and at some time during their lives they were owned by the Jacey Cinema Group.

The News Theatre 56-57 High Street opened in 1932 and closed in 1960
The News Theatre opened in 1910 as the Electric Cinema and is still open today

 

[pjmburns]

Which one had the news going across the front in lights? Was that the High Street one? I vaguely remember being fascinated as a child.

Janice

 

[Phil]

Janice

It was the one on the High Street and it was the first cinema in Birmingham to have a moving illuminated display sign.

 

[Bishopsmate]

I used to read those signs to my Dad when I were little - we used to go up town to see the carnival. Dad used to plonk me on the wall of the bombed building on Bull Street, fetch me some roasted chestnuts from the hot potato man, and then we waited till the carnival came round the corner. Sitting up there on the wall I could see everything going on and I loved it. Reading those lights as they went around the building was really exciting and a big challenge ..... daft now when I think about it!!! I suppose Dad put me there out of harms way .....

 

[Lady Penelope]

The Mayfair Erdington

Hi,

I remember the Mayfair and although it's in Kingstanding I think it used to be in the area known as Perry Common which appears to have vanished. The library which we used a lot was Perry Common Library but is now B44 I think. I think both buildings may have been part of the massive development which stretched to Court Lane via Witton Lodge Road. The boundaries kept on shifting and various old names got swallowed up.

Different topic but still on Erdington. I remember going to the baths at Erdington and the two hot drinks on offer, for us kids, were either Bovril or Cow & Gate. Both of which were served with a Rich Tea finger - I think they were about 1d or 2d. I always had the Bovril as I couldn't pluck up the courage to try the other one (funny that, now I look back). Does anyone know what Cow & Gate actually was or have I got the name wrong?

 

[paul stacey]

slightly off topic Penelope, but I seem to remember "cow &gate", as a very milky chocolate drink. I on the other hand at Harbourn baths, loved chocolate Horlicks at 5d, old money a fortune to a 12 year old.Paul

 

[farmerdave]

slightly off topic Penelope, but I seem to remember "cow &gate", as a very milky chocolate drink. I on the other hand at Harbourn baths, loved chocolate Horlicks at 5d, old money a fortune to a 12 year old.Paul

Cow & Gate Chocolate Milk Advert here. Not sure of the vintage. Dave.

 

[Astonian]

The Broad way Plaza entertainment complex at Five Ways originally The Childrens Hospital.the frontage Was retained When a State Of the art twelve - screen
Cinema Complex Was Openend In 2003
With Numerous bars and resturants.
The Mail Box mixed- use Shopping, leisure and office Complex Gets its name from the fact it was once the Main postal Sorting Office.
The Sorting Office moved to a new 40 , million development in Newton row ,that got under Way in January 1997 ,
iT Was a Red Letter Day for the Mail Box When It Openend In 1998.

 

[Lady Penelope]

Oh Dear Paul! I was swapping between the Erdington thread and this one - let's just blame a senior moment for the lapse of going off topic. Thanks for the info - I thought it was something like that. Thanks also to farmerdave as well for that lovely picture. I'm always amazed at the wealth of info on this site. Back to cinemas now.

 

[Chebalina]

I must have seen one of the last films to be screened at the Capitol in Ward End.

It was disastrous. Not only was I scared out if my wits when something brushed against my leg (of all things, a flipping cat in the auditorium), but we also ended up sitting in our coats all the way through the film because there was no heating. Then when we got home we had to smother ourselves in cream because we were covered in flea bites. I guess that's why they call them flea pits

 

[Chebalina]

There was a cinema called the ABC Bristol Road. My hubby and I arrived there late to see McVicar starring Roger Daltry. The cinema was full with the exception of two front seats. Despite the prospect of permanent neck damage we crept down the aisle, apologising to everyone as the usherette shone her torch to show us the way. We were so embarrassed, we just ducked down until we reached our seats and tried to cause as little disruption as possible. Then the unthinkable happened. As I sat on my seat it completely collapsed and I ended up flat on the floor with my legs stretched out in front of me. After rapturous applause from the whole audience I had no choice but to remain in that position until the film ended. My one and only visit - but one I'll never forget.

 

[mikejee]

As they did not provide a seat they ought to gave refunded your entrance

 

[Old Boy]

As they did not provide a seat they ought to gave refunded your entrance

Hi All,
I cannot understand why she had to remain there until the film ended. Could no one have come and picked her up? In any case she may have been injured.

Old Boy

 

[Chris B]

As they did not provide a seat they ought to gave refunded your entrance

There was always a misconception with regard to admission price to a cinema, the admission price is to view the film, there are seats for you when available, in the old days when the cinemas were very busy quite often people stood at the back to view the film when all the seats were taken, granted it was usually the job of a doorman or attendant to inform the patrons of the availability of seats or otherwise.

 

[Chris B]

To add to Di's list. The Gaumont, where I saw the first film of my life
"Snow White". The West End, The Scala in Smallbrook Street, knocked down in mid 50s to make way for the "new" Bull Ring. I also went once to the Gaiety in Coleshill Street, and I think it was called the Rookery in Handsworth not sure. When I was about 13 years old we were mad about "Annie Get Your Gun", and would follow it round the circuit.

THE ROOKERY PICTURE PALACE. Rookery Road Handsworth opened in April 1914 with the film the White Witch, it seated 700. It was advertised as the Coolest House In The Midlands" In 1920 it became the headquaters of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association, it closed down in February 1957 and the building was used as a religious temple.

 

[Chris B]

Sylvia, there was never a cinema called the rookery in handsworth, could it have been the Regal you're thinking of?

THE ROOKERY PICTURE PALACE. Rookery Road Handsworth opened in April 1914 with the film the White Witch, it seated 700. It was advertised as the Coolest House In The Midlands" In 1920 it became the headquaters of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association, it close down in February 1957 and the building was used as a religious temple.

 

[A Sparks]

THE ROOKERY PICTURE PALACE. Rookery Road Handsworth opened in April 1914 with the film the White Witch, it seated 700. It was advertised as the Coolest House In The Midlands" In 1920 it became the headquaters of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association, it close down in February 1957 and the building was used as a religious temple.

For a number of years, before it became a Temple, it was The Plaza, a music venue which featured many famous and subsequently famous bands/ groups of the late 50s and 60s.

 

[PeterClay]

Sylvia, there was never a cinema called the rookery in handsworth, could it have been the Regal you're thinking of?

There was a cinema called The Rookery. It was in Rookery Road between Aylesford Road and Mervyn Road. After closing as a cinema Pop groups used to perform there [including the Beatles]

 

[PeterClay]

I have a vague memory of a derelict cinema in Baker Street. [Ist on the right past Grove Lane] There is a carpark there now and it is a cul-de-sac, but in my youth it joined up with Dawson Road. Until about 50 years ago I could remember the name of the cinema. Unfortunately I can find no evidence to support this memory. We had quite a few cinemas to choose from in Handsworth. The Albion [up by the New Inns] The Regal, The Grand Picture Palace, The Elite, The Rookery and not too far away the Villa Cross and the Paladium

 

[carolina]

The Rookery became The Plaza

 

[A Sparks]

Woops - posted something in error!

 

[Bob Davis]

I have a vague memory of a derelict cinema in Baker Street. [Ist on the right past Grove Lane] There is a carpark there now and it is a cul-de-sac, but in my youth it joined up with Dawson Road. Until about 50 years ago I could remember the name of the cinema. Unfortunately I can find no evidence to support this memory. We had quite a few cinemas to choose from in Handsworth. The Albion [up by the New Inns] The Regal, The Grand Picture Palace, The Elite, The Rookery and not too far away the Villa Cross and the Paladium

Were the Regal and the Elite on the right hand side of Soho Road as you came from Birmingham to West Bromwich. Cinemas where you could catch the old films? One night in the 1960s when we lived in South Road we went to one of them, went in at 6.30pm and came out 1110pm, the two films wer a Town \Like Alice and the Glenn Miller Story, all for about 1/9d each. Lived in Erdington and Handsworth, so the Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and occasionally the Beaufort via the Outer Circle bus were all favourite, but also managed Slade Road and Stockland Green and on occasions the Odeon Perry Barr. What a wonderful choice we had. By the way whatever happened to the Cinephione, trying to show my girlfriend how up market and intelligent I was, I took her to see a film called 'Buckets of Blood'....modern jazz sound track.....I am surprised we stayed together after that!! Keep up the memories, because in a minute no-one will realise what life was really like back in the 'bad' old days.

Bob Davis

 

[Chris B]

Frank Riego ( I have spelled his name wrong in the past) lived down the road from me and I saw him frequently when growing up as his house was across the road from my school on Marsh Hill. Also, I went often to the matinees at the Plaza in the l940's and early 1950's. We always knew when he was at the Plaza as he parked his Rover car outside. Our family knew him as the Manager at the Plaza for decades. Mr. Riego exercised his several Alsatian dogs at the bottom of the gully close to our house on most mornings. I saw the dogs with Mr. R on my way to school and was quite frightened by them. Perhaps it was because Mr. R often used to feed them raw meat in the gully! He was the President of the Birmingham Alsatian Dog Association for many years. Never heard that Mr. Riego owned the Star. There are a few threads about the Star Picture House on the Forum at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=15927&page=2

photos of the PLAZA Stockland Green