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Birmingham Cinemas

Is this the picture house that became the Empress? Any idea of the year this photo was taken? As I said before, my uncle, Bernard Murphy was a projectionist there in the 1930's.
 
cba said:
Is this the picture house that became the Empress? Any idea of the year this photo was taken? As I said before, my uncle, Bernard Murphy was a projectionist there in the 1930's.
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Hello cba, I have no further information with this pic but another member may well know a lot more about it.
 
cba said:
Is this the picture house that became the Empress? Any idea of the year this photo was taken? As I said before, my uncle, Bernard Murphy was a projectionist there in the 1930's.
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It is the Empress, the 107 used to leave from the front, be interesting to be able to blow th picture up to see if the bus had any recognisable numbers etc, but I would suggest from the bus and the cars late 20s, early 30s.
Bob
 
Bob Davis said:
It is the Empress, the 107 used to leave from the front, be interesting to be able to blow th picture up to see if the bus had any recognisable numbers etc, but I would suggest from the bus and the cars late 20s, early 30s.
Bob
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Not a very clear view of the bus but a guess would be one built between 1927 and 1933. The 107 route has a history, it seems, dating from 1923.
 
Anyone have a pic of the 'Tivoli' on the Cov rd in Yardley area. Spent many many hours snoggin my bird in that one.
 
A survivor on the Hagley Road West between Quinton and Halesowen.

These day's it's called Reel Cinema.





This is a beautiful, traditional Art Deco style cinema, located in the west Birmingham suburb of Quinton. It is based on the Hagley Road several 100 yards after the Kings Highway Pub as you go towards Mucklow Hill.

The Danilo Cinema opened on 7th August 1939 with Sydney Toler in “Charlie Chan in Honolulu” and Jane Withers in “Always in Trouble”. With a total seating capacity of 1,598 in stalls and circle levels, it was the largest of the cinemas built by Mortimer Dent for his independent Danilo circuit. The company head office was based at this cinema.

The Danilo Cinema was taken over by the Essoldo Circuit on 26th August 1954, and was re-named Essoldo. It was taken over by the Classic Cinemas chain on 2nd April 1972, and was later tripled, re-opening on 26th July 1973 with “Cabaret”, “The Ten Commandments” and “The Sound of Music”. Later it was split into four screens, Screen 1 having a seating capacity of 300, Screen 2 having a seating capacity of 236, Screen 3 having a seating capacity of 232 and finally Screen 4 having a seating capacity of 121.

Taken over by the Cannon Group in 1986, it then went to ABC in 1996. In 1999 the theatre underwent a major re-furbishment program. The foyer’s Art Deco style walls were fully restored to traditional pastel green and blue shades, the general layout of the foyer has been arranged so the new glass Art Deco style ticket booths are to the left, refreshments are to the right, and the signage indicating the direction to the various screens has also been improved. The sound systems had been replaced, and larger screens have replaced the older smaller ones that many cinema-goers had complained about.

Two years later, with Odeon Theatres in control, the seating and carpeting in all screens had been replaced improving both legroom and general comfort, no longer would you have to sit through a movie and feel that the base of your spine and your thighs had become very numb.

More recently in 2006, it was taken over by Reel Cinemas and the frontage of the cinema has been restored to it’s former Art Deco style glory. The window frames at the front of the cinema have been painted in a scheme of navy blue, and the signage has also been replaced with black and neon blue signage that has to be seen to be believed.

All in all this is a very appreciative cinema. Now having had essential restoraion/refurbishment work carried out to it, this is a very commendable and highly enjoyable suitable cinema for taking the whole family to.

Screen 1 Dolby SR
Screens 2-4 Dolby Stereo ‘A’ Type.
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The Delicia, inside and outside in the 50's when it was as BBC television studio. It opened as a cinema in 1923 and closed in 1951 when it was purchased by the City Council and converted to a theatre but that didn't last long and it soon became a boxing venue before it was used by the BBC.

Gosta Green Delica Cinema Inside 1951.jpg Gosta Green 1958.jpg
 
Can anybody help me. I remember going to a cinema in Aston in 1967 or 1968 to see Jane Fonda in Barberella.
As far as my memory goes it was down Corporation St, past Aston University, possibly in the area where the expressway is now although not sure. In my memory it was not a stand alone building, more like a tall building in a row of tall buildings. I think it had the name of the cinema in neon lights in a vertical direction, possibly an ABC cinema.
I'm sure the building is not around today as I worked in Aston in recent times and have been unable to locate it.
What I was doing going to the flicks in Aston when I lived in Solihull I'm not sure.
 
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Elmdon Boy, was it the ABC Coleshill Street? I took my small daughter there in the 1970's to see 'The Slipper & The Rose' with Richard Chamberlain and Gemma Craven. The sound was very loud and Jen kept asking if it could be turned down.
 
I guess it could have been, your memory sometimes plays tricks. Thanks Lady P and Phil.
Where about would it have been located in the present Brum?
 
As far as I know it runs through Aston University almost parallel to Jennens Road terminating in Woodcock Street by the baths but, by the time I write this, things could have changed!
 
Elmdon Boy

Perhaps these two maps might help you to pinpoint the site more easily, on both the site of the Gaiety is indicated with a red cross.


55.JPG

phil01_0002.jpg
 
I find it quite difficult to imagine where the original buildings would have been now that the street is part of the campus. I lose my bearings too. As an aside, I seem to remember Jem Mace 'took to' the Black Lion at some point in the late 19th century.
 
I think looking at the maps that would be it Phil, thanks a lot.
Well I'll be blowed, having worked at offices in Holt St for 17 years, I regularly sat by that lake on the campus during my lunch break on a summers day not realising I was a stones throw from that cinema.
 
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