• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Birmingham Cinemas

A 1938 aerial photo of the Imperial Cinema on Moseley Road. It shows what looks like a glass-roofed lean-to along the side of the cinema in Clifton Road. The screen area is noticeable on the end of the building.
index.php

linked pic only visible if logged in.
 
Hi Phil,

I certainly remember the Imperial Cinema (later The Cave), I used it when it was a cinema every Saturday afternoon for years at the kids matinee at 6d a session. I don't remember the glass roofed lean-to that you indicate being there in the early 50's and it was certainly gone tin the 60's as indicated by this photo of my old 3rd year form tutor at Dennis Road School Mr Jones taken outside the side exit of the cinema on Clifton Road.

Balsall Heath Imperial.jpgBalsall Heath Clifton Rd Mr Jones.jpg
 
Phil,
My theory about the lean-to is that visiting cinemas in the 1930s was so popular folks actually queued and the cinema thoughtfully sheltered them on rainy days. Your pic shows however that it would have been over a public footpath.
Skating Phil ... :)
 
The Imperial Cinema building's screen area looks like the back of an unknown building we were searching for some years ago. It obviously is not the Imperial Cinema but could possibly be some other cinema in Brum.
mikejee said:
that definitely seems to have been decided, so will put these on. There are five unknown ones, all taken successively on the film. I suspect they are all in the same area, but, other than the last two, which run together, I cannot say definitely that they are in the same area. the first one reminds me of some I took of Lawrence St, but I'm fairly sure, though not certain this is not from there.The shots immediately before were in Wright St Small Heath, and the one after of the brewery in Cato St north, but again I do not know if the fives are from those areas. I have posted them all together as they MIGHT be from the same area, so as to let you know that
30A~0.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I agree that they look very similar, but, as I remember it, the back of many cinemas looked similar
 
Phil

I suppose the lean-to could have been a bike shed, as there was certainly no car park. I don't think it was for queuing as the payment kiosk could only be reached via the front lobby.
 
When I was a kid we used to go to the Imperial and got on the tram or bus at the intersection of Highgate and Moseley Rds.It was only one stop but quite a long one. If the conductor asked for the fare we would ask for a penny ticket knowing that there was only a 1and halfpenny fare for this section. The idea was that this would be explained to us and we would be put off at the next stop ( outside the cinema ) and not have to pay.
They must have got wise to us and the one time we were made to pay the one and halfpenny and we were short of our picture money. I can only recall one picture seen there "Sanders of the River " featuring Paul Robson.
Don't remember the covered pavement and if we walked there we went up Ladypool Rd (The Lane ) and turned right to get to Moseley Rd and The Pictures.
Cheers Tim
 
This is the former Beacon Cinema at the Scott Arms in Great Barr.
Spent a lot of time here and the Clifton cinema down the road in the school holidays but had a soft spot for the beacon. This picture is the workmen finishing off the building before opening
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_2019-11-13-08-05-42-996~2.jpeg
    Screenshot_2019-11-13-08-05-42-996~2.jpeg
    248.7 KB · Views: 34
Some of my memorable times at the cinema's 1962/3 I was in St John's Ambulance got in the Gaumont free as I was on duty
saw Lawrence of Arabia I enjoyed it that much I had anothe six duties there, I watch it every time it's on the TV . Embarrassing moment me and a mate thought London in The Raw would be a rather steamy movie on the Cinephone Bristol St , so off we trot . We get in the door over to the ticket office bang the young lady giving out the tickets lived around the corner from me and probably knew I was underage , we acknowledged each other she gave me the ticket , the film was useless . The headlines read for this film "Five Healthy Men from Five Different Cities Fainted" over this film . Well you could understand it when you've watched blokes having plugs taken from their head and new hair cells implanted . Then finally one Sunday afternoon 1965/66 we went to the Scala Superama Smallbrook Queensway and saw the whole fifteen episodes of the 1943 of Batman . With J Carroll Naish(Charlie Chan) as Dr Dakar
 
Williamstreeter said:
Then finally one Sunday afternoon 1965/66 we went to the Scala Superama Smallbrook Queensway and saw the whole fifteen episodes of the 1943 of Batman . With J Carroll Naish(Charlie Chan) as Dr Dakar
Click to expand...
I might have seen that one in the same place (but not the same day). Was that the one that had an episode with an over-the-cliff ending in which the hero is seen to have escaped from the car in the next episode although he was visibly in there on the first?
 
wam said:
I might have seen that one in the same place (but not the same day). Was that the one that had an episode with an over-the-cliff ending in which the hero is seen to have escaped from the car in the next episode although he was visibly in there on the first?
Click to expand...

Thats the one Wam
 
On my exercise walk in and around the Jewellery Quarter area I’m taking my time to look in detail at things and am fascinated at the level of carved and moulded detail high up on many of the old buildings. I will do a walk based on these when we come out of this but the reason for this post is I wandered along Water Street this morning and at approx 80 to 86 it looks suspiciously like an old small cinema or theatre (but no doubt something else). Any info for me anyone? Cheers.
 
could you post a street view of the building brian i cant seem to get under the bridge via google

lyn
 
The City of Birmingham once had (until around 1947) an electrical facility building in Water Street, which was served with supplies from the canal. I wonder if that is the place you saw?
 
It's Constitution Hill end of the street. The stuff behind the frontage is typical factory but looks relatively modern compared to the frontage.
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20200411-163352.png
    Screenshot_20200411-163352.png
    1.9 MB · Views: 18
  • Screenshot_20200411-163344.png
    Screenshot_20200411-163344.png
    1.2 MB · Views: 18
  • Screenshot_20200411-163332.png
    Screenshot_20200411-163332.png
    1 MB · Views: 18
  • Screenshot_20200411-163339.png
    Screenshot_20200411-163339.png
    1 MB · Views: 17
It is marked as a warehouse on the c1950 large scale map. Kellys from pre WW2 show the building belonging to the electrical supply dept as being on the short length of Water st on the other side of Ludgate Hill, so not this building
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top