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Birmingham Cinemas

Chris B said:
Located in the Handsworth district of Birmingham. The Rookery Picture House was opened on 18th April 1914 with “The White Witch”. It was operated by G.F. McDonald, and was advertised as ‘The Coolest House in the Midlands’. Seating was provided for 700 and the proscenium was 20 feet wide.

The Rookery Picture House was equipped with CinemaScope around 1954, and the proscenium widened to 23 feet. Around this time it was renamed Rookery Cinema, but this was short lived as it was closed on 6th February 1957. It was a dance hall then a Mosque after it closed.
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Many great Saturday nights at the Plaza!
 
No TV until was 23 and went to Radio Rentals and bought one. So a visit to the cinema was special.
The Majestic Bearwood closed 1959, I only remember it as a market. So cinema meant a bus trip.

Essoldo Quinton Musicals and films starring Gregory Peck were my introduction to cinema.
The Grove Smethwick Sam Peckinpah's ‘Straw Dogs’ I was taken by mates, we were young and I regretted it. 1971

The Princes Smethwick ‘The Waltz King’1963, Die Brücke (The Bridge) a 1959 West German anti-war film directed by Austrian filmmaker Bernhard Wicki. This film didn’t have a certificate and mom didn’t realise that the climax involved a teenager being machine gunned attempting to cross the railway. I think I was about 11. Must have been a double bill with a Gregory Peck movie. They did a children's cinema club on a weekend morning.
Cinema closed 1970 with Carry on Camping. Hindi films until 1980.
Odeon New Street ‘The Exorcist ‘ 1973 Woody Allen ‘Manhattan’ 1980 Graduation movie.
The Gaumont Wide Screen. ‘Sound of Music’, ‘Waterloo’ Best big screen experience ever.

The Electric Independant
Arts Lab, Aston Triangle French & German Art House Movies including Godard, Fassbinder and Wim Wenders 'The American Friend' 1980s. With a UB 40 card you could see films from 50p My introduction to Art House films. Derek Jarman 'The Tempest'
Cannon Hill Arts Centre
 
Programme at The Electric is varied. "Mrs Harris Goes to Paris" yesterday. Glad they are open again. Didn't go inside, but photographed on way to 'Back-to-Backs'
 
we used to get to the matinee show afternoon for 3d

Located in the Saltley district of Birmingham. The Rock Cinema opened on 15th January 1934 with Gracie Fields in “This Week of Grace”, and a Laurel & Hardy short.
Designed by architectural firm Satchwell and Roberts, with Roland Satchwell acting as supervising architect. The builder was C. Bryant & Sons, and it was owned by Regalia Cinema Company (Birmingham) Ltd, who’s principle directors were Leon Salberg and Sydney Clift. An interesting note regarding the projection equipment is that Western Electric was installed, and not the usual BTH which Clifton Cinemas installed.
The Rock Cinema later came under the control of C. Bryant of the Coronet Group of cinemas. It seems also that Clifton booked the films for the Rock Cinema only, with all other services required to run the cinema being done at the Coronet Cinema. On the death of Clift the Coronet Group did their own booking. The Rock Cinema later become majority owned by the C. Bryant & Son. The last manager was Leslie Gibbons, who went on to close the Atlas Cinema, the Sheldon Cinema, the Beaufort Cinema and the Kingsway Cinema.
The Rock Cinema was closed on Sunday 16th January 1972 with Kent Taylor in “Phantom from 10,000 Leagues”. The building was sold to Whitehouse and Kendrick for conversion into a bingo club, later passing to Ladbrokes Bingo and then to Gala Bingo. It has now been demolished.
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Chris B said:
Located in the Handsworth district of Birmingham. The Rookery Picture House was opened on 18th April 1914 with “The White Witch”. It was operated by G.F. McDonald, and was advertised as ‘The Coolest House in the Midlands’. Seating was provided for 700 and the proscenium was 20 feet wide.

The Rookery Picture House was equipped with CinemaScope around 1954, and the proscenium widened to 23 feet. Around this time it was renamed Rookery Cinema, but this was short lived as it was closed on 6th February 1957. It was a dance hall then a Mosque after it closed.
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The dance hall was the Plaza. A happening place in the early 60’s on Saturday night!
 
the one that shook when a train went past............Located in the Alum Rock/Ward End district to the East of Birmingham. Billed as ‘The Super Cinema of the Suburbs’, the 900-seat Capitol Cinema was opened on 4th April 1925 with “Broken Barriers” starring Norma Shearer and “Wine of Youth” starring Eleanor Boardman. It was designed by architectural firm Satchwell & Roberts, with the facade designed by architect Archibald Hurley Robinson .:grinning:

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In 1964 it had a major refurbishment with a 48ft picture, with intention of 70mm presentations. This they decided not to change the equipment in the end. In 1979 saw a conversion into 3 screens. We used Modernisiation Ltd., again (headed by John Freeze-Greene grandson of William Freeze-Green father was one of the Fathers of Cinema). Seating capacities in the screens were:- (1) 350 (2) 250 (3)130, and the re-opening films were “Bear Island”, “Love at First Bite” and “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”. The Capitol Cinema was closed in 1996 with “Muppet Treasure Island”. It then become a Mosque.

it was a bit small for a cinema me thinks i had a friend who was the projectionist so it cost me nunk to go in;)
 
Great information . One more memory jogger . Did anyone got to the Warwick Picture House Acocks Green. Watched the Excorsist and Jaws there. Remember everyone jumped when the head rolled out of the boat including me in Jaws. When you look back Birmingham had its fair share of Cinemas. Nothing like trying to watch the latest blockbuster with the sound of sweet wrappers and crisp packets being opened in one ear and someone sucking every last drop of Kiora in the other ear .Happy days. Hope i spelt Kiora correct.
 
Time Traveller 66 said:
Great information . One more memory jogger . Did anyone got to the Warwick Picture House Acocks Green. Watched the Excorsist and Jaws there. Remember everyone jumped when the head rolled out of the boat including me in Jaws. When you look back Birmingham had its fair share of Cinemas. Nothing like trying to watch the latest blockbuster with the sound of sweet wrappers and crisp packets being opened in one ear and someone sucking every last drop of Kiora in the other ear .Happy days. Hope i spelt Kiora correct.
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Yes, if I remember correctly there was a Chinese restaurant above a shop close to the Warwic cinema
 
Stokkie said:
I've never been inside the projection box in a commercial cinema, so this Warwick University Archive is a glance behind the scenes in some Midlands cinemas. Quite an insight.
https://projectionproject.warwick.ac.uk/items/browse?tags=Midlands
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When the Rookery was being converted to the Plaza dance hall I was in my final year at Willam Murdoch. They bought in two fellows to remove the projection equipment. They were ver nice and explained to a couple of us exactly how it worked, changing reels on the fly and the ark lights. Fascinating as a 16 year old wanna be engineer. All changed now!
 
Time Traveller 66 said:
Great information . One more memory jogger . Did anyone got to the Warwick Picture House Acocks Green. Watched the Excorsist and Jaws there. Remember everyone jumped when the head rolled out of the boat including me in Jaws. When you look back Birmingham had its fair share of Cinemas. Nothing like trying to watch the latest blockbuster with the sound of sweet wrappers and crisp packets being opened in one ear and someone sucking every last drop of Kiora in the other ear .Happy days. Hope i spelt Kiora correct.
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The taste of Kiora or its plastic container is never forgotten!
 
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