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Birmingham Cinemas

Stokkie said:
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'
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The programme cover and list of films from the Arts Lab in 1979.
 

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Stokkie said:
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
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wow all i saw when young at the flics was flash gordon or superman:(
 
mw0njm. said:
all i saw when young at the flics was flash gordon or superman:(
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Mom was an older generation, she'd seen music hall, then Chaplin. Her courting films were Gregory Peck as she'd seen a lot of these with Dad, when she was widowed she carried on taking me. Her woman friend introduced her to 'Sound of Music, 'South Pacific' 'The Waltz King' and Mario Lanza in 'The Great Caruso' She also took me to 'On the Buses'! When I was old enough to be out with mates, we saw Enter the Dragon and The Exorcist. I can't remember anyone ever asking me how old I was at the box office. In my teens, at the Arts Lab in Aston there was an audience walk out when a German film depicted a cat being crucified on a church door. I also saw a lot of films starring Isabelle Huppert which as a working class boy from Smethwick with a sheltered life I found educational. ;)
 
Stokkie said:
Mom was an older generation, she'd seen music hall, then Chaplin. Her courting films were Gregory Peck as she'd seen a lot of these with Dad, when she was widowed she carried on taking me. Her woman friend introduced her to 'Sound of Music, 'South Pacific' 'The Waltz King' and Mario Lanza in 'The Great Caruso' She also took me to 'On the Buses'! When I was old enough to be out with mates, we saw Enter the Dragon and The Exorcist. I can't remember anyone ever asking me how old I was at the box office. In my teens, at the Arts Lab in Aston there was an audience walk out when a German film depicted a cat being crucified on a church door. I also saw a lot of films starring Isabelle Huppert which as a working class boy from Smethwick with a sheltered life I found educational. ;)
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i remember going to the scala to see the longest day it seemed to go on for yonks. and jaws at the odeon that scared me:grinning:
 
With Halloween looming F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu, black & white 1922 is recommended to freak out anyone who hasn't seen it before. The Werner Herzog remake with Klaus Kinski is excellent too. Both seen at Arts Lab, naturally!th-746610888.jpeg
 
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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If anyone is interested way back in 2008 and 2012 I wrote an article about my time in the cinema business at The Sheldon and Warwick Cinemas. It can be accessed on this link. https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/for...confessions-of-a-cinema-employee.11240/page-2
 
I was at Birmingham Uni in the early 70s and I remember the following cinemas:
  • the ABC, New Street - biggest memory was seeing 2001 A Space Odyssey there while stoned!
  • the Odeon, New Street - more for rock concerts; among others, The Stones in 1973, Queen 1975
  • the Gaumont - can't remember what we saw, but it was a big, plush, old-fashioned cinema
  • the Futurist - I seem to remember it showed more offbeat movies?
  • the Arts Lab (Smallbrook Queensway?) - we saw Fellini's Satyricon there, rather unforgettable!
  • was there also an Odeon Queensway, or was that the other name of the Arts Lab?
  • a place we called the 'Porn(ophone? was it the Cinephone?)' on Bristol Street (content can be guessed at!)
  • later, there was a multiplex on the corner of Bristol Rd and the Middleway, now gone .
 
Tidd said:
  • the Arts Lab (Smallbrook Queensway?) - we saw Fellini's Satyricon there, rather unforgettable!
  • was there also an Odeon Queensway, or was that the other name of the Arts Lab?
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Can't have been the Arts Lab which was originally in a fairly grotty part of Newtown and then moved to Gosta Green.
 
Tidd said:
I was at Birmingham Uni in the early 70s and I remember the following cinemas:
  • the ABC, New Street - biggest memory was seeing 2001 A Space Odyssey there while stoned!
  • the Odeon, New Street - more for rock concerts; among others, The Stones in 1973, Queen 1975
  • the Gaumont - can't remember what we saw, but it was a big, plush, old-fashioned cinema
  • the Futurist - I seem to remember it showed more offbeat movies?
  • the Arts Lab (Smallbrook Queensway?) - we saw Fellini's Satyricon there, rather unforgettable!
  • was there also an Odeon Queensway, or was that the other name of the Arts Lab?
  • a place we called the 'Porn(ophone? was it the Cinephone?)' on Bristol Street (content can be guessed at!)
  • later, there was a multiplex on the corner of Bristol Rd and the Middleway, now gone .
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Futurist i think you right about Cinephone The Jacey and the cinema on Bristol Road became a McDonalds.
 
No Arts Lab cinema on Smallbrook ringway or thereabouts in the early 70s. If you saw Satyricon around there it was probably in the Cinephone.
 
Stokkie said:
The Longest Day a memorable film. Jaws - the special effects seem crude now, but scared me then too! Earthquake had a gimmick of bass sound to shake the seats.
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That is the last movie I saw before I emigrated. Saw it on Steelhouse Lane near Snow Hill. Two days later I boarded the boat train to Southampton!
 
Hi all. Just walking up to the Alex but cut through Warwick Passage on my way and for the first time I noticed a magnificent art deco building hidden behind Corporation Street.
Looks like an old theatre/cinema and will look up when I'm back home after the show but if there's info on here already I'd be grateful for pointers. Cheers
 
Covroad said:
Attached
Map of Small Heath Picture House (past)
2x advertising / programmes apologies there is some foxing on one of the pages
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Hi Covroad,

I think there's a slight error on the map, showing the Elite in Garrison Lane
when it was actually on Bordesley Green on the corner of Crown Road.
I lived in the flat above the tobacconists (Walker and Walker) on the other
corner of Crown road, and that was no 36 Bordesley Green..

Kind regards
Dave.
 
Dave89 said:
Hi Covroad,

I think there's a slight error on the map, showing the Elite in Garrison Lane
when it was actually on Bordesley Green on the corner of Crown Road.
I lived in the flat above the tobacconists (Walker and Walker) on the other
corner of Crown road, and that was no 36 Bordesley Green..

Kind regards
Dave.
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Hi Dave89,
I sourced the map from an old book I have had for some time titled the ABC of Small Heath and Bordesley Green , ironically I got the book a jumble sale on some tables on the square opposite the Victoria pub on the way to the Blues some years ago ( I think the sale was for the cubs or girl guides)
Thank you for the update , the factual information you have given demonstrates the value of this forum where by individuals posting and sharing local knowledge increases everyones knowledge of Birmingham .
Thanks again
 
Poster for Gone with the Wind, cinemas and bus numbers. Still had trolley buses running to the Kingston Small Heath (by the BLUES)
 

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