• 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

The Futurist Cinema in John Bright Street has been given Grade 2 listed status...

An old Birmingham cinema that spent years as a strip club and shisha bar has been granted Grade II listed status.
The Futurist, on John Bright Street, has been listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), aknowledging that it is of special interest.
The old cinema, built in 1919, was the first in Birmingham to show a 'talkie' film after years of silent shows, screening The Singing Fool back in 1929.
4406766311_384376e416_o.webp
 
A Sparks said:
The Futurist Cinema in John Bright Street has been given Grade 2 listed status...

An old Birmingham cinema that spent years as a strip club and shisha bar has been granted Grade II listed status.
The Futurist, on John Bright Street, has been listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), aknowledging that it is of special interest.
The old cinema, built in 1919, was the first in Birmingham to show a 'talkie' film after years of silent shows, screening The Singing Fool back in 1929.
View attachment 201607
Click to expand...
What a beautiful building and still standing at over 100 years!
 
I took the wife to see A Summer Story, around 1988 - I'm sure it was at The Futurist. A lovely, romantic film, but I don't recall ever seeing it being shown on the television, since then.
I also saw a horror film the same year, called The Unholy, starring the excellent American actor Ned Beatty. The wife wouldn't accompany me on that occasion, however!
One thing I always remember about the Futurist cinema, was that the seats were old and not very comfortable. When you got up to go to the loo, you could feel your coat and trousers sticking to the seat! Also, the acoustics weren't great; very echoey, as I recall.
Still, it's great news that the building has survived and is being as a restaurant. I just hope they're not using the same seats!
 
Hello everyone,


I’m reaching out with a very personal request and hoping the collective memory of this community might be able to help.


I am trying to learn more about my late grandfather, Mir Afzal Khan (Mir Afsar), who was one of the co-owners of the Luxor Cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. He passed away when I was just one year old, and sadly our family does not have any photographs of him. Because of this, so much of who he was has been lost to time, and it feels like a missing piece of our family history.


If anyone here remembers him, worked with him, visited the Luxor Cinema regularly, or even has photographs, documents, or stories connected to the cinema from that era, I would be deeply grateful to hear from you. Even the smallest memory, a passing interaction, or an impression of his character would mean more to us than words can say.


We are especially hoping to understand who he was as a person beyond his role in business. What was he like with people? Was he well known in the community? Did your family ever interact with him or spend time at the Luxor Cinema during those years?


This search is about reconnecting with a part of our family history that we never had the chance to know properly, and any help at all could help bring his story back to life.


Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to reply here or message me privately if you prefer.


With gratitude,
His Dearest Granddaughter.
 
Shahtaj said:
Hello everyone,


I’m reaching out with a very personal request and hoping the collective memory of this community might be able to help.


I am trying to learn more about my late grandfather, Mir Afzal Khan (Mir Afsar), who was one of the co-owners of the Luxor Cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. He passed away when I was just one year old, and sadly our family does not have any photographs of him. Because of this, so much of who he was has been lost to time, and it feels like a missing piece of our family history.


If anyone here remembers him, worked with him, visited the Luxor Cinema regularly, or even has photographs, documents, or stories connected to the cinema from that era, I would be deeply grateful to hear from you. Even the smallest memory, a passing interaction, or an impression of his character would mean more to us than words can say.


We are especially hoping to understand who he was as a person beyond his role in business. What was he like with people? Was he well known in the community? Did your family ever interact with him or spend time at the Luxor Cinema during those years?


This search is about reconnecting with a part of our family history that we never had the chance to know properly, and any help at all could help bring his story back to life.


Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to reply here or message me privately if you prefer.


With gratitude,
His Dearest Granddaughter.
Click to expand...
welcome to the BHF Shahtaj
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top