Erdington Village and Paramount (Odeon) Cinema

[davidfowler]

Sorry if you've seen these before but scanned them on the day this Forum went down so I'd like to make a new post!
On the Paramount my uncle is on the extreme right, he somehow wangled himself into the pic despite having nothing to do with the cinema!

 

[dennis]

Hi dave,when my pal & I were 17, we went to one of the paramount's usherettes birthday party,and of course all those lovely usherettes were there,we had a great time,and we never seemed to have a problem getting in to the cinema

 

[davidfowler]

Hi Dennis
I suppose there was loads of ginger beer and crisps! Hope the young ladies were hospitable!
Cheers
David

 

[Di.Poppitt]

Great photo's David, the girls look wonderful. When I'm in Brum I always think how pretty the girls are, hasn't changed from the 30's.

 

[Frothblower]

Where was the Paramount?

 

[Richie]

Its the Odeon,New Street that now is (no less!). Along with 5 other grand picture palaces owned by the Paramount studios in the thirties (along with Manchester and Newcastle-on-Tyne for example) which transferred to Odeon ownership during the war(Birmingham 1942 to be exact)

 

[Frothblower]

Its the Odeon,New Street that now is (no less!). Along with 5 other grand picture palaces owned by the Paramount studios in the thirties (along with Manchester and Newcastle-on-Tyne for example) which transferred to Odeon ownership during the war(Birmingham 1942 to be exact)

Thanks Richie, much obliged.

 

[Richie]

Just for speed, there's an interior photo of the then Paramount on the major cinema-organ website:-

www.penistone-compton.co.uk/history/paramount

I'll endeavour to get an external photo for later today(depending on my day job!)

 

[dav19390]

In the Odeon, New Street, there used to be the Paramount Mountain symbol, (as used at the start of their films) worked into a pattern on the low barrier that separated the stalls from the screen when it was a one- screen cinema.
I noticed it when I was a boy and often thought it suggested that the cinema was originally built by Paramount and now you have confirmed that.
I doubt that it is still there - probably gone now it's a multiplex.

Thank you, Richie

 

[Richie]

Yes Dave,afraid so. Many moons ago now. Went there a few years ago to see just one particular film of interest. Its a real dump now, so sad to say...my own memory goes back to the 1960's. When a flagship for the Rank Organisation!!