Author Topic: Cinemas of Birmingham  (Read 146818 times)

Abbafan1972

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #264 on: April 06, 2013, 08:19:56 PM »
Many thanks for posting.


I didn't know there was another Cinema in Sutton Coldfield.  I only ever remember the Odeon on Maney Corner (now the Empire).  O0

Miskin

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #265 on: May 20, 2013, 04:39:42 PM »
 

 
When i was a kid growing up in Balsall Heath [3/9 Frank Street] our gang used to go to most of the local flea pits, The Triangle, Alhambra, Luxor etc, for the saturday morning tanner crush. But when my Mom and dad moved us lock stock and tin bath to Winson Green I used to go to the Grove. Here's a pic of it now in a pretty sorry state being used as a Bathroom retail Shop. I bet if you went in there and listened very carefully you'd still hear all those kids cheering at the top of there voices for the hero with the white hat and booing like mad at the baddie with the Black hat. Ooh the times I came out of there with my duffel Coat round my shoulders for a cape, for the next half hour I was actually Batman. can anyone remember those little cards similar to cigarette cards you were given on your way out? I think they had pictures of the film and pop stars of the day on them.
Miskin.

Ray

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #266 on: June 16, 2013, 11:59:10 AM »
The Mayfair at Kingstanding. Anyone got photo's? Is it still there?
 
Years later I learned that the Art Deco design of cinemas was to create an air of fantasy as soon as you entered. Seats were so cheap we could afford to go every week plus Saturday matinee, and we had two films and Pathe News and Mickey Mouse.
Ray

Phil

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #267 on: June 16, 2013, 12:32:39 PM »
Not that I get out that way much these days, but I would imagine that The Mayfair like so many other suburban picture houses has long gone.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Ray

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #268 on: June 16, 2013, 01:02:45 PM »
Not that I get out that way much these days, but I would imagine that The Mayfair like so many other suburban picture houses has long gone.

Thanks, Phil.
Ray

BeerWurlitzer

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #269 on: September 07, 2017, 09:12:58 AM »
Several years on, I have now built up a collection of photo's of the Picture House in Walsall.  These can be seen, along with a potted history in the history section of my Beer Wurlitzer website

Best Wishes,
Glen

Ray

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #270 on: September 07, 2017, 02:27:51 PM »
Not that I get out that way much these days, but I would imagine that The Mayfair like so many other suburban picture houses has long gone.


Art Deco. Yes, indeed. The fantasy started when you walked in. It was strange that even though we were post-war poor we could afford the cinema at least once a week. Do you remember, we stood for the national anthem at the end and frowned on anyone who didn`t.


Nostalgia is great, but not what is used to be !!!


Ray
Ray

Ray

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #271 on: September 07, 2017, 02:47:36 PM »
Many years ago when Star Wars was showing I took my children to the local ABC cinema. At the time I was a sales manager with a popcorn company. When the cinema manager saw us waiting in the long queue he waived us into the empty cinema offering a free choice of seats and T-shirts for my kids.


Afterwards, I took them to an ice cream parlour where I also did business. When I got to the till the manager signaled to the cashier not to charge us  -  my children spotted this.


At their tender age, my kids thought their dad ( a mere pop corn salesman ) was the most impressive man in the world.


Pity kids grow up, isn`t it. !


Sorry, not really about old cinemas, but I love any excuse to tell the story.


Ray



Ray

baz

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #272 on: September 07, 2017, 04:58:00 PM »


 Do you remember, we stood for the national anthem at the end and frowned on anyone who didn`t.
As rebellious teens, in the 50s we used to stampede out of the cinema at the end of a film in an effort to avoid the anthem. The thing was, if it began before we got out we'd skid to a halt and stand there till the anthem finished !

Nostalgia is great, but not what is used to be !!!


Ray

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #273 on: September 08, 2017, 02:38:11 PM »
The first time I went to the pictures my 3 aunties took 5of us to the Gaitey in Coleshill St to see Sleeping Beauty just after the war had finished .We went upstairs in the balcony in the front row.After that got the bug and went to the 3p crush on Sat Mornings at the Ashted picture house,it saved the tram fare
Make every day a day to remember
Because this ain't no rehearsal
And you ain't coming back

Spud

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Re: Cinemas of Birmingham
« Reply #274 on: September 08, 2017, 03:08:22 PM »
I remember around 1957 when the Film 'Rock Around The Clock was doing the rounds. I had seen it at The Old Gaumont in town but a few weeks later it reached the Old Rialto in Hall Green I took my girl friend now my wife to see it. Feeling flushed  I remember I splashing out 1/9d for seats in the Rear Stalls. The Rialto was one of those old cinemas with usherettes and an Organist. To give you some idea of the place one of the Usherettes was named Minnie and the Organist was one Foley Bates his mother obviously had quite an imagination. In those days there was always a double feature the News Trailers etc. The second feature and the news the trailers all went without incident. Then Bill Haley complete with Kiss Curl and his Comets hit the screen Foley the organist had long disappeared by the time Bill hit the first few cords of  Rock Around The Clock or See You Latter Alligator. The place erupted there was dancing in the aisles god knows what that dear soul Minnie thought about it all. The Manager tried to restore order this only added to the mayhem which quickly into a full scale riots rows of seats in the Front Stalls fell like a pack of cards.There was a full scale dance going on in the Balcony  By the time the Police arrived we were on a 37 bus on our way home. News of The Rialto riot spread like wild fire. It had already reached the ears of my girlfriend's Dad by the time I had taken her home when he asked us where we had been we said The Robin Hood.
 
I understand that the damage caused to The Balcony was so bad and from that night when dear Old Bill played the Rialto it was deemed unsafe  never used again and the Film was banned from further showings in Birmingham.
The Only Free Cheese is in The Trap


 

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