The Plaza Theatre is shown in the Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 as having 350 seats. It was operated at this period of time by Fox Midwest Amusement Corp. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y a seating capacity is given as 772.
The Granada Theatre was operated by Fox Midwest Amusement Corp. in the 1940’s. The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,000. In the 1950 edtion of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,200.
The Film Daily Yearbook 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,068. At this period of time it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. by subsidiary E.J. Sparks.
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,135. It was operated by Paramount
lostmemory;
The numbers are the telephone number, 0207 is the dialing code for central London.
Some more facts on the Prince Edward Theatre;
It was one of 5 live theatres in London’s West End theatre district that opened in 1930, all in an Art Deco style. The others were the Cambridge Theatre, the Phoenix Theatre, the Whitehall Theatre and the Leicester Square Theatre. All are still with us and are in live theatre use except the Leicester Square Theatre which is now the Odeon West End Cinema and split up into several screens.
The Prince Edward Theatre was re-named the London Casino Theatre in 1936 which was a cabaret/restaurant theatre. The policy was to interchange shows with the French Casino in New York, NY and the Casino in Miami, FL, however things didn’t go so well as the French Casino went bankrupt. By 1940 the London Casino had closed, mainly due to the bombing blitz on London keeping audiences away.
It re-opened in July 1942 as the Queensbury All Services Club for servicemen (a similar operation to the Stage Door Canteen in the USA) and this lasted until the end of the war .
It re-opened as a live theatre, still known as the London Casino Theatre, in 1946 and remain in live theatre use until converted into a Casino Cinerama Theatre in 1954.
The Astoria which had been a 70mm Roadshow house for many years advertised itself as “London’s Newest CINERAMA Theatre” when the movie “Krakatoa – East of Java” played there in 1969. The film was shot in 70mm but billed as being “In Super Cinerama” and “Filmed for the Cinerama wide screen proscess”. It was the only “Cinerama” presentation at this theatre.
London had 3 Cinerama theatres operating simultaneously during the early 1960’s (that’s more than any other city in the world); Casino Cinerama (3 projector system initially) now the Prince Edward Theatre on live shows, Coliseum Cinerama (now the London Coloseum, home of the English National Opera) and the Royalty Cinerama (now the Peacock Theatre on live shows).
In 1957, when known as the Gaumont, the exterior was used as a location in the British movie “The Smallest Show on Earth” starring Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Margaret Rutherford and Peter Sellers.
In the film the young couple who have inherited a closed down ‘flea-pit’ cinema decide to go to a real movie palace to see how things should be run. This was called the ‘Grand’ in the movie and they join the queue outside (poster frames advertising Danny Kaye “Knock on Wood” & Stephen Murray “Guilty?”). Scenes inside the auditorium were filmed at the Odeon, Richmond, located just to the West of London. /theaters/6260/
The exterior of the ‘flea-pit’ Bijou Cinema in the film was a mock up errected between two railway bridges in Kilburn, North London (site is still there today) and the interior was a studio set.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 1,246.
The Bijou Theatre was operated by the Keith Ciruit when it was on vaudeville. The Dirctory of Historic American Theatres gives an opening date as March 8th 1909 and the Architect: Oakley of Montgomery, Alabama.
The auditorium of the Odeon Richmond can be seen in the British film “The Smallest Show on Earth” (1957) starring Virgina McKenna, Bill Travers, Margaret Rutherford & Peter Sellers.
In the film, the young couple who have inherited a closed down ‘flea-pit’ cinema go to the local movie palace to see how things should be run. The exterior of the ‘Grand’ is actually the exterior of the Gaumont Palace, Hammersmith in West London (later known as the Odeon) and today in live theatre use as the Apollo, Hammersmith. On the display boards outside, the movies playing that week were Danny Kaye “Knock on Wood” and Stephen Murray “Guilty?”.
When inside the ‘Grand’ (filmed in the Odeon Richmond, which is located just outside London on the Western side), the couple are seated in the circle and there are good views of the stage area, plus you see the Compton organ rising from the orchestra pit.
The exterior of the ‘flea-pit’ Bijou cinema in the film is actually a mock facade that was set up between two railway bridges in Kilburn, North London (the site still remains today. The interior of the Bijou was studio set
Noel Coward’s “Brief Encounter” starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. Directed by David Lean (GB) 1945
A short sequence in this movie was filmed in the auditorium of the Metropole Cinema in May 1945. The couple are sitting in the front circle and are watching a trailer to a movie “Flames of Passion” (not a real movie). The organist (played by Irene Handle) is seen on the Wurlitzer organ at the intermission and there is glimpse of the lower part of the proscenium arch. No exterior shots of the Metropole are in the film, although some may have been filmed that went to the cutting room floor.
Although the auditorium has now been demolished there is still some of the original splendour of the 2 story high lobby to be seen in the restaurant that uses this space.
The Rex Theatre is on the same street, 5th Avenue N. (no # given) but is listed as a seperate entry in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941-1950 that I have. Seating for the Rex is given as 400.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,000. In the F.D.Y.B. 1950 edition it gives 1,200 seats.
Just a query? The address at 4835 W. Lake St given in the header maps out to Minnetonka Blvd close to Ottawa Ave which is the same address given in the link posted above by TC. My F.D.Y. for 1950 gives the St. Louis Park Theatre a street address as 3825 Minnetonka Blvd. Where does W. Lake street come from?
There are 5 photographs (2 external and 3 of the auditorium) in the excellent book “London’s West End Cinemas” by Allen Eyles & Keith Skone. Published by Keystone Publications 1991 ISBN 0 9514313 1 5 (hardback) and 0 9514313 2 3 (paperback)
It was first converted into a H. Samuel jewelery shop, the current GAP store has been there a couple of years now. I went inside a couple of months ago and there is nothing left to show it was a former cinema.
If you get to see some old postcard views of Piccadilly Circus (usually showing the London Pavillion Theatre) then the Eros Cinema can sometimes be spotted to the left towards the rear, on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue.
The Eros News Theatre opened on 30th August 1934. The architect was Robert Atkinson who designed a 203 seat art deco cinema set in the basement of an already existing building.
Seating was on two levels, orchestra stalls and balcony. The screen was located at the entrance end of the cinema so you walked into the auditorium, right beside the screen. The balcony seating was reached via side slips along the walls.
After newsreels ceased, it went over to screening 1 hour long programmes of cartoon fims through the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Due to its cheap admission prices and its location it became a well known gay pick up place for the local Picadilly Circus 'rent boys’ (hustlers). It went over to screening double bills of soft core porn movies from 29th April 1976, finally closing in 1985 as woody mentioned above.
I worked for Classic Cinemas (who operated the Eros) and did many weeks of relief manager shifts at the Eros in the late 1960’s.
The sequence of the movie “An American Werewolf in London” shot in Picadilly Circus in London’s West End needed permission from the police and local authorities to close down one of the busiest parts of London. Filming took place over one night in late February 1981. You will notice in the movie when the action goes into the Eros, the film-set used the same layout as the actual cinema (entrance to auditorium reached from stairs beside the screen) but the decoration is more Edwardian rather than the Art Deco style that the real Eros cinema had.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 500 and it is also listed in the Negro theatre section. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives a 700 seat capacity (still a Negro theatre)
While on my recent visit to LA, I stopped by the Chinese (as all good theatre lovers should do! lol) and went into the adjacent gift shop. They have on sale the DVD “Hollywood at Your Feet” ‘The story of the Chinese Theatre footprints’ hosted by Raquel Welch. 53 mins running time. On the Image Entertainment label # ID0964FSDVD
Also, every 15 minutes they announce over a microphone to the crowd viewing the footprints that they can come into the theatre lobby where one of the staff tells you a little about the history of the theatre and you can take photo’s. Of course the movie is screening in the auditorium so you’re not allowed any further inside. 2 Dollars goes to childrens charity as an entry fee to this short tour.
Restoration work continues on the building with the help and advice of Hollywood Heritage. Recent work completed is the new screen curtain which replicates the original Chinese patterned curtain and replaces the plain red drapes that have been in use the past 40 years or so. Also with help from photographs taken at the time of opening, new replica entrance doors have been made and are now in place. They were designed by studio craftsmen at Warner Brothers studios and look terrific with patterns in real gold leaf etc. A small pagoda has also been replaced over the front entrance. The original disappeared many years ago. Next job is apperently to sort out the electric wiring at the theatre and re-light circuits of decorative lighting that has been out of commission for many years.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 775.
The Plaza Theatre is shown in the Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 as having 350 seats. It was operated at this period of time by Fox Midwest Amusement Corp. In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y a seating capacity is given as 772.
The Granada Theatre was operated by Fox Midwest Amusement Corp. in the 1940’s. The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,000. In the 1950 edtion of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,200.
The Film Daily Yearbook 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,068. At this period of time it was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. by subsidiary E.J. Sparks.
In the 1950 edition of F.D.Y. seating is given as 1,135. It was operated by Paramount
lostmemory;
The numbers are the telephone number, 0207 is the dialing code for central London.
Some more facts on the Prince Edward Theatre;
It was one of 5 live theatres in London’s West End theatre district that opened in 1930, all in an Art Deco style. The others were the Cambridge Theatre, the Phoenix Theatre, the Whitehall Theatre and the Leicester Square Theatre. All are still with us and are in live theatre use except the Leicester Square Theatre which is now the Odeon West End Cinema and split up into several screens.
The Prince Edward Theatre was re-named the London Casino Theatre in 1936 which was a cabaret/restaurant theatre. The policy was to interchange shows with the French Casino in New York, NY and the Casino in Miami, FL, however things didn’t go so well as the French Casino went bankrupt. By 1940 the London Casino had closed, mainly due to the bombing blitz on London keeping audiences away.
It re-opened in July 1942 as the Queensbury All Services Club for servicemen (a similar operation to the Stage Door Canteen in the USA) and this lasted until the end of the war .
It re-opened as a live theatre, still known as the London Casino Theatre, in 1946 and remain in live theatre use until converted into a Casino Cinerama Theatre in 1954.
The Astoria which had been a 70mm Roadshow house for many years advertised itself as “London’s Newest CINERAMA Theatre” when the movie “Krakatoa – East of Java” played there in 1969. The film was shot in 70mm but billed as being “In Super Cinerama” and “Filmed for the Cinerama wide screen proscess”. It was the only “Cinerama” presentation at this theatre.
London had 3 Cinerama theatres operating simultaneously during the early 1960’s (that’s more than any other city in the world); Casino Cinerama (3 projector system initially) now the Prince Edward Theatre on live shows, Coliseum Cinerama (now the London Coloseum, home of the English National Opera) and the Royalty Cinerama (now the Peacock Theatre on live shows).
In 1957, when known as the Gaumont, the exterior was used as a location in the British movie “The Smallest Show on Earth” starring Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Margaret Rutherford and Peter Sellers.
In the film the young couple who have inherited a closed down ‘flea-pit’ cinema decide to go to a real movie palace to see how things should be run. This was called the ‘Grand’ in the movie and they join the queue outside (poster frames advertising Danny Kaye “Knock on Wood” & Stephen Murray “Guilty?”). Scenes inside the auditorium were filmed at the Odeon, Richmond, located just to the West of London. /theaters/6260/
The exterior of the ‘flea-pit’ Bijou Cinema in the film was a mock up errected between two railway bridges in Kilburn, North London (site is still there today) and the interior was a studio set.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity for the Astor Theatre as 446.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 1,246.
The Bijou Theatre was operated by the Keith Ciruit when it was on vaudeville. The Dirctory of Historic American Theatres gives an opening date as March 8th 1909 and the Architect: Oakley of Montgomery, Alabama.
The street address is 9232 Mack Avenue, Detroit, MI. Film Daily Yearbooks 1941 to 1950 list a seating capacity as 380.
The auditorium of the Odeon Richmond can be seen in the British film “The Smallest Show on Earth” (1957) starring Virgina McKenna, Bill Travers, Margaret Rutherford & Peter Sellers.
In the film, the young couple who have inherited a closed down ‘flea-pit’ cinema go to the local movie palace to see how things should be run. The exterior of the ‘Grand’ is actually the exterior of the Gaumont Palace, Hammersmith in West London (later known as the Odeon) and today in live theatre use as the Apollo, Hammersmith. On the display boards outside, the movies playing that week were Danny Kaye “Knock on Wood” and Stephen Murray “Guilty?”.
When inside the ‘Grand’ (filmed in the Odeon Richmond, which is located just outside London on the Western side), the couple are seated in the circle and there are good views of the stage area, plus you see the Compton organ rising from the orchestra pit.
The exterior of the ‘flea-pit’ Bijou cinema in the film is actually a mock facade that was set up between two railway bridges in Kilburn, North London (the site still remains today. The interior of the Bijou was studio set
Noel Coward’s “Brief Encounter” starring Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson. Directed by David Lean (GB) 1945
A short sequence in this movie was filmed in the auditorium of the Metropole Cinema in May 1945. The couple are sitting in the front circle and are watching a trailer to a movie “Flames of Passion” (not a real movie). The organist (played by Irene Handle) is seen on the Wurlitzer organ at the intermission and there is glimpse of the lower part of the proscenium arch. No exterior shots of the Metropole are in the film, although some may have been filmed that went to the cutting room floor.
Although the auditorium has now been demolished there is still some of the original splendour of the 2 story high lobby to be seen in the restaurant that uses this space.
Film Daily Yearbook’s give a seating capacity of 700.
Film Daily Yearbook’s give a seating capacity of 600.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 891.
The Rex Theatre is on the same street, 5th Avenue N. (no # given) but is listed as a seperate entry in Film Daily Yearbooks 1941-1950 that I have. Seating for the Rex is given as 400.
Thanks lostmemory, looks like another typo in F.D.Y. Grrrrr!
I think Bryan got the W. Lake St address from the book ‘Show Houses’ Twin cities Style by Kirk J. Besse.
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,000. In the F.D.Y.B. 1950 edition it gives 1,200 seats.
Just a query? The address at 4835 W. Lake St given in the header maps out to Minnetonka Blvd close to Ottawa Ave which is the same address given in the link posted above by TC. My F.D.Y. for 1950 gives the St. Louis Park Theatre a street address as 3825 Minnetonka Blvd. Where does W. Lake street come from?
There are 5 photographs (2 external and 3 of the auditorium) in the excellent book “London’s West End Cinemas” by Allen Eyles & Keith Skone. Published by Keystone Publications 1991 ISBN 0 9514313 1 5 (hardback) and 0 9514313 2 3 (paperback)
It was first converted into a H. Samuel jewelery shop, the current GAP store has been there a couple of years now. I went inside a couple of months ago and there is nothing left to show it was a former cinema.
If you get to see some old postcard views of Piccadilly Circus (usually showing the London Pavillion Theatre) then the Eros Cinema can sometimes be spotted to the left towards the rear, on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue.
Film Daily Yearbooks,1941 gives a seating capacity of 1,250. The F.D.Y. 1952 gives a seating capacity of 1,236.
The Eros News Theatre opened on 30th August 1934. The architect was Robert Atkinson who designed a 203 seat art deco cinema set in the basement of an already existing building.
Seating was on two levels, orchestra stalls and balcony. The screen was located at the entrance end of the cinema so you walked into the auditorium, right beside the screen. The balcony seating was reached via side slips along the walls.
After newsreels ceased, it went over to screening 1 hour long programmes of cartoon fims through the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Due to its cheap admission prices and its location it became a well known gay pick up place for the local Picadilly Circus 'rent boys’ (hustlers). It went over to screening double bills of soft core porn movies from 29th April 1976, finally closing in 1985 as woody mentioned above.
I worked for Classic Cinemas (who operated the Eros) and did many weeks of relief manager shifts at the Eros in the late 1960’s.
The sequence of the movie “An American Werewolf in London” shot in Picadilly Circus in London’s West End needed permission from the police and local authorities to close down one of the busiest parts of London. Filming took place over one night in late February 1981. You will notice in the movie when the action goes into the Eros, the film-set used the same layout as the actual cinema (entrance to auditorium reached from stairs beside the screen) but the decoration is more Edwardian rather than the Art Deco style that the real Eros cinema had.
The Film Daily Yearbook’s, 1941 and 1943 give a seating capacity of 500 and it is also listed in the Negro theatre section. The 1950 edition of F.D.Y. gives a 700 seat capacity (still a Negro theatre)
The Film Daily Yearbook, 1950 gives a seating capacity of 366.
While on my recent visit to LA, I stopped by the Chinese (as all good theatre lovers should do! lol) and went into the adjacent gift shop. They have on sale the DVD “Hollywood at Your Feet” ‘The story of the Chinese Theatre footprints’ hosted by Raquel Welch. 53 mins running time. On the Image Entertainment label # ID0964FSDVD
Also, every 15 minutes they announce over a microphone to the crowd viewing the footprints that they can come into the theatre lobby where one of the staff tells you a little about the history of the theatre and you can take photo’s. Of course the movie is screening in the auditorium so you’re not allowed any further inside. 2 Dollars goes to childrens charity as an entry fee to this short tour.
Restoration work continues on the building with the help and advice of Hollywood Heritage. Recent work completed is the new screen curtain which replicates the original Chinese patterned curtain and replaces the plain red drapes that have been in use the past 40 years or so. Also with help from photographs taken at the time of opening, new replica entrance doors have been made and are now in place. They were designed by studio craftsmen at Warner Brothers studios and look terrific with patterns in real gold leaf etc. A small pagoda has also been replaced over the front entrance. The original disappeared many years ago. Next job is apperently to sort out the electric wiring at the theatre and re-light circuits of decorative lighting that has been out of commission for many years.
Film Daily Yearbooks give the seating capacity of the Lansdale Theatre as 900.