Alhambra Cinema

33 Wheelock Street,
Middlewich, CW10 9AG

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Miles Jervis Cinemas

Functions: Restaurant

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Alhambra Cinema

Located in Middlewich, Cheshire. The Alhambra Cinema was operating prior to 1927 when it was operated by Clement Whitehead who operated the Star Cinema in the town. It had a 22 feet wide proscenium and from around 1930 was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system. It was operated by Sandbach Cinemas Ltd.

In 1960 it was taken over by Miles Jervis Cinemas. Still open in 1966, it soon became a bingo club. By 2014 the building was in use as a bar and a Chinese restaurant. By 2022 it was an Italian restaurant.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

ColinPierpoint
ColinPierpoint on January 8, 2018 at 5:35 pm

I spent many hours in the Alhambra as a boy. We saw films like Oklahoma, High and Mighty (about flying), many Tarzan films, Errol Flynn swashbuckling, and Boris Karloff horror films. For the latter there was often a suitable noise made by someone in the audience at the back.I remember seeing “The Fiend without a Face” (1958 version) with a good mimic of the man who lost half his brain, from the audience. The projectionist sometimes put the reels out in the wrong order, which made the Tarzan plot confusing. Another peculiarity of the Middlewich Alhambra was that there were two ways into the auditorium with different prices. The cheaper seats were up a ramp from the ticket desk. If you paid more, the customer went up the stair to what you expected to be the circle. However, it came out at the same seating but further back! There were a lot of US American service men (and possible women) in there during the second world war because there was an air base at nearby Byley. They were very annoyed to pay more for the same seats. Another feature of the Alhambra in the 1950s was Tommy Wilton. He was a socially disadvantaged man who they let in every evening free of charge. He sat in the front row. When he got very excited during car chases and cowboy fights, he would jump up and down in his seat. The programme was changed twice a week and Tommy attended every night, so when he already knew the plot he would stand up to tell the audience what happens next! When cinemascope arrived, both sides of the picture were projected over the wall and exit doors. Eventually they got the right lens for the screen size.

Jake Bottero
Jake Bottero on October 30, 2022 at 5:59 am

It is currently used as an Italian restaurant.

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