Palace Cinema

In West Bromwich, West Midlands, the Electric Picture Palace opened on 16th May 1910. It was situated at the junction of High Street and Paradise Street, with the main entrance originally on Paradise Street (a street that I believe has since been lost to area redevelopment).

Described as “A pretty as well as a cosy theatre”, the Electric Picture Palace offered continuous performances from 3pm to 10.30pm. There were 1,200 seats.

Towards the end of 1912 the cinema was acquired by the United Electric Theatres Ltd. chain. The following year improvements were made, including the addition of a new entrance, on High Street, which opened on 27th October 1913.

The Electric Picture Palace soon moved into the ownership of cinema entrepreneur Thomas Jackson, but he incurred financial problems. In 1923 it passed into the hands of the official receiver of the Midlands Counties circuit, then, in 1930, to Hockley Picture House Company and, later on, to Griffin Cinemas Ltd. At some time during the 1920’s its name was shortened (and modernised) to the Palace Cinema.

A Western Electric(WE) sound system had been installed in 1929, the first ‘talkie’, on 16th December that year, being “A Dangerous Woman”, starring Olga Baclanova and Clive Brook.

The Palace Cinema closed on Saturday 28th September 1957 with “The Lonely Man”, starring Jack Palance.

Horton Estates, who held the freehold throughout this cinema’s life, redeveloped the site.

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