ABC New Street
88-90 New Street,
Birmingham,
B2 4HS
88-90 New Street,
Birmingham,
B2 4HS
2 people
favorited this theater
Very grand theatre, with ground floor, circle, and upper cicle. This was very unusual in cinema design. The upper circle was at a very steep angle. The Compton theatre organ stood on the stage at the right hand side. The cinema held many midnight matinee performances.
Contributed by
derek l.hunt
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
once again KenRoe you have come up trumps with this cinema.Where do you get your information from.Please E-Mail and let me Know.
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I remember going to the Forum (ABC) as we still called it as a child with my mom. I used to love to sit right up high in what was locally called the ‘gods’. It used to make my mom feel a bit sick :). I remember the seats being quite upright and hard compared to other cinemas and there were what we called opera glasses on the backs of the seats in front so you could see better. After the Odeon, New street this was my favourite cinema.
I started work at the ABC New Street in 1964, as a projectionist, i was just 15 years old at the time.
I worked there for about five years, and met my wife to be there, as well, she was a cashier.
Happy memories.
Dennis Thomas…..
A photo taken in October 2009 here:–
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stagedoor/4031614438/
I did a Spell at The ABC New Street as an Assistant Manager 1968 – 1969 moving back to the ABC Walsall. I worked with Johnny Simmons. and Joan Cooks. The Organ was infront of the screen dead centre on a lift. This was removed and a platform placed infront of the screen.. The Cinema was orginally owned by Cinema Properties Ltd., Leon Salberg (Alex Theatre) Sidney Clifft, and J Cohen.. ABC bought the Theatre and William Glenn re styled the building
Some memorable evenings here. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in SENSURROUND, SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN II, FLASH GORDON, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1 / BLAZING SADDLES. Possibly suffered a bit in light of the fact that it never had children’s prices. Other films notable to play here were the likes of OUTLAND, SHARKY’S MACHINE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, THE TOWERING INFERNO,DRACULA(1979), BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRAVIXENS, QUADROPHENIA,MAD MAX and PHANTASM. Still memorable as one of the biggest screens at the time alongside the Gaumont.
To Johncine. Yes the films are right for the Cinema. Yje screen was only 28ft scope… at the time Odeon New Street was the next largest in the City The Capitol Ward End was 48ft scope slightly bigger then New street
The Odeon was bizarre, because it played 1:85 films on a bigger screen than the 2.35, bringing the masking down the screen.
To Johncine. It was very common for cinemas to do this. Odeon new street opened side masking and dropped top masking. as did the Gaumont. Odeon Queensway. Our cinemas The Capitol. Stockland Green.. A Number only moved the top masking. Dependant on the Pross opening and achieving the biggest picture at a true ratio was the main thing and not ending up with a very small screen..