Comments from Mike_Blakemore

Showing 626 - 650 of 670 comments

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Atlas Cinema on Sep 30, 2011 at 8:09 pm

The Atlas was Owned by Harry Dare the builder.. Films where booked by B.T Davis who had a number of Cinemas in the Midlands, Home Counties, and the South West..
Harry Dare had a second Cinema “The Castle @ Castle Bromwich..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Grand Theatre on Sep 30, 2011 at 6:03 pm

Buxton High peak also owned “The Regal” which was near by.. That had 621 seats Screen 21' wide. I visited Regal when the Bingowas stripped out.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Grand Theatre on Sep 30, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Correction Seating capacity was 662 when a single screen.. Before Hutchinson owning the Grand it was Buxton High Peak Entertainments Ltd., Converted to a Triple by Modernisation Ltd.,

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Odeon Luxe Swiss Cottage & IMAX on Sep 30, 2011 at 5:30 pm

Have loaded a better picture

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Birmingham on Sep 30, 2011 at 3:05 pm

Have loaded a picture of better days….

How I hate the name… Cannon….

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Palladium Cinema on Sep 27, 2011 at 12:17 pm

I have loaded a better view… taken some years ago now…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Winson Green Picture House on Sep 27, 2011 at 7:04 am

Just Before WW2 Hurley Robinson was comissioned to design a new Theatre, But the start of the War stopped any ideas…..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Bristol Road on Sep 26, 2011 at 6:17 am

I have now put on the Cinemrama interior.. Still have not found the original interior views…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Futurist Cinema on Sep 25, 2011 at 5:02 pm

@ Picturedrome You info is correct… My Knowledge comes from 40 years waged in the business… Plus knowledge from my family, who had interests in their own theatres plus other chains. I am currently working on correcting Cinema and Theatre Myths..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Leeds on Sep 25, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Have load 3 pictures of ABC..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Regal Cinema on Sep 25, 2011 at 3:26 pm

I have loaded 3 pictures of the r-opening day 1967. which will help with discription

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Lancaster on Sep 25, 2011 at 3:01 pm

Have added picture of view of stage 1966 experiment I did taking 2 shots…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Reading on Sep 25, 2011 at 2:45 pm

Loaded a view from the stage end on the re-opening night 1967

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Doncaster on Sep 25, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Have load a view from the stage end. just before the grand opening

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Sidcup on Sep 25, 2011 at 1:58 pm

Have loaded Stage view..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Staines on Sep 25, 2011 at 1:46 pm

Have put a photo view of the Stage just before the opening…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Staines on Sep 25, 2011 at 1:35 pm

Correction. ABC was NOT taken over by ODEON… ABC bought out Odeon and as the Strongest name brand was Odeon they chained the whole chain to Odeon..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Futurist Cinema on Sep 25, 2011 at 12:47 pm

Correction Time. 20th Century did not take over the Theatres. There was an agreement as in THX to-day.. When Cinemascope and 4 Track came out Rank would not spend the money on the instulation… So Fox went to the leading Independant in the City or Town and gave them the release if the owners spent the money on the needed alterations We did the same in Walsall (Empire) (Clifton) Wolverhampton.. Regal Leamington.. and a few others in our chain.. The Futurist and Scalas in Both Liverpool and Birmingham was controled by Alderman Levy… Liverpool Theatres sold to ABC Birmingham much laters was sold to Shipman and King which at the time ws owned by Lew Grade…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Langham Cinema on Sep 24, 2011 at 3:36 pm

Please Note That Shipman and King was a division of the same company EMI Cinemas Ltd., same as ABC

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Sidcup on Sep 24, 2011 at 3:28 pm

Correction. Odeon Theatres Did not take over ABC… ABC took over Odeon… ABC renamed the theatres Odeon as it was the brand leader name..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Rialto Theatre on Sep 23, 2011 at 2:04 pm

The seating was removed. and ended up in a short lived cinema in Birmingham called “The Original Cinema” Saltley..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Fires destroy two British cinemas on Sep 23, 2011 at 1:09 pm

There is another strange coincidence…. Both Cinema had been booked by Clifton Curcuit Management.. in the past…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Empire Theatre on Sep 22, 2011 at 5:28 am

G. Hewittson who owned the company.. Apart from the DIY store also made sets for television and stage.. I remeber going there to look at some sets. The Iron was down (Safty curtain) with doorways knocked through to the stage..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Empire Theatre on Sep 21, 2011 at 7:43 pm

This cinema was opened by Sydney Clifts father-in-law. Its from this Cinema, he got into the business

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Climax Cinema Club on Sep 17, 2011 at 4:47 pm

In 1956 The Broadway Cinema was Taken over by the Rodgers Family (Victory Playhouse Group) Who bought it with another 2 Cinemas Warwick Acocks Green and the Era Cinema.. at an auction selling 1 Week later to Jacey Cinemas..