I have found the pictures of the two Theatres. I have just put them on.. When We took over these theatres They were given a complete makeover by Modernisation Ltd., Including New Tabs, Screen, masking, Seats in the Circle Stalls refurbished Carpets Pay Box and Kiosk and re-wired.
John Angle took over the building from EMI and installed 35mm Projection . These were supplied by Les Castree who kept a lot of independents cinemas in business with his sensible terms
It was an operating mosque within 2 – 3 years of us selling.. There is no misinformation in the above article. I was one of the owners of the Cinema.. We sold the site December 1996. what happened after was no concern of us. We took the money and ran.
Simon. BT Davis Family (51%) Ken Jones Family 25% , Dr Rowe (24%) bought the Theatre not sure of the exact year. Ken Jones Jr Managed the theatre.. I was B T Davis’s General Manager of his Birmingham Interests. I am just wrong with the year. It is a shame there are no Interior pictures of how it was. Considering it was an Andrew Mather design, the same architect that did Odeon
Leicester square. These details are now correct. as being 1968. That question is now solved.
Hmm The First 7 Cinemas of what became The Odeon Circuit from Kingstanding onwards was really owned by Clifton of Birmingham . Sir Sidney Clift a Birmingham Solicitor appointed Deutch as Chair in Place of Leon Salberg of the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham who was dying. Clift being a practicing Solicitor it was not the done thing to do.. All Built Odeon had a large Clifton Syndicate presence, It must be remembered That Deutch and his wife Lillie had only 200 shares between them in each project.. Lillie ran a theatre furnishings company with Clift that supplied both Clifton’s and Odeons and that why they looked the same. J. Arthur Rank only purchased Deutch’s shares in the Management company in 1942.. 1947 Rank promoted shares in Odeon properties Ltd., During 1948 the complex process of buying out and share swapping took place. The share rights were offered to shareholders of the individual Odeon projects The Odeon Circuit history is very complex and not what it seems.. The Architects Clevering and Mather were also associates of Satchwell and Roberts Architects of Birmingham.. They created the Odeon Look. Not Weedon. Andrew Mather solely designed Odeon Leicester Square. Harry Weedon’s job was to manage the projects and produce the budget for the share holder prospectus’s
Granadier…. As a point of interest each Granada was a separate project.. Both ABC and Rank had money in Granada. Now Those Granada’s that had ABC money was Ross-RCA Equipped. Rank money was GB Kalee Equipped. It also has to be remembered that the Bernstein’s had a management arrangement with J. Arthur Rank whilst Rank had money invested in Granada. (A name dropping moment) I met Sidney Bernstein when I was much younger when I worked with ABC as an Assistant Manager. Granada’s head office was diagonal to ABC’s in Golden Square. ABC had some of their offices in their building.. We have to give thanks that we once had so many individually magnificent Theatres – Cinemas whatever their ownership.. Unlike the bland boring bog standard modern ones we have today. Run by people that do not seem to have the same passion as our generation did.
This cinemas was managed by Miles Jervis Cinemas It was owned by the Original Miles Jervis wife. who lived in a caravan at the back of the cinema. and used to take a Big teapot into the staff for the tea break
Forgot 1979 B T Davis intended to twin Marlow but died before in could be done.
I have found the pictures of the two Theatres. I have just put them on.. When We took over these theatres They were given a complete makeover by Modernisation Ltd., Including New Tabs, Screen, masking, Seats in the Circle Stalls refurbished Carpets Pay Box and Kiosk and re-wired.
John Angle took over the building from EMI and installed 35mm Projection . These were supplied by Les Castree who kept a lot of independents cinemas in business with his sensible terms
The Mayfair Circuit as an Oddity They were all owned by Essoldo and Managed by ABC
The Cinema was Bombed twice during WW2 .. The last one was a total wreck..
It was an operating mosque within 2 – 3 years of us selling.. There is no misinformation in the above article. I was one of the owners of the Cinema.. We sold the site December 1996. what happened after was no concern of us. We took the money and ran.
The Shop is Now “Poundland”
The Actor Jack Leslie Managed the Theatre before joining the long running British Soap Coronation Street as Jack Walker Landlord of the Rovers Return.
The Empire was destroyed 24th October 1940 by enemy action.
The Theatre was owned by “The Stockland green playhouse co.,
David Simpson A good set of pictures :)
The conversion into a Triple was designed and carried out by Modernisation Ltd., The Freeze – Greene company.
Simon. BT Davis Family (51%) Ken Jones Family 25% , Dr Rowe (24%) bought the Theatre not sure of the exact year. Ken Jones Jr Managed the theatre.. I was B T Davis’s General Manager of his Birmingham Interests. I am just wrong with the year. It is a shame there are no Interior pictures of how it was. Considering it was an Andrew Mather design, the same architect that did Odeon Leicester square. These details are now correct. as being 1968. That question is now solved.
Picture taken 1904
Hmm The First 7 Cinemas of what became The Odeon Circuit from Kingstanding onwards was really owned by Clifton of Birmingham . Sir Sidney Clift a Birmingham Solicitor appointed Deutch as Chair in Place of Leon Salberg of the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham who was dying. Clift being a practicing Solicitor it was not the done thing to do.. All Built Odeon had a large Clifton Syndicate presence, It must be remembered That Deutch and his wife Lillie had only 200 shares between them in each project.. Lillie ran a theatre furnishings company with Clift that supplied both Clifton’s and Odeons and that why they looked the same. J. Arthur Rank only purchased Deutch’s shares in the Management company in 1942.. 1947 Rank promoted shares in Odeon properties Ltd., During 1948 the complex process of buying out and share swapping took place. The share rights were offered to shareholders of the individual Odeon projects The Odeon Circuit history is very complex and not what it seems.. The Architects Clevering and Mather were also associates of Satchwell and Roberts Architects of Birmingham.. They created the Odeon Look. Not Weedon. Andrew Mather solely designed Odeon Leicester Square. Harry Weedon’s job was to manage the projects and produce the budget for the share holder prospectus’s
Granadier…. As a point of interest each Granada was a separate project.. Both ABC and Rank had money in Granada. Now Those Granada’s that had ABC money was Ross-RCA Equipped. Rank money was GB Kalee Equipped. It also has to be remembered that the Bernstein’s had a management arrangement with J. Arthur Rank whilst Rank had money invested in Granada. (A name dropping moment) I met Sidney Bernstein when I was much younger when I worked with ABC as an Assistant Manager. Granada’s head office was diagonal to ABC’s in Golden Square. ABC had some of their offices in their building.. We have to give thanks that we once had so many individually magnificent Theatres – Cinemas whatever their ownership.. Unlike the bland boring bog standard modern ones we have today. Run by people that do not seem to have the same passion as our generation did.
Hmm Well I have just deleted the picture the picture … There is a mystery now.. and I cannot be asked.. to solve it.
Both of their Cinemas burned down….
The Entrance was down the side passage
Photo thanks to David Mills
1941..
Terry I have seen a picture and thought I had a copy. Someone had put it and a number of other pictures in a safe place
This cinemas was managed by Miles Jervis Cinemas It was owned by the Original Miles Jervis wife. who lived in a caravan at the back of the cinema. and used to take a Big teapot into the staff for the tea break
Its is a pity that there is no picture of the Proscenium end.
The Whit building shown was the Classic small old Dance Hall see other pictures.