Major Historical correction The Theatre and the rebuild The Savoy was owned by The Walsall Theatre Co., until 1956. Maxwell owned 51% whilst the Principles owned 49% Warner bros took over the Maxwell holding when he died. Reminder Associated British Cinemas Ltd., meant what it said on the label.
Right… There needs to be a correction. The ABC Savoy was operated by The Walsall Theatre Company operated The Savoy until 1956.. Maxwell Purchased 51% of The Walsall Theatre Company shares for the cost of building The Savoy. This was made up of unsold shares of the company plus small shareholders. The principles were intact.. Sir Sidney Clift had brokered the deal. He had connections through The Clifton Cinemas (Walsall Ltd., Were The principles of the WTC owned shares.. Plus The BTH Projection Equipment was purchased through him. and P&M advertising Ltd., provided the posters for The WTC.. This has now been cross referenced with other sources and the local newspaper The Sale of The Palace Walsall provided the final pay-out
An Update.. In the Chronicle Newspaper 8th January. It was announced The Building was being stripped out of its cinema contents in readiness for demolition. Then to build a 15 story block of flats on the site..
The Actor Arthur Leslie Managed the Theatre before joining the long running British Soap Coronation Street as Jack Walker Landlord of the Rovers Return.
The Tower Cinemas was built by “The Oliver Family” that owned The Regal Darlaston. Satchwell and Roberts designed that Cinema.. by 1935 Clavering had stopped designing Cinemas through Harry Weedon. Robert Bullivant at that times was head architect of Weedon’s.. Clavering did all the design work at Satchwell and Roberts He did 15 Odeons during that temporary arrangement.. Weedon did not design any cinemas.. not capable.. Clavering, Andrew Mather and Archibald Hurley Robinson were partners in the S and R partnership.
Strange that site was never earmarked by Odeon It site was owned by the Oliver Family who owned The Regal Darlaston Satchwell and Roberts partner Cecil Cleaving designed the Tower.. Weedon never designed any cinemas
Terry Is correct… This Cinema has never appeared on the Union Cinemas Listing See Kine Year books.. The name used Ritz was not tied to Union.. It was always on the ABC Lists.
Correction. When it reopened as a cinema 1981 It played normal films. with Bollywood on Sundays for around 6 Weeks. I booked the Hall. They did not seem to want to pay my modest weekly booking fees… So I stopped the booking films…
Alan Barker The projection Equipment at Bristol Road was Cinemeccaninca Victoria 8s Supplied by Cinerama Philips DP70 did not go in until The Cinema was tripled. These were brand new. Screen 3 on opening had a Ross GC3 RCA Soundhead and I believe a Westrex Tower fitted temporary. I did Relief Management at this Cinema before and after the conversion.
Strange I did the odd Management Relief here. The adds-trailers and 35mm supports were shown along with the 70mm feature in the downstairs box The Projectors were Cinemechanica Victoria 8’s They never had Philips DP70’s. Oddly enough this model was installed at The Gaumont Birmingham.. When the ABC was tripled on opening DP75s were installed in Screen ! and 2. Whilst Screen 3 opened with Ross- RCA and cakestand. and a Milbank Amplifier There was a shortage of DP75’s and Lew Grade would not allow EMI to have the set at The Coventry Theatre. and there lies a tale. Much Much later My associate and I removed the DP70’s from the Gaumont and sold them to a company in California
The Interior was identical to The ABC Empress Sutton Coldfield and the Exterior the same style as the Clifton Evesham second frontage These were designed by the Satchwell and Roberts company of Birmingham It has al the hallmarks of that companies hand in it. The majority shares and the freehold in the Cinema were owned by The Clift Syndicate . I believe that Harry Weedon is wrongly credited. This is a case of putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5.
I was working for ABC - EMI at the time of purchase… The Theatre was purchased off Bernard Delfont Who was also The Chairman of EMI Cinemas Ltd., which was part of EMI Film and Theatre Corp., Ltd., Eye Brows were raised at the time..
It has been found out in recent times That a number of WTC., shareholders had shares in “The Clifton Cinemas (Walsall) Ltd., which had "The Empire and Classic Cinemas in Walsall thus having 6 of the 7 sites in Walsall town centre
A Correction The ABC Savoy’s Original Name was going to be “The New Her Majesty’s Theatre” But being a super Modern Theatre decided to change it to “Regal then to “The Savoy” The Company that built Her Majesty’s Theatre was “The Walsall Theatre Company” The Managing Director and General Manager was W Andrews. with William Tennant as Assistant Manager and George Blakemore as Directors Pictures of these can be seen on The Palace cinema Walsall, which was one of their Theatres
The Palace was actually owned and operated until 1956 by The Walsall Theatre Co., not ABC they only managed it after 1936 for WTC.
The Theatre was always owned by The Walsall Theatre Company Ltd., never ABC.. They managed it for a very short time.
Major Historical correction The Theatre and the rebuild The Savoy was owned by The Walsall Theatre Co., until 1956. Maxwell owned 51% whilst the Principles owned 49% Warner bros took over the Maxwell holding when he died. Reminder Associated British Cinemas Ltd., meant what it said on the label.
Right… There needs to be a correction. The ABC Savoy was operated by The Walsall Theatre Company operated The Savoy until 1956.. Maxwell Purchased 51% of The Walsall Theatre Company shares for the cost of building The Savoy. This was made up of unsold shares of the company plus small shareholders. The principles were intact.. Sir Sidney Clift had brokered the deal. He had connections through The Clifton Cinemas (Walsall Ltd., Were The principles of the WTC owned shares.. Plus The BTH Projection Equipment was purchased through him. and P&M advertising Ltd., provided the posters for The WTC.. This has now been cross referenced with other sources and the local newspaper The Sale of The Palace Walsall provided the final pay-out
An Update.. In the Chronicle Newspaper 8th January. It was announced The Building was being stripped out of its cinema contents in readiness for demolition. Then to build a 15 story block of flats on the site..
The Actor Arthur Leslie Managed the Theatre before joining the long running British Soap Coronation Street as Jack Walker Landlord of the Rovers Return.
The Tower Cinemas was built by “The Oliver Family” that owned The Regal Darlaston. Satchwell and Roberts designed that Cinema.. by 1935 Clavering had stopped designing Cinemas through Harry Weedon. Robert Bullivant at that times was head architect of Weedon’s.. Clavering did all the design work at Satchwell and Roberts He did 15 Odeons during that temporary arrangement.. Weedon did not design any cinemas.. not capable.. Clavering, Andrew Mather and Archibald Hurley Robinson were partners in the S and R partnership.
The Property Company was Clift’s in-laws.. The Attwood’s who had always owned the Freehold..
The Freehold of This Cinema was owned by The Attwood Family who also were Landlords of most of the Town Centre cinemas of Wolverhampton
The Freehold of This Cinema was owned by The Attwood Family who also were Landlords of most of the Town Centre cinemas of Wolverhampton
The Local Council paid for the 35mm Projection Equipment when it opened.
Harry Weedon Designed no Cinemas. It is typical Robert Bullivant. Very Similar to Rhyl.
Strange that site was never earmarked by Odeon It site was owned by the Oliver Family who owned The Regal Darlaston Satchwell and Roberts partner Cecil Cleaving designed the Tower.. Weedon never designed any cinemas
Terry Is correct… This Cinema has never appeared on the Union Cinemas Listing See Kine Year books.. The name used Ritz was not tied to Union.. It was always on the ABC Lists.
Correction. When it reopened as a cinema 1981 It played normal films. with Bollywood on Sundays for around 6 Weeks. I booked the Hall. They did not seem to want to pay my modest weekly booking fees… So I stopped the booking films…
A Correction It was “Independent Film Distributors Ltd” Cinema Accessories Ltd., C,D. Cinemas Ltd., One of the Founders of The Army Kinema Corp.,
The Rectifier.. I think it was a Nevilector (Mercury) was moved to The Rex Cinema Walsall. (A Bollywood Cinema)
Alan Barker The projection Equipment at Bristol Road was Cinemeccaninca Victoria 8s Supplied by Cinerama Philips DP70 did not go in until The Cinema was tripled. These were brand new. Screen 3 on opening had a Ross GC3 RCA Soundhead and I believe a Westrex Tower fitted temporary. I did Relief Management at this Cinema before and after the conversion.
Strange I did the odd Management Relief here. The adds-trailers and 35mm supports were shown along with the 70mm feature in the downstairs box The Projectors were Cinemechanica Victoria 8’s They never had Philips DP70’s. Oddly enough this model was installed at The Gaumont Birmingham.. When the ABC was tripled on opening DP75s were installed in Screen ! and 2. Whilst Screen 3 opened with Ross- RCA and cakestand. and a Milbank Amplifier There was a shortage of DP75’s and Lew Grade would not allow EMI to have the set at The Coventry Theatre. and there lies a tale. Much Much later My associate and I removed the DP70’s from the Gaumont and sold them to a company in California
The Interior was identical to The ABC Empress Sutton Coldfield and the Exterior the same style as the Clifton Evesham second frontage These were designed by the Satchwell and Roberts company of Birmingham It has al the hallmarks of that companies hand in it. The majority shares and the freehold in the Cinema were owned by The Clift Syndicate . I believe that Harry Weedon is wrongly credited. This is a case of putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5.
The Last Films were. “Rising Sun”, “Tina” and “The Fugitive
I was working for ABC - EMI at the time of purchase… The Theatre was purchased off Bernard Delfont Who was also The Chairman of EMI Cinemas Ltd., which was part of EMI Film and Theatre Corp., Ltd., Eye Brows were raised at the time..
It has been found out in recent times That a number of WTC., shareholders had shares in “The Clifton Cinemas (Walsall) Ltd., which had "The Empire and Classic Cinemas in Walsall thus having 6 of the 7 sites in Walsall town centre
A Correction The ABC Savoy’s Original Name was going to be “The New Her Majesty’s Theatre” But being a super Modern Theatre decided to change it to “Regal then to “The Savoy” The Company that built Her Majesty’s Theatre was “The Walsall Theatre Company” The Managing Director and General Manager was W Andrews. with William Tennant as Assistant Manager and George Blakemore as Directors Pictures of these can be seen on The Palace cinema Walsall, which was one of their Theatres
If You look at the pictures with the Organ You will note there was a Cinemascope Picture.. It was 20th Century Fox approved