My grandfather, Herbert Stevens, was cinema manager of The Ritz throughout the war beginning there in 1937 and so would have overseen the new Art Deco refurbishment. He left around 1952/53 and moved to Bournemouth to run a hotel.
He was previously cinema manager at The Strand in Cleethorpes. I have come across a photo in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph dated 30/07/2017 showing a billboard advertising the “Grand Opening of Union Cinemas Ritz” in 1937.
I’d be grateful to hear if anyone has any other information about these two cinemas.
I think this was the cinema built by my Grandfather, Herbert Stevens. Having opened one of the first ‘talkie’ cinemas in Grimsby/Hull he was brought over by management to oversee The Ritz’s construction and subsequently ran it until his retirement in the mid 50’s.
He was always immensely proud of the fact that the cinema was built on schedule and under budget and he loved the place. Of course he always went to work in white tie and tails as most cinema managers did, I think, in those days.
I wonder if anyone has anymore information they could give me?
Vicki Fairfax Melbourne Australia
My grandfather, Herbert Stevens, was cinema manager of The Ritz throughout the war beginning there in 1937 and so would have overseen the new Art Deco refurbishment. He left around 1952/53 and moved to Bournemouth to run a hotel. He was previously cinema manager at The Strand in Cleethorpes. I have come across a photo in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph dated 30/07/2017 showing a billboard advertising the “Grand Opening of Union Cinemas Ritz” in 1937. I’d be grateful to hear if anyone has any other information about these two cinemas.
I think this was the cinema built by my Grandfather, Herbert Stevens. Having opened one of the first ‘talkie’ cinemas in Grimsby/Hull he was brought over by management to oversee The Ritz’s construction and subsequently ran it until his retirement in the mid 50’s. He was always immensely proud of the fact that the cinema was built on schedule and under budget and he loved the place. Of course he always went to work in white tie and tails as most cinema managers did, I think, in those days. I wonder if anyone has anymore information they could give me? Vicki Fairfax Melbourne Australia