Essoldo King's Heath
69 High Street,
Birmingham,
B14 7BH
69 High Street,
Birmingham,
B14 7BH
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Essoldo Circuit (Contol) Ltd.
Architects: Horace G. Bradley
Styles: Neo-Classical
Previous Names: Kingsway Cinema
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Sep 19, 2011 — Fires destroy two British cinemas
Located in the south Birmingham district of King’s Heath. The Kingsway Cinema opened on 2nd March 1925 with Clara Bow in "Down to the Sea in Ships" and Max Linder in “Circusmania”. Seating was provided in stalls and circle. Around 1929 it was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system.
Towards the end of its cinematic life it was taken over by the Essoldo circuit. It closed on 3rd May 1980 with John Huston in "The Bermuda Triangle" and the documentary feature "Encounter with Disaster".
It was converted into an Essoldo bingo club, a use it still retained in later years as a Gala Bingo Club, which was closed in 2007.
The empty building was badly damaged by a fire which occurred early in the morning on 17th September 2011. Work began on demolishing the building in mid-March 2018. The façade has been saved.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
A recent 2007 photograph of the former Kingsway Cinema:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmdrgravy/409029589/
The empty building photographed in September 2010:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carrie132/5000659910/
Very sad to see the state of the cinema. Planning permission recently refused to be converted into a banquet hall (http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2010/12/15/plans-to-convert-historic-kings-heath-cinema-rejected-97319-27827074/). Now planning permission being requested for conversion into a shop.
For a nice picture taken by Geoff Thompson (http://www.photobydjnorton.com/GTC/KingsHeath.html)
This was another Theatre Owned by Bertie Bull… Then sold to Essoldo…. He owned the Kings norton Cinema as well.
A fire this morning, roof has collapsed. All very suspicious.
that is very sad… Very suspicious indeed..
Building up for auction Dec 2015. There is planning permission has been granted for its regeneration, which would see its Grade A locally listed façade retained while the fire damaged structure at the back is to be demolished. The refurbished building would include a shop on the ground floor with 14 two-bedroom apartments above.
Reports are in the rear is now demolished.