Cannon Coventry
Hertford Street,
Coventry,
CV1 1LF
Hertford Street,
Coventry,
CV1 1LF
2 people
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Grand opening ads posted. for 1973 and 1977.
@ Sisu. (The DB 70 was an extremely heavy piece of Kit which was a pain in the neck to move around. I was involved with the removal of the Gaumont Birmingham’s) I did 68 till 1974 with ABC… Then went Independant. then BT Davis’s General Manager and shareholder. This was part of “Theatre Administration Ltd., which had the Cinemas in Leamington and around another 20 Theatres around the country.. I was involved in dealing in Projection equipment on the side :o) My Last Theatre was Savoy Monmouth retiring 2007 Hmm 39 years.. Paid years.. Family involved in owning theatres from 1880..
Sorry Mike, maybe my mind eye is playing tricks on me, but, I do remember the day very well, it was a long time ago, but @ least I got the Phillips bit right. I remember when Classic took it over, as I was working for them @ the time, and considered having a go, but Banbury, tugged @ at the strings too much. May I enquire as to who you worked for?
The Projectors in Both Screens was Phillips DP75.. Screen 2 was only mono sound.. DP70’s where not fitted, as they where a very expensive system.. I received a memo just before the Cinema Opened. The Wage offered was a basic of £2,000 pa.. The company knew how to spoil us :o)
Not a bad cinema, but the most awkward to get to, being located in a very large mall, with no parking near, this I would think, was it`s very quick demise. Had the pleasure of being the very first customer, when it twinned, a smallish screen, with the dreaded periscope system. I chanced to meet the bigwigs of abc @ the time and they could see I was most interested in the running of it all, of course, I was, I was in the same game, I got to meet the chief and crew, and was taken on a tour. Screen 2 had Phillips dp70 projectors with water cooled gates but cannot remember what screen 1 had in it, but, I do remember seeing “Killer bees” or was it “Swarm” anyway. it was in scope, with a huge screen. I think s2 opened with “Taxi driver”.
Auditorium, 1973: View link
A vintage photograph of the ABC, taken during opened week in May 1973:
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