Empire Cinema
Freer Street,
Walsall,
WS1
Freer Street,
Walsall,
WS1
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I found out recently that “The Walsall Theatre Company” had a financial interest in “The Clifton Cinema (Walsall) Ltd., which included as well as The Empire The Classic Walsall and "the Alexandra Lower Gornal. When the WTC sub let their Theatres to ABC William Andrews its General Manager moved over to manage "The Empire” So it seems WTC had a finger in all except “The Picture House” Walsall.. (The one that burned down.. Twice"
And stereophonic sound! As the hoarding at the end of Freer St used to proclaim. Thanks for the info Mike. I shall now have greater respect for the memory of Clifton. I always assumed that Rank and ABC were the big boys and Clifton was purely local. I was only aware of the Beacon and Clifton at Great Barr in addition to the Rosum and Empire in Walsall. Although, seeing as I was only 12 when the Empire closed, I was always simply a customer, never a student of the subject.
CaptainC Clifton owned some 130 cinema most of ABC Cinemas in Birmingham including ABC New Street were leased off Clifton. They also owned 7 Odeons around the country and were principle shareholders in all Built Odeons. from 1954 after the major refurbishment was the most modern equipped cinema in Walsall until it was demolished For a number of years The Empire Played the Fox Cinemascope release in Walsall as They were the only cinema to have Real Cinemascope. Only the Rosum and the Avion outside of the town centre had it.
Well recall the Empire as as huge, impressive theatre even though it was part of the smaller Clifton chain and located in a side street. As kids we usually did the rounds of Walsall’s seven cinemas, particularly durng rainy schhol holidays. Strangely, some of the films shown e.g. Ivanhoe and Bridge on the River Kwai, were already several years old when we saw them. My son-in-law’s father was projectionist there up to closure. He told me about the arrangement with a local music shop to supply the records for the interval music.