Era Cinema
Bordesley Green and Churchill Road,
Birmingham,
B9
Bordesley Green and Churchill Road,
Birmingham,
B9
1 person
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Additional Info
Previous Names: Era Picture Playhouse
Nearby Theaters
Located in the east Birmingham suburb of Bordesley Green at the tram terminus. The Era Picture Playhouse opened in 1914.
Known as the Era Cinema from the 1940’s, it was closed on 21st March 1959 with Alec Guinness in “Bridge on the River Kwai” and Paul Henreid in “Pirates of Tripoli”. It was converted into a garage and later demolished.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
just up the road, wonder how much it would cost to make it into a cinema again
It is known as Bordesley Green… There is nothing left of the Building. I had the Capitol at Alum Rock so knew the site.. a frew yards to the right of the building is or was a Snooker hall
Jaiom, it would cost a small fortune; the cinema was flattened in February 1959. Whitacre’s Garage was build in its place, only to be knocked down and a filling station erected on the same corner between Bordesley Green and Churchill Road.
Mike, I’m afraid you’re confusing the Era Picture Playhouse – in the above photo – with the Elite Cinema, which was bombed into oblivion but never completely destroyed. Its ruin is still to be seen on the corner Bordesley Green/ Crown Road, 1,260 yards along The Green, going into town. The billiard hall is still there too.
@ quellaverde Yes you are right. Age… We used to own the Green Lane cinema as well
I was 11 years old when the Era closed. It was just up the road from where we lived and was known affectionately as the Little Era. I used to attend the Kids Matinee every Saturday afternoon. There was the original Flash Gordon series, comedy from the likes of The Three Stooges and a Western. The owner was an eccentric old gentleman who used to get up on a ladder and wind up a clock during the evening picture shows. He also used to eject the Teddy Boys if they started making a disturbance.
Ian, were you in Mr Barlow’s class at Bordesley Green Junior School in 1958? And were you in his Morris dancing group with Mickey Overs, John Bolton, Robert Toomer and Alan Plant? David (quellaverde)
Yes David,I did to Bordesley Green Primary School. I know of a couple of the boys you mentioned, but don’t remember Mr Barlow.I have a photograph of myself and other pupils in Miss Bucknell’s class in July 1955. Other teachers I remember are Mr Williams, Mr Allen and Miss Davis.
@Ian, if you let me know the name of a social media site you belong to which accepts the posting of photographs (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Dropbox, etc.), I’ll send you three photographs from 1958 you appear on and which you may well have forgotten about. I’ve got a named class photo on which you are standing behind Mr Barlow, and two of you in the Morris dancing group, again with Mr Barlow. Failing this, let me have an email address via this thread, and I’ll send you the three photographic files. Best wishes, David.
Hi David, My e-mail address is: