Walton Vale Picture House

Situated in the shopping area on the busy main road in the Walton Vale district of Liverpool, the Walton Vale Picture House opened soon after receiving its Cinematograph Licence on 2nd November 1922.

It was a substantial building, with a long, tall red brick frontage, running along Walton Vale, relieved by stonework above the main entrance at the far left. There were 852 seats in the stalls and 300 in the circle, with matinees at 2.30pm and continuous evening performances starting at 6.30pm.

The cinema was always independently owned, by Walton Vale Picture House Co. Ltd.

In 1930 a Western Electric(WE) sound system was installed for the talkies, and the orchestra was dispensed with. The first sound film was the all-star musical “The Hollywood Revue of 1929” starring Conrad Nagel.

CinemaScope presentations began on 18th August 1955 with “Rough Company”, starring Glenn Ford and Barbara Stanwyck. But patrons were still reluctant to wait to see the main circuit releases, and the Walton Vale Picture House closed on 31st January 1959. The final film was “The Key”, starring William Holden and Sophia Loren.

The building was demolished and replaced by a supermarket and several smaller shops. Comparing historic photographs with Google Street View leads me to believe that the principal replacement building is now (January 2022) occupied by Hannah’s Blinds, at 70 Walton Vale.

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