Cannon Bristol Road
5 Bristol Road,
Birmingham,
B5 7TT
5 Bristol Road,
Birmingham,
B5 7TT
7 people
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Strange I did the odd Management Relief here. The adds-trailers and 35mm supports were shown along with the 70mm feature in the downstairs box The Projectors were Cinemechanica Victoria 8’s They never had Philips DP70’s. Oddly enough this model was installed at The Gaumont Birmingham.. When the ABC was tripled on opening DP75s were installed in Screen ! and 2. Whilst Screen 3 opened with Ross- RCA and cakestand. and a Milbank Amplifier There was a shortage of DP75’s and Lew Grade would not allow EMI to have the set at The Coventry Theatre. and there lies a tale. Much Much later My associate and I removed the DP70’s from the Gaumont and sold them to a company in California
For showing 70mm films the lower part of the circle centre was cut-away to allow a direct “throw” to the huge screen from the centre-rear stalls. Oddly the adverts in 35mm were shown from the original projection room at the back of the circle. This was odd as the Phillips DP70 projectors favoured by ABC cineams, could show both gauges. Perhps it was easier not to have to alter the projecter between the trailers / ads and the main feature? The manager said that the cinema was profitable up to the day it closed…
Grand opening ad posted
3 screens on September 26th, 1972. Ad posted.
The Cinemas was Built for the Victoria Playhouse company and later they sold to ABC
dallasmovietheatres Correct C. Jack Foster was the Head of the ABC in House Architects Department Prior he was PCT’s Architect Jack Foster was assisted by Alan Morgan Modernisation Ltd., was the contractor
I’m pretty sure this is where I saw “Quadrophenia” in autumn of 1979.
The ABC Bristol Road played three strip Cinerama from September 14th 1963 to January 9th 1965. It was then converted to 70mm single lens Cinerama. The Three strip presentations were:– How the West Was Won, 27 weeks. Seven Wonders of the World, 8 weeks. South Seas Adventure, 4 weeks. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, 16 weeks. Windjammer, 7 weeks. Search For Paradise, 3 weeks. This is Cinerama, 3 weeks and finally The Best of Cinerama, 4 weeks.
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Here it is on an ABC News item in October, 1948, showing The Winslow Boy, with some of the stars of the film in attendance, including Margaret Leighton and Neil North. It was then known as the ABC BRISTOL, Birmingham.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7mQJeyjv8M
Hi Mike & Steve Yes it would be Jim Hunt. I remember him well as he gave me my first Chief’s position at the Majestic Bridgnorth in 1967.
He also arranged for me to transfer from the Bristol to the new ABC Hanley in late 1965.
I have fond memories of both the Bristol and ABC even after some forty years plus have elapsed.
Projection staff I can recall were : Dave Brinkworth Chief. Dave Thom Co-Chief. There were two other guys, both seconds I think, Brian and Geoff . Sorry but can’t recall surnames.
@ Steve Sidway.. It was Jim Hunt… A Boring Exterior ?? It was designed by Hurley Robinson Still tastes differ. The Cinerama Interior was plain but that was the modern solution at the time.. Hmm the “Lyttleton Cinema” used a lot of bricks from The demolished Theatre in Walsall. Our family had an interest in..
Remember going there in the late 1970’s with a retired ABC circuit engineer called Jim who lived in Wollaston… I was operating at the Lyttleton Cinema, Halesowen at the time. Remember it was a boring facade and auditorium, but LARGE and Jim gave me a strip of the CINERAMA screen which I still have….
watched watership down here such a great loss these lovely old cinemas,instead they put up these ugly modern boxes with no charactor whatsoever if this is progress they can keep it, walking into a cinema doesnt excite me like it used too,its business business business no frills
Some great memories here, although by the twilight year of 1987, the cinema was not really getting the custom it used to. Films like INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, SUPERMAN II and BACK TO THE FUTURE was long-runners here. I do remember watching the Charles Bronson movie ASSASSINATION and STAND BY ME and having to watch repeat screenings of the Music Promo for AN AMERICAN TAIL, SOMEWHERE OUT THERE. I also attended a preview of FLETCH in the autumn of 1985 and a double-bill of FIRST BLOOD and RAMBO 2
I have now put on the Cinemrama interior.. Still have not found the original interior views…
Site of Cannon Cinema, Corner of Bristol Road & Belgrave Road.
The ABC Cinema Bristol Road was never run by the Classic Cinema chain. It was with ABC from 1944 onwards until taken over by the Cannon Group.
Thanks for update re Bristol Cinema.Shan’t bother to go there.
The Bristol Cinema site is now occupied by a Macdonalds.
Thanks for you updates re Bristol Cinema
The Bristol Cinema opened on 16th May 1937, the architect was Hurley Robinson, built and decorated in an Art Deco style it had a seating capacity of 1,712 seats. It was taken over and operated by ABC Cinemas in 1944 and was re-named ABC Bristol Rd in 1959.
It was closed briefly in 1963 to be converted into a Cinerama Theater, re-opening as ABC Cinerama with 1,232 seats. It closed in 1972 for tripling, was later re-named Cannon and closed in September 1987 and was immediately demolished.