Gaumont Birmingham
Colmore Circus, Steelhouse Lane,
Birmingham,
B4 6AR
Colmore Circus, Steelhouse Lane,
Birmingham,
B4 6AR
8 people
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Showing 26 - 32 of 32 comments
A 1970 exterior photograph of the Gaumont, Birmingham here:
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The Opera House in Coventry had rear projection!
Michael Healy, Melbourne, Australia
I have posted some information I have about the reopening of the Electra cinema in Station Street as I was 2nd operator there in 1940-1941 when it was The Tatler but I also was at The News Theatre High Street ( the only cinema in the Midlands with a scintillating sign) and also worked as relief at the Bristol Cinema,Luxor Balsall Heath,Moseley Picture House, The Bordesley Palace and the Waldorf. Incidently the only cinema in the Midlands with rear projection was the Astoria in Aston. I knew many of the staff at various cinemas, I suppose now dead and gone but if anyone has any questions I would be glad to try and help
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your response. Please contact me on .uk and perhaps we can swap notes. I have spent some time checking out all the maps that I have of Birmingham [from c1900 – 1950] to see which buildings have been identified as theatres and cinemas. I have contacted Carl Chinn about this Encyclopaedia project but have not received a reply, however Dr Chris Upton at Newman College has been very supportive and he may have a reference source.
Many thanks,
Paul Smith
Paul, I’ve been trying to gather information on Birmingham’s Cinemas and Theatres for some time past. It’s a tough job. There’s virtually no net information, yet once Birmingham was possessed of some 70 city centre and surburban cinemas. The Birmingham Evening Mail issued a soft cover booklet some years ago called ‘Entertainment in Birmingham’ which contained a small amount of cinema and theatre history. As an alternative you could try to contact Professor Carl Chinn who writes a column recalling ‘old’ Birmingham in the Evening Mail each week. Through this site, I’ve requested information and possibly a photograph of the King’s Norton
cinema in Birmingham – a haunt in earlier days. Anything I can do to help, drop me a message.
I am trying to compile an Encyclopaedia of Birmingham England and I am looking for someone who can help me with Cinemas and Theatres in this city
The Gaumont Palace was designed by architect William T.Benslyn.It opened on 9 February 1931 and had 2034 seats.It was renamed Gaumont in 1937 and was modernized in the early sixties for Cinerama,re-opening on 14 October 1963.The theatre was repaired and redecorated in August 1973 with the number of seats reduced to 1212.It closed on 29 October 1983 and was demolished.