I visited the Coronet many times in the early 1950s. Seats were 9d and 1/3p. The cinema did have a heavy local patronage especially on Saturday nights.It seemed to specialise in showing old cowboy films.However I do recall watching “John and Julie” twice round on a Saturday some time after the 1953 Coronation. The cinema had one major drawback which was its large arch like roof.It looked just like that of an Anderson shelter and was probably made of the same material. The place was very cold in the winter and hot in the summer. If there was heavy rain it was almost impossible to hear the film sound track. The cinema proscenium did not possess drapes just festoons.I’m fairly certain it was not equipped for cinemascope as the masking was permanently fixed black boarding
There has always been much speculation as to how the Monico got its name.
Some time around 1964 I was given a late night lift home from another Withers cinema by a Mr.Ponkin who was a Jackson Withers manager.
I took the chance to ask him about the name Monico. He told me that one of the pre war circuit managers had visited Greece and come across the word there. Apparently it was the ancient Greek word for a theatre or some such similar place of entertainment.
I was frequent attender at this theatre and can recall many of the stage shows that took place there. My favourite was Peter Pan staring Pat Kirkward. As a child I really did believe she could fly.
I also remember witnessing the premier of Tiger Bay starring John and Hayley Mills plus Horst Bucholz.
The last film to be shown at the Gaumont was the very appropriate “Go To Blazes” starring John Morley.
I was operating at this cinema on the night that John F. Kennedy was shot. The announcement of the confirmation of death was made during the break following the first feature. Most of the audience were in tears. We showed the second feature some ten minutes late but few stayed to watch it.
I believe that this is probably the Palace Cinema that I knew in the 1960s. At that time it had two GB Kalee 11 Arcs with open heads. The box was quite small but beautifully maintained.One unusual feature being that the cinema always showed the main feature first and the second feature last followed by the adverts.The cause being the early departure of country bus services. Another feature of the box was the electric reel rewind system that had been manufactured by a long serving projectionist.Lighting was limited to a house light off and on switch.
As far as the Jackson Withers projectionists were concerned, the Ninian Cinema was a pig to operate. The box was extremely cramped with the two ancient GB Kalee open head projectors located in a pit at the front of the box. Change overs were by means of plates and a central sound switch. The two rectifiers were at a higher level. Drapes were not used and masking was manual although controlled from the box.
Lighting consisted of one slide dimmer that operated the house lights and another that put up a mix of colours beneath the screen.
The box was always uncomfortably hot and ventilation limited.
The box also possessed magnetic film track capabilities but I can never recall it being used. Owing to the size of the box and the masking adjustment problem, the box was normally operated by two projectionists. Each one taking responsibility for a machine. Jack Yates was a perfectionist when it came to presentation and every thing had to be spot on.
The manager of the cinema, in the 1960s, was Ian Evans who always looked resplendent in his well tailored dinner suit as he greeted patrons. The matinee children always called him “Uncle Ian.”
In the 1960s the cinema box contained two Peerless Magna Arcs connected to Westar projection heads and Kalee sound heads. The arcs were fed from a mercury arc rectifier which was one of a pair located in a separate room.Each week an alternating rectifier was used. There was also a slide lantern and a very complicated set of lighting controls that gave a large range of screen/drape colours. Normal practice was to use green/blue shades in the summer to give an air of coolness and red in the winter to suggest warmth. The drapes were operated from the box but the masking had to be adjusted manually from behind the screen.
In the heydays of this cinema between 1955 and the late 1960’s, the manager of the cinema was Bill Hall. Probably one of the best publicists and managers the Welsh Cinema industry ever knew.
Sadly, in the mid 1960s, the Washington manager Alan Watts was killed in a car accident at Thornhill near Cardiff. The cinema was never the same after his tragic demise and went into a noticeable terminal decline.
The Washington was indeed a very luxurious cinema. It was well carpeted, the drapes and masking were operated from the box and it contained a lift between the balcony and the foyer.
The Washington was also one of the few cinemas to contain a central vacuum cleaning system to clean the pile carpets. All around the walls were sockets connected to a central suction engine located in the basement. Thus cleaning the cinema’s extensive carpeting was very easy.
In the mid 60s this cinema possessed a very go ahead manager named Alan Watts. He introduced bingo and combined this with a film show. Thus if you played bingo on bingo nights, you could stay on and watch the main film feature free of charge.There were also bingo only sessions on Sunday evenings and Wednesday afternoons.
The projection box contained GB Kalee 12 projectors with individual mercury arc rectifiers. There was also a slide lantern. Change over between projectors was by means of combined choppers (sound and vision on one lever). A skilled projectionist named Larry operated the box through out the 60s.
This very unusual cinema was one of the few 16mm static cinemas in Wales. Most 16mm cinemas were portable fit ups that moved from village to village giving presentations in village halls and miner’s institutes.
Ken Wardle, who managed the cinema, usually started the show at about five pm each day.Later a part time projectionist would arrive at about 6pm and take over the box.
Ken Wardle then departed to his other job which was that of bingo caller at the Canton Coliseum Bingo Hall which was also owned by the Willis Circuit. One day a week he would travel to yet another Willis former cinema named the Gorki Hall at Abergorki where he again called bingo.
The two projectors were fitted with cinemascope lenses. However, the cinema possessed very poor masking. Thus when a scope film was being shown with a flat screen second feature, the masking was left open which gave the flat presentation very rough edges.
In the early years the cinema was fitted with an DC generator that was driven by mains AC current. The generator was kept on at the cinema when the later Kalee arcs were installed and used as a backup should one of the Kalee arc rectifiers fail.
The Globe was owned by Willis Cinemas who had their offices in the house next door in Wellfield Road. In the 1960s it was managed and operated by Ken Wardle and his wife. The entire staff being four people. Mrs. Wardle, a lady of German origin, manned the ticket box at the front of the cinema whilst two usherettes looked after the balcony and the stalls respectively. These two ladies also cleaned the cinema each morning. The projection box contained two GB Kalee 12 arc projectors and sound heads. Power was provided by two Kalee mmercury arc rectifiers – one for each machine.
I visited the Coronet many times in the early 1950s. Seats were 9d and 1/3p. The cinema did have a heavy local patronage especially on Saturday nights.It seemed to specialise in showing old cowboy films.However I do recall watching “John and Julie” twice round on a Saturday some time after the 1953 Coronation. The cinema had one major drawback which was its large arch like roof.It looked just like that of an Anderson shelter and was probably made of the same material. The place was very cold in the winter and hot in the summer. If there was heavy rain it was almost impossible to hear the film sound track. The cinema proscenium did not possess drapes just festoons.I’m fairly certain it was not equipped for cinemascope as the masking was permanently fixed black boarding
There has always been much speculation as to how the Monico got its name.
Some time around 1964 I was given a late night lift home from another Withers cinema by a Mr.Ponkin who was a Jackson Withers manager.
I took the chance to ask him about the name Monico. He told me that one of the pre war circuit managers had visited Greece and come across the word there. Apparently it was the ancient Greek word for a theatre or some such similar place of entertainment.
I was frequent attender at this theatre and can recall many of the stage shows that took place there. My favourite was Peter Pan staring Pat Kirkward. As a child I really did believe she could fly.
I also remember witnessing the premier of Tiger Bay starring John and Hayley Mills plus Horst Bucholz.
The last film to be shown at the Gaumont was the very appropriate “Go To Blazes” starring John Morley.
I was operating at this cinema on the night that John F. Kennedy was shot. The announcement of the confirmation of death was made during the break following the first feature. Most of the audience were in tears. We showed the second feature some ten minutes late but few stayed to watch it.
I believe that this is probably the Palace Cinema that I knew in the 1960s. At that time it had two GB Kalee 11 Arcs with open heads. The box was quite small but beautifully maintained.One unusual feature being that the cinema always showed the main feature first and the second feature last followed by the adverts.The cause being the early departure of country bus services. Another feature of the box was the electric reel rewind system that had been manufactured by a long serving projectionist.Lighting was limited to a house light off and on switch.
As far as the Jackson Withers projectionists were concerned, the Ninian Cinema was a pig to operate. The box was extremely cramped with the two ancient GB Kalee open head projectors located in a pit at the front of the box. Change overs were by means of plates and a central sound switch. The two rectifiers were at a higher level. Drapes were not used and masking was manual although controlled from the box.
Lighting consisted of one slide dimmer that operated the house lights and another that put up a mix of colours beneath the screen.
The box was always uncomfortably hot and ventilation limited.
The box also possessed magnetic film track capabilities but I can never recall it being used. Owing to the size of the box and the masking adjustment problem, the box was normally operated by two projectionists. Each one taking responsibility for a machine. Jack Yates was a perfectionist when it came to presentation and every thing had to be spot on.
The manager of the cinema, in the 1960s, was Ian Evans who always looked resplendent in his well tailored dinner suit as he greeted patrons. The matinee children always called him “Uncle Ian.”
In the 1960s the cinema box contained two Peerless Magna Arcs connected to Westar projection heads and Kalee sound heads. The arcs were fed from a mercury arc rectifier which was one of a pair located in a separate room.Each week an alternating rectifier was used. There was also a slide lantern and a very complicated set of lighting controls that gave a large range of screen/drape colours. Normal practice was to use green/blue shades in the summer to give an air of coolness and red in the winter to suggest warmth. The drapes were operated from the box but the masking had to be adjusted manually from behind the screen.
In the heydays of this cinema between 1955 and the late 1960’s, the manager of the cinema was Bill Hall. Probably one of the best publicists and managers the Welsh Cinema industry ever knew.
Sadly, in the mid 1960s, the Washington manager Alan Watts was killed in a car accident at Thornhill near Cardiff. The cinema was never the same after his tragic demise and went into a noticeable terminal decline.
The Washington was indeed a very luxurious cinema. It was well carpeted, the drapes and masking were operated from the box and it contained a lift between the balcony and the foyer.
The Washington was also one of the few cinemas to contain a central vacuum cleaning system to clean the pile carpets. All around the walls were sockets connected to a central suction engine located in the basement. Thus cleaning the cinema’s extensive carpeting was very easy.
In the mid 60s this cinema possessed a very go ahead manager named Alan Watts. He introduced bingo and combined this with a film show. Thus if you played bingo on bingo nights, you could stay on and watch the main film feature free of charge.There were also bingo only sessions on Sunday evenings and Wednesday afternoons.
The projection box contained GB Kalee 12 projectors with individual mercury arc rectifiers. There was also a slide lantern. Change over between projectors was by means of combined choppers (sound and vision on one lever). A skilled projectionist named Larry operated the box through out the 60s.
This very unusual cinema was one of the few 16mm static cinemas in Wales. Most 16mm cinemas were portable fit ups that moved from village to village giving presentations in village halls and miner’s institutes.
Ken Wardle, who managed the cinema, usually started the show at about five pm each day.Later a part time projectionist would arrive at about 6pm and take over the box.
Ken Wardle then departed to his other job which was that of bingo caller at the Canton Coliseum Bingo Hall which was also owned by the Willis Circuit. One day a week he would travel to yet another Willis former cinema named the Gorki Hall at Abergorki where he again called bingo.
The two projectors were fitted with cinemascope lenses. However, the cinema possessed very poor masking. Thus when a scope film was being shown with a flat screen second feature, the masking was left open which gave the flat presentation very rough edges.
In the early years the cinema was fitted with an DC generator that was driven by mains AC current. The generator was kept on at the cinema when the later Kalee arcs were installed and used as a backup should one of the Kalee arc rectifiers fail.
The Globe was owned by Willis Cinemas who had their offices in the house next door in Wellfield Road. In the 1960s it was managed and operated by Ken Wardle and his wife. The entire staff being four people. Mrs. Wardle, a lady of German origin, manned the ticket box at the front of the cinema whilst two usherettes looked after the balcony and the stalls respectively. These two ladies also cleaned the cinema each morning. The projection box contained two GB Kalee 12 arc projectors and sound heads. Power was provided by two Kalee mmercury arc rectifiers – one for each machine.