Well Edith, I can assure You that ordering and getting were two different things. Whilst I was at this venue we were lucky to get carbons never mind other items. We had no manaber other than a chap in a van who occasionally called in with publicity etc. In all my experience I NEVER heard of a chief buying His own equioment, the wages were just too damned low. Copper drippings? usually used for tea, sugar and milk or sometimes as a treat, Fish and Chips from yhe chippie across the road!
The method of splicing described I have never witnessed or heard of. matchboxes being used, the very thought of sand particles on the rewind bench frightens me even now, we Always used a safetyb razor blade and used eyeline sighting even on 70mm film. which of course we were paranoid about contaminatinf film surface with any thing, certainly I would not have allowed marchboxes in the projection rooms.
You are probably right with the roller skating and no, unfortunately I do not recall any photographs being taken atb the time, but if any exist I would think they would be in Associated British Cinemas' archives somewhere. I often regret not keeping a pictorial record of my time in the cinema industry but these lessons are not learned until too late. I can still remember after taking down the screen, moving out the old speakers (Perspecta Stereo) and there on the rear stage wall was this full colour painting, sadly covered up again within days by the neww deeply curved Todd AO size screen
I actually worked there so am rather familiar with the building and its environments.The arcade alongside the cinema was called Andrews Arcade, and into this arcade were Three emergency exits (incorporating, via a catwalk, the Box emergency exit) and at the Crockherbtown Lane end, the doors to the boiler house, which in my time housed a gas boiler with a plennum system clean air distributor above it.
When the Proscenium arch was dismantled ready for Todd AO, we found on the rear wall of the stage area, a guigantic painting of a female ice skater with the words To Skate is to be Beautiful alongside it, so sometime in the past perhaps ice skating took place here.
Do You Know Allan, I never thought of the Tardis comparism, I like it. In fact the auditorium was virtually a seperate building from the buildins fronting Queen Street. The long rising foyer actually went through those buildings to the cinema proper at the rear. Yes the auditoriun was partially below ground level and in fact even lower than that was, enser the stage apron was a spring of water, which had its ownn sump pump to get rid of the water as it rose in its well.
Has nobody noticed that on the side wall of the outside of this building there is, picked out in stone, the outline of a church said to commeramate that this theatre was built on the site of St Marys Church.
Yes indeed, my memories of this cinema are of fifty years ago, but still very clear. We were indeed second poor cousin to the Maxine. so much so that I used to beg things like leaders, film cement, blooping ink from my ex Chief, Frank Saunders in the Olympia in Cardiff, enabling myself and Fred the second to put on as best a performance as we could.
Just a small add on about this beautiful cinema——It was in fact the perfect Todd AO cinema, Because the projection room was at the front of the Circle, the throw was extremely short (Ithink about 93 feet) with negligible rake. To allow for the immediate “spread” of the beam, very large portholes were installed making us projectionist very visible from the front stalls. They also chopped off the corner of the front circle to accommodate that spread. It all added up to a perfect Todd AO picture
June 1958. I was there, as a lowly rewind boy on holiday from the Olympia Cardiff, I was able to get a ticket for the Birth of Todd AO at this theatre. I was allowed to vist the “Box” prior to the show and fell in love with those wonderful DP70s I went into the auditorium with the intro to “South Pacific” treating my ears to a sound system never heard before, and then——-those wide curtains swept open treating me to a new genre of film projection. On my return to Cardiff I raved about Todd AO and Foxes wonderful new cinema, then it was suddenly announced that my home cinema (Olympia Cardiff)m was to be fitted with DP70s. Thus started rhe most memorable period of my life. Even now over fifty years later I still get a thrill out of the original Todd Films
It was here in 1958, as a rewind boy on holiday from Cardiff, that I was priviliged to witness the birth of Todd AO in this magnificent theatre. As I recollect I beleive the Fox logo was everywhere which showed how proud they were of this theatre. I was lucky to visit and to be warmly welcomed on a pre-show trip to the “Box”. Then to sit in the vast auditoreum as the SOUND OF mUSIC FILLED MY EARS WITH NEVER HEARD BEFORE, QUALITY STEREO SOUND, THEN THE TABS SWEPT OPEN AND WASHING MY EYES IN BEAUTY, THE FULL MAJESTIC GRANDUER OG tODD ao. a VISIT NEVER FORGOTTEN BY ME, AND EVEN NOW, WHEN i VISIT THIS TOWN, i LOOK ON THE dRAKE gOLDEN hIND AND REFLECT ON HOW SAD IT IS THAT GREAT CINEMAS LIKE THIS ARE GONE FOR EVER.
Hey— My comment was that thesefamiliar buildings were sinilar to ME, and indeed to friends who also lived in the area. What is this? the last word syndrome?
You are right, I worked at the County and attended the Avenue as a child (I lived in Ely so the “Reg” and the Avenue were my local cinemas), the Monico I discovered much later but was always struck by the similarity of these venues
I recall visiting this cinema specifically to see this somewhat unusal set up, I don’t remember the manafacturer of the heads, but I do know thatit was a German design, as far as I know it was the only set up of this mirror image of mechs in the I>K>
Many years ago I was a third at the Olympia in Cardiff and I was great friends with the third in the Capitol (Dennis Pratt)
(He replaced me at the Olympia when I joined the RAF) we both had usherettes as girl friends, I was with Joyce and Dennis met and Married Jean (Lovely Girls) Dennis went on to marry Jean and later became a film editor with TWW. Jean andd dennis both passed on recently But I know both of them would have had wonderful memories of this theatre! in memorium.
As I sit here at this moment in time, with the Magic Film being shown on tele NOW!, I hear the strains of “OKLAHOMA ” filling the air and I am immediately taken back to the opening night in Cardiff. The strains of “Beautiful Morning” fill the theatre, the Tabs SWEEP open and the sharpest ever Todd AO image filled the sheet with colour. An experience I will treasure for ever
There is a photo on the “flicker ” site that clearly shows a centre aisle! Yes it was run by the Jackson Withers group, in fact I was interviewed for the job by Dia John at the Plaza Cardiff. Again yes it was run as a sort of second cinema to the “Max” which of course was the Number one cinema of the two, showing the second run films while we were left to show the rest, I have awful memories of spooling up films in incredibly poor condition!!! U wasn,t there long and left to take up employment as a trainee manager at the Olympia in Cardiff
I was Chief here in the early sixties. At that time there was certainly a center aisle downstairs and operating “tabs” as well. We showed films on two by three day basis and worked BINGOon Sunday nights
I do remeber that this cinema advertised as having a “Glass reflective Screen! which I think consisted of very fine particals of powdered glass being used as a screen surfacing process
I am quite surprised that no mention is made of the unusual set up of the mechs in this cinema. To enable the heads to be laced up and run from one position, the projectionist stood in between the machines, could lace up both machines from where he stood. I can remember visiting this box when I was a NATKE rep I also worked for some time as an an FTS driver so visited projection rooms in many South Wales cinemas
This a thankyou— to Edith Pearce with Her comments posted above. I was there during the time She describes and I well remember !A Summer Place", after all I was in love with Sandra Dee (weren’t we all?) This cinema holds a very special place in my heart, even now over fifty years later. (I can still sing “the ABC Minors” song!!
I went to see Bambi showing at the Regent Cinema in Ely in about 1944, i can still remember crying when Bambis' mother died.
Well Edith, I can assure You that ordering and getting were two different things. Whilst I was at this venue we were lucky to get carbons never mind other items. We had no manaber other than a chap in a van who occasionally called in with publicity etc. In all my experience I NEVER heard of a chief buying His own equioment, the wages were just too damned low. Copper drippings? usually used for tea, sugar and milk or sometimes as a treat, Fish and Chips from yhe chippie across the road! The method of splicing described I have never witnessed or heard of. matchboxes being used, the very thought of sand particles on the rewind bench frightens me even now, we Always used a safetyb razor blade and used eyeline sighting even on 70mm film. which of course we were paranoid about contaminatinf film surface with any thing, certainly I would not have allowed marchboxes in the projection rooms.
You are probably right with the roller skating and no, unfortunately I do not recall any photographs being taken atb the time, but if any exist I would think they would be in Associated British Cinemas' archives somewhere. I often regret not keeping a pictorial record of my time in the cinema industry but these lessons are not learned until too late. I can still remember after taking down the screen, moving out the old speakers (Perspecta Stereo) and there on the rear stage wall was this full colour painting, sadly covered up again within days by the neww deeply curved Todd AO size screen
I actually worked there so am rather familiar with the building and its environments.The arcade alongside the cinema was called Andrews Arcade, and into this arcade were Three emergency exits (incorporating, via a catwalk, the Box emergency exit) and at the Crockherbtown Lane end, the doors to the boiler house, which in my time housed a gas boiler with a plennum system clean air distributor above it.
When the Proscenium arch was dismantled ready for Todd AO, we found on the rear wall of the stage area, a guigantic painting of a female ice skater with the words To Skate is to be Beautiful alongside it, so sometime in the past perhaps ice skating took place here.
Do You Know Allan, I never thought of the Tardis comparism, I like it. In fact the auditorium was virtually a seperate building from the buildins fronting Queen Street. The long rising foyer actually went through those buildings to the cinema proper at the rear. Yes the auditoriun was partially below ground level and in fact even lower than that was, enser the stage apron was a spring of water, which had its ownn sump pump to get rid of the water as it rose in its well.
Quite a history to be told there! My e-mail is send yours if you wish.
Has nobody noticed that on the side wall of the outside of this building there is, picked out in stone, the outline of a church said to commeramate that this theatre was built on the site of St Marys Church.
Yes indeed, my memories of this cinema are of fifty years ago, but still very clear. We were indeed second poor cousin to the Maxine. so much so that I used to beg things like leaders, film cement, blooping ink from my ex Chief, Frank Saunders in the Olympia in Cardiff, enabling myself and Fred the second to put on as best a performance as we could.
Just a small add on about this beautiful cinema——It was in fact the perfect Todd AO cinema, Because the projection room was at the front of the Circle, the throw was extremely short (Ithink about 93 feet) with negligible rake. To allow for the immediate “spread” of the beam, very large portholes were installed making us projectionist very visible from the front stalls. They also chopped off the corner of the front circle to accommodate that spread. It all added up to a perfect Todd AO picture
Just recently he remaining shell of the building burnt down and the site subsequently cleared
June 1958. I was there, as a lowly rewind boy on holiday from the Olympia Cardiff, I was able to get a ticket for the Birth of Todd AO at this theatre. I was allowed to vist the “Box” prior to the show and fell in love with those wonderful DP70s I went into the auditorium with the intro to “South Pacific” treating my ears to a sound system never heard before, and then——-those wide curtains swept open treating me to a new genre of film projection. On my return to Cardiff I raved about Todd AO and Foxes wonderful new cinema, then it was suddenly announced that my home cinema (Olympia Cardiff)m was to be fitted with DP70s. Thus started rhe most memorable period of my life. Even now over fifty years later I still get a thrill out of the original Todd Films
It was here in 1958, as a rewind boy on holiday from Cardiff, that I was priviliged to witness the birth of Todd AO in this magnificent theatre. As I recollect I beleive the Fox logo was everywhere which showed how proud they were of this theatre. I was lucky to visit and to be warmly welcomed on a pre-show trip to the “Box”. Then to sit in the vast auditoreum as the SOUND OF mUSIC FILLED MY EARS WITH NEVER HEARD BEFORE, QUALITY STEREO SOUND, THEN THE TABS SWEPT OPEN AND WASHING MY EYES IN BEAUTY, THE FULL MAJESTIC GRANDUER OG tODD ao. a VISIT NEVER FORGOTTEN BY ME, AND EVEN NOW, WHEN i VISIT THIS TOWN, i LOOK ON THE dRAKE gOLDEN hIND AND REFLECT ON HOW SAD IT IS THAT GREAT CINEMAS LIKE THIS ARE GONE FOR EVER.
Hey— My comment was that thesefamiliar buildings were sinilar to ME, and indeed to friends who also lived in the area. What is this? the last word syndrome?
You are right, I worked at the County and attended the Avenue as a child (I lived in Ely so the “Reg” and the Avenue were my local cinemas), the Monico I discovered much later but was always struck by the similarity of these venues
Nobody seems to have commented on the fact that this cinema was almost identical to the County in Rumney.
I recall visiting this cinema specifically to see this somewhat unusal set up, I don’t remember the manafacturer of the heads, but I do know thatit was a German design, as far as I know it was the only set up of this mirror image of mechs in the I>K>
and their head office was in Goldern Square, Soho, London.
Many years ago I was a third at the Olympia in Cardiff and I was great friends with the third in the Capitol (Dennis Pratt)
(He replaced me at the Olympia when I joined the RAF) we both had usherettes as girl friends, I was with Joyce and Dennis met and Married Jean (Lovely Girls) Dennis went on to marry Jean and later became a film editor with TWW. Jean andd dennis both passed on recently But I know both of them would have had wonderful memories of this theatre! in memorium.
As I sit here at this moment in time, with the Magic Film being shown on tele NOW!, I hear the strains of “OKLAHOMA ” filling the air and I am immediately taken back to the opening night in Cardiff. The strains of “Beautiful Morning” fill the theatre, the Tabs SWEEP open and the sharpest ever Todd AO image filled the sheet with colour. An experience I will treasure for ever
There is a photo on the “flicker ” site that clearly shows a centre aisle! Yes it was run by the Jackson Withers group, in fact I was interviewed for the job by Dia John at the Plaza Cardiff. Again yes it was run as a sort of second cinema to the “Max” which of course was the Number one cinema of the two, showing the second run films while we were left to show the rest, I have awful memories of spooling up films in incredibly poor condition!!! U wasn,t there long and left to take up employment as a trainee manager at the Olympia in Cardiff
I was Chief here in the early sixties. At that time there was certainly a center aisle downstairs and operating “tabs” as well. We showed films on two by three day basis and worked BINGOon Sunday nights
I do remeber that this cinema advertised as having a “Glass reflective Screen! which I think consisted of very fine particals of powdered glass being used as a screen surfacing process
I am quite surprised that no mention is made of the unusual set up of the mechs in this cinema. To enable the heads to be laced up and run from one position, the projectionist stood in between the machines, could lace up both machines from where he stood. I can remember visiting this box when I was a NATKE rep I also worked for some time as an an FTS driver so visited projection rooms in many South Wales cinemas
This a thankyou— to Edith Pearce with Her comments posted above. I was there during the time She describes and I well remember !A Summer Place", after all I was in love with Sandra Dee (weren’t we all?) This cinema holds a very special place in my heart, even now over fifty years later. (I can still sing “the ABC Minors” song!!