Comments from Mike_Blakemore

Showing 1 - 25 of 686 comments

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Regal Cinema on Feb 19, 2026 at 11:17 am

Not sure if this is right,,

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Classic Cinema on Feb 16, 2026 at 8:00 pm

The people that moved in to put a Supermarket in The former Stalls Decided to put steelwork in extending The Balcony forward to Put a cinema in. As the Equipment was being organised it got burned down..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Imperial Cinema on Feb 16, 2026 at 7:55 pm

The Imperial was still operated by The Walsall Theatre Co., Till 1956 With ABC Managing The Cinema.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Palace Cinema on Feb 2, 2026 at 11:51 pm

The Palace was actually owned and operated until 1956 by The Walsall Theatre Co., not ABC they only managed it after 1936 for WTC.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Grand Theatre on Feb 2, 2026 at 11:48 pm

The Theatre was always owned by The Walsall Theatre Company Ltd., never ABC.. They managed it for a very short time.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Her Majesty's Theatre on Feb 2, 2026 at 11:46 pm

Major Historical correction The Theatre and the rebuild The Savoy was owned by The Walsall Theatre Co., until 1956. Maxwell owned 51% whilst the Principles owned 49% Warner bros took over the Maxwell holding when he died. Reminder Associated British Cinemas Ltd., meant what it said on the label.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Walsall on Feb 2, 2026 at 10:09 pm

Right… There needs to be a correction. The ABC Savoy was operated by The Walsall Theatre Company operated The Savoy until 1956.. Maxwell Purchased 51% of The Walsall Theatre Company shares for the cost of building The Savoy. This was made up of unsold shares of the company plus small shareholders. The principles were intact.. Sir Sidney Clift had brokered the deal. He had connections through The Clifton Cinemas (Walsall Ltd., Were The principles of the WTC owned shares.. Plus The BTH Projection Equipment was purchased through him. and P&M advertising Ltd., provided the posters for The WTC.. This has now been cross referenced with other sources and the local newspaper The Sale of The Palace Walsall provided the final pay-out

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Kings Cinema on Jan 13, 2026 at 9:16 pm

An Update.. In the Chronicle Newspaper 8th January. It was announced The Building was being stripped out of its cinema contents in readiness for demolition. Then to build a 15 story block of flats on the site..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Hippodrome Theatre on Dec 24, 2025 at 12:47 pm

The Actor Arthur Leslie Managed the Theatre before joining the long running British Soap Coronation Street as Jack Walker Landlord of the Rovers Return.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC West Bromwich on Oct 6, 2025 at 3:00 pm

The Tower Cinemas was built by “The Oliver Family” that owned The Regal Darlaston. Satchwell and Roberts designed that Cinema.. by 1935 Clavering had stopped designing Cinemas through Harry Weedon. Robert Bullivant at that times was head architect of Weedon’s.. Clavering did all the design work at Satchwell and Roberts He did 15 Odeons during that temporary arrangement.. Weedon did not design any cinemas.. not capable.. Clavering, Andrew Mather and Archibald Hurley Robinson were partners in the S and R partnership.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Clifton Fallings Park on Jul 4, 2025 at 4:08 pm

The Property Company was Clift’s in-laws.. The Attwood’s who had always owned the Freehold..

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Coliseum Cinema on Jul 2, 2025 at 9:43 pm

The Freehold of This Cinema was owned by The Attwood Family who also were Landlords of most of the Town Centre cinemas of Wolverhampton

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Coliseum Cinema on Jul 2, 2025 at 9:43 pm

The Freehold of This Cinema was owned by The Attwood Family who also were Landlords of most of the Town Centre cinemas of Wolverhampton

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Strand Cinema on Jun 1, 2025 at 10:23 pm

The Local Council paid for the 35mm Projection Equipment when it opened.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Odeon Wrexham on Jun 1, 2025 at 10:19 pm

Harry Weedon Designed no Cinemas. It is typical Robert Bullivant. Very Similar to Rhyl.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about The Tower Cinema on May 23, 2025 at 2:29 pm

Strange that site was never earmarked by Odeon It site was owned by the Oliver Family who owned The Regal Darlaston Satchwell and Roberts partner Cecil Cleaving designed the Tower.. Weedon never designed any cinemas

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Sunderland on Mar 26, 2025 at 1:48 pm

Terry Is correct… This Cinema has never appeared on the Union Cinemas Listing See Kine Year books.. The name used Ritz was not tied to Union.. It was always on the ABC Lists.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cosmo Cinema on Feb 19, 2025 at 1:17 pm

Correction. When it reopened as a cinema 1981 It played normal films. with Bollywood on Sundays for around 6 Weeks. I booked the Hall. They did not seem to want to pay my modest weekly booking fees… So I stopped the booking films…

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Regal Cinema on Feb 9, 2025 at 6:36 pm

A Correction It was “Independent Film Distributors Ltd” Cinema Accessories Ltd., C,D. Cinemas Ltd., One of the Founders of The Army Kinema Corp.,

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Regent Cinema on Nov 13, 2024 at 6:18 pm

The Rectifier.. I think it was a Nevilector (Mercury) was moved to The Rex Cinema Walsall. (A Bollywood Cinema)

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about ABC Coleshill Street on Oct 30, 2024 at 12:42 pm

Alan Barker The projection Equipment at Bristol Road was Cinemeccaninca Victoria 8s Supplied by Cinerama Philips DP70 did not go in until The Cinema was tripled. These were brand new. Screen 3 on opening had a Ross GC3 RCA Soundhead and I believe a Westrex Tower fitted temporary. I did Relief Management at this Cinema before and after the conversion.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Bristol Road on Oct 5, 2024 at 1:48 pm

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

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Odeon Kettering on Sep 25, 2024 at 6:00 pm

The Interior was identical to The ABC Empress Sutton Coldfield and the Exterior the same style as the Clifton Evesham second frontage These were designed by the Satchwell and Roberts company of Birmingham It has al the hallmarks of that companies hand in it. The majority shares and the freehold in the Cinema were owned by The Clift Syndicate . I believe that Harry Weedon is wrongly credited. This is a case of putting 2 and 2 together and getting 5.

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Cannon Walsall on Sep 16, 2024 at 8:07 pm

The Last Films were. “Rising Sun”, “Tina” and “The Fugitive

Mike_Blakemore
Mike_Blakemore commented about Lost on Aug 6, 2024 at 12:10 pm

I was working for ABC - EMI at the time of purchase… The Theatre was purchased off Bernard Delfont Who was also The Chairman of EMI Cinemas Ltd., which was part of EMI Film and Theatre Corp., Ltd., Eye Brows were raised at the time..