Imperial Cinema
Darwall Street,
Walsall,
WS1 1DA
Darwall Street,
Walsall,
WS1 1DA
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CaptainC The Imperial was up until the 1950’s would have got the secondary ABC release. plus the added weeks passed from the ABC Savoy as there was very little Retained for further weeks due to far more films being around then there are today From the 1960’s With fewer films it slipped into Classics. pass on from the ABC and the more shady class of films. Remember ABC did not play Rank Releases in those days.
The Imperial was the second-string ABC cinema in Walsall. My recollection is that the films shown had already done the rounds, or were “cheapo” Italian epics with titles like Arm of Fire and Ursus, usually starring Gordon Scott or Steve Reeves. However, I did see Charge at Feather River at the Imperial which was a 3D western. Always remember it was 9d(4.5p) to get in and 6d(2.5p) for the card-framed red-and-green glasses. As attendances dropped the Imperial resorted to showing late-night horror marathons or"adult" art films like Mondo Kane. Not forgetting the naturist films or spurious “documentaries” like London by Night!
Latest Gossip Wetherspoons will be re-opening the Imperial as they are still paying rent on the site. £75,000 per anum until 2047 ….
Forgot to mention I manage The Cinema During the last Four Weeks of its life as a Cinema.. It was Ironic that I did this as My Family owned the Theatre with the Westwood Family “Walsall Theatre Company” prior to it becoming ABC Managed.
Wetherspoon’s have announced that the pub will close Saturday 19th March…
In 1898 ish.. The Walsall Theatre Company had planned a brand new Theatre on the Imperial Site. which involved taking over extra land to the left. The Walsall Council it seems offered the land that was earmarked but never used for the new Walsall Townhall. So they Built the Spectacular “Her Majesties Theatre” on Townend Bank..
I think I have found an error.. Hmm using other sources It looks as though Archibald Hurley Robinson had no had if the Major change for Sound films or the current frontage. This was based theory was based on the “Rookery Cinema” Handsworth Birmingham which is credited as an Hurley Robinson design by the experts.. The Architect that should be credited should be the local firm of “Hickton and Falmer” That did other work for the Walsall Theatre Company.. At the same time calls into question the Rookery Cinema. which could have been one of the lost Hickton and Falmer designs..
The Theatre did open in 1868… I beleive there was a mix up in the date due to an earlier theatre in “The Square”. which was still standing when I was a child..
Hmm SNAP!! Stuart So am I
I am doing a history of the Hall. I will post it when complete.
hi mike just a question for you im a manager for jd wetherspoons and i work in the imperial and im looking for some old pictures of inside of the imperial to put on display for the customers would you be able to help?? my email address is
Some pictures of the the theater in its current role as a pub can be seen here, here, and here.
Mike, hello, the deLuxe opened in December 1912. There is an artists sketch of the Palace as originally built in the Wasall Advertiser of april !2 (I think) 1910 and a pretty building it was, with a single storey lobby surmounted by a dome and a statue of Electra! Apparently, in the first days, “singing pictures” were shown. Now, I know that various unsuccessful means of adding sound to pictures were around from long before 1927 and I wonder if this was one of them? During the switch over to sound, I have found an ad. in which the Palace boasts “real live people” will provide songe to accompany the fims. With your family connection to WTC, I wonder what other gems of information lie at your disposal? By the way, The Palace had closed before I came to live in Walsall and I only remember it as part of the Observer works. It closed when I was seven, so you can do the maths!
Hi Keith You are correct… I live in Walsall and my family had interests in the Walsall Theatre Company known as WTC.. The Palace had a sign on the side of building “The Palace Electric Thatre” Home of Moving Talking Films… Hmm Giving my age away…
Hello, Mike,The first purpose built cinema in Walsall was the (Electric) Palace in the Square which opened in April 1910. The Cinema de Luxe, later Classic, opened in 1912, I think. I can soon verify this, as I am researching the history of Walasll cinemas in my spare time.
The Imperial Seated 1021… May have lost 20 seats when the new act came out regarding the distance from the screen. Top of the screen cannot be more then 30% degrees higher the normal vision in the front row.. Being the first full-time built Cinema could be the Classic in Stafford street, Which Pat Collins had for a time. then passed to Clifton. I am looking at family papers to check…
This was my favourite cinema in the sixties. I thought it held 1,500 or so, but I may be wrong.It was the first full-time cinema in the town, having shown films part of the time since 1908; the towns first purpose-built cinema was the Palace ( oringinally Electric Picture Palace ) in the square.
HI yet another correction The Hall opened in 1846. There is a myth that it was some form of Market Hall. This incorrect it was a Concert Hall come theatre from the very start.. My Family where shareholders in the old “Walsall Theatre Compay” They used to lease the Theatre and sold out to ABC…