Maxime Cinema

Christian’s input is interesting. I have also heard that Diana Dors visited the Maxime although like Christian I’m not able to expand on the reasons why as I’ve never been able to dig deeper on this idea.

The cinema did screen The Exorcist and was given some rough media coverage as a result although the queues were considerable so the negative press coverage certainly attracted the patrons.

Unfortunately for me I wasn’t allowed in to the Maxime to see the Exorcist as I was 15 at the time and turned away by the ticket seller in the box office who recognised me from numerous visits, with a children’s ticket… lol I had to go to another cinema in the valleys to see the film.

It was a similar story with Emmanuelle, another film shown at the cinema attracting considerable press attention. Others included Straw Dogs, Soldier Blue, Last Tango in Paris and Clockwork Orange {I’m certain this was shown}.

Good to read that like myself Christian enjoyed his experience of the Maxime.

Good to hear that there’s goig to be a cinema in Blackwood again. I spent a lot of my youth in The Maxime and The Capitol. Myself and three other friends were instrumental in the Mid 70s in keeping the ‘Max’ open, we were called the Maxime Action Group ’M.A.G.‘ . We campaigned in Blackwood and created a petition to offer to the council at the time and we succeeded in getting them to subsidise the cinema, and they then created the Twin cinema screens in the balcony area of the old theatre.We also got shown around the Old and new projection rooms by Albert the projectionist. So again good news and we won’t have to trek to Nantgarw to see a film.

Hi Fellow Maximers, Just to let you know that i gained access to the cinema this morning and took photos of all areas (84 in total) thanks to a very nice man over at Picturedrome Electric Theatre Co. There was one condition made that a copyright notice is put on them! if used on any site. I have posted a photo on Flickr and more will follow once copyright is added. Originals as agreed with PETCo will be sent to the CTA archive in London. I just wanted to record as much of the original before the changes are made to the 4 or 5 screens as mentioned in the local rags. Its in a bit of a mess at the moment removing all the bingo seats etc.etc however the very nice man said I could go back in the new year to record the changes. Lucky me eh!! Enjoy!

Indeed Michael, Davis Evelyn Nye was commissioned by the Jackson Withers Circuit to undertake all their Cinemascope alterations, Maxime and Capitol in Blackwood, Astoria Ebbw Vale, Olympis Tredegar, Plaza Cardiff, Palace Abertillery, Hanbury Bargoed, etc.

The original architects for the Maxime in Blackwood was William S. Wort of Cardiff, Wort had already established himself as a contemporary style architect of cinemas an theatres in Wales, including the Odeon in Cardiff together with impressive alterations and improvements to the then Prince of Wales Theatre in Cardiff.

I visited the Maxime on 1st June 2015 and saw “Danny Collins”, starring Al Pacino, in Screen 5. Despite this being one of the smaller auditoriums, it is very well proportioned, very comfortable and has plenty of leg-room. (For the record, Screen 1, in the former front stalls, has 235 seats, Screens 2 and 3, in the former circle, have 110 seats, and Screens 4 and 5, in the former rear stalls, have 72 seats.) Indeed, echoing Jeffrey’s July 2014 comments, the whole cinema has been extremely attractively refurbished and fitted out, the result being a wonderful blend of traditional cinema-going with modern standards of convenience and comfort. Manageress Shelley and her enthusiastic team, who are rightly very proud of their cinema, made me very welcome and allowed me to take the photos that appear here. It was a wonderful experience, and I hope the Maxime can go from strength to strength. As a postscript I e-mailed General Manager Andrew Millar to pass on my compliments and send him the link to this entry.