Coventry Cinemas

But before it became the Paris it was the Crown which is what I think some older posters are referring to as a being a 'fleapit'. That may have been fun for you but for those of us trying to watch a film it was a real distraction seeing kids trying to sneak in.

I remember going to see The Exorcist at Theatre One with my girlfriend when it first came out. We went during the afternoon and you had to go past all the people warning that you were about enter the gates of hell. When we left by the side door the queue for the next performance stretched passed it with everybody looking anxiously at the leavers to see if they had survived the film. Unfortunately a couple of weeks earlier I had been in a car crash and had still got quite bad looking facial injuries. Two girls in the queue took one look at me, screamed and then ran off. I often wonder if they ever went back to see the film. I can't imagine a film causing the same feelings today.

I found some cinema photographs and I don't know whether they are all Coventry but I recognise most of them, I thought just in case there was an odd one slip through that may me useful to those interested that I should put the link on. There's a couple of pages of them at least. Coventry Cinemas

Happens to me all the time !!!

Hi Rob, hi all It always happened to me. What girl in her right senses would go out with a trainspotter who knew nothing about football!

Would have to be a girl who loved you lots Philip... and I'm sure she does !

On the derelictplaces website there is a brief exploration of the Alexandra Theatre. It's fascinating and also very sad to see what still remains of the inside with some things still there from its cinema days

Thanks for that - I often wondered what that building was used for.

I have linked to the following page because we could find some interesting material in the coming months as different videos are going to be shown on the site. If you click on the 'Vimeo' link, there is a good one 'Picture Palaces Midlands' for a start. I started viewing it but have got to get the dinner on Don't moan at me if there isn't any Coventry stuff on it cos I didn't see it all. Picture Palaces Ohhhhhh, just watched the Cinema one, very interesting but nothing of any note on Coventry.

The Alexandra, was that the one where if you were unlucky enough to get shown to the seat behind a pillar, or have I got the wrong picture house? Also I am sure some cinemas had double seats.

Your poppit looks like it would know where the Christmas stocking was as well

Yes Foxcote, you could say he is my third child !! spoilt to death. He would quite happily sit in a cinema seat quietly for a couple of hours if you let him. Charlie watches the TV most evenings. As for the Christmas stocking, he prefers ripping the wrapping paper to bits

Hi Dreamtime, I have to admit that I never went to the Paris, (I think the films were mostly 'X' rated) but I seem to recall being told that they had double seats on the back row. I understand that the seats were also upholstered in leopard skin fabric. Can anyone confirm this?

Only during term time, during the school holidays they always showed a double-bill of children's films. Not during the period I used it (1960-67), the seats were all the same. Before that it was a fleapit known as the Crown. The only cinema I can think of which might fit your description was the short-lived "Moulin Rouge/La Continentale" in Earlsdon Street. This was more of an adult nightclub than a public cinema.

The back row of the Globe!