Coventry Cinemas

A confession, Dutchman, my last trip to the Alexandra cinema - before it became Rampant Testosterone, or whatever, was to see MONDO CANE, some or other class of a documentary from Italy, purportedly describing through cinema some of the most depraved human behaviours in this world. This Italian movie certainly was not a CinemaScope production; indeed, it barely merited the term "production" - like "Topsy" in Uncle Tom's Cabin, it just "growed". The Alexandra screen was foreshortened by its curtains to show this putative documentary to be seen in its full total absence of merit. It was awful, occasioning me to seek a shower immediately thereafter. That this was a miserable end to my experience of the Alexandra cinema understates the case more than somewhat, so "soiling" was the experience. Shortly thereafter, when I was living in Hamilton - a city to the west of Toronto on Lake Ontario - I learned that the Alex had died, but was reborn as Theatre One. Never had occasion to visit the cinema again. Besmirched as the Alex - arising like a Phoenix from the cinema's ashes - may have struck me at the time, I choose to remember its brief - very brief - history as a cinema showing first-run movies in Cinemascope at the edge of Coventry's city centre.

Yes, I've read there was some sort of arrangement by which the dimensions of the screen could be altered although details are vague and I was too young myself to remember with any great reliability. The official drawings at the city planning dept are little help in this respect either showing little detail of the screen and none at al of the curtain arrangements. The unusual screen at the Alex was originally installed for the projection of polarised 3D movies in the early 1950s and later adapted for CinemaScope use. Circa 1965/66 I passed the Alex every week on my way to St Mark's scouting group meetings. They were showing 'Cleopatra' every day for an entire year. I know Cleopatra wasn't shot in CinemaScope but I suspect it was a CinemaScope transfer they were showing in the absence of any 70mm projector.

. . . the Ritz was originally called the Rivoli and they had the "Chum's Club". We all got a badge and the afternoon shows were mayhem with all of us kids.

MONDO CANE is famous - it spawned a whole 'genre' of 'Mondo' movies including the notorious 'Faces of Death'.

Now, Frisky, you have to pay attention (just joking). The Ritz, which subsequently became the Dovedale, had - for a time - been the Rivoli, pronounced in my time as the Riv-a-Lie. But the Dovedale was its original name, the name it reverted to before its ultimate demise. But all that notwithstanding, surely the Rivoli's Chums' Club was a Saturday morning affair, for adults went to the cinema in the afternoons, including Saturday afternoons, and we Chums' Club members were long gone before the afternoon presentation of that evening's prospective adult delights - perhaps a Doris Day/Gordon McRae musical, a Randolph Scott western, or a sophisticated comedy-of-manners, for which the Rivoli was noted (again, just joking). In what years did the Riv-a-Lie have its Chums' Club in the afternoon? Incidentally, I do not dispute your "mayhem" description. Even at my youngest state, I went to the pictures to watch the picture show, and was seriously irritated by those in attendance (some of them old enough to know better) who thought it - the Riv - an appropriate place to scream aloud and generally be on the side of mayhem-makers.

There's a Telegraph article here showing a number of photos of "Coventry's golden years of the silver screen"

And so, the start of the end

And yet more student accommodation the city centre of Coventry is fast becoming a uni campus

Someone tried to save it, but they were too late and unable to obtain the cash. They wanted to use it for cultural events, I believe. Unfortunately, I can't see much interest in these parcels land around the ring road - it'll just be filled up with car parks or student halls, as it's not particularly appealing for housing or businesses (Unless the business has some sort of direct access like IKEA). So more 'backages' creating a very poor townscape and impression of the city.

Hi all, I've been searching for a while even tried to see if I could get in touch with original architects of the ABC Cinema on Hertford street, which is now an abandoned JJB store, with no luck. I was wondering if anyone had any pictures of the interior of the ABC Cinema before it turned in to a JJB store. It would be much appreciated if this could be shared, please and thank you.

The old Ritz cinema house Windmill Rd Longford is up for auction for residential or redevelopment.

Thanks for that, morgana - I noticed last week when I went past and forgot to put up this link

I'm taking the "eyesore" description of the Dovedale/Rivoli/Ritz/Dovedale cinema as now you have seen it, rather than how it was when you were a lad, how it was - somewhat earlier in the century - when I wuz a youngster. In my earlier condition - youngster and all - I thought the cinema, as the Rivoli, for such was its name through the majority of the years of my youth, a magnificent edifice, such as once was built to recognize the maturity, the sophistication of the community it served. Ah, but what a building it was - Art Deco to the core - and what a service it rendered its community until television assumed that role (on the basis of some pretty awful credentials). There was a time in my life when most of Coventry's cinemas were more compelling/convincing as public buildings than any building financed by the public purse, save - perhaps - for the Council House, an equally impressive building, but a building "out of time", of a much earlier period than it purportedly represented. I am pleased "no end", as my parents might have said, that you enjoyed your visit to Sutton Stop. For all that my most recent walk through the city centre was in 2008, I understand your disappointment with the area; however, your failing to being able to buy a cup of coffee at the Kongoni in 2014 places you well towards the back of the list of people who - over the years - have been disappointed similarly. From LongfordLad to Longford Lad.