Coventry Cinemas

Shame! And what would they propose to do with the land? Oh, no - it's obvious - build a cinema.

Whatever the Coventry Evening Telegraph reported about CinemaScope (as opposed to its contemporaneous cinema listings) in its news columns - one article claiming (retrospectively, I would assume) that the Standard was the first CinemaScope screen in the city seems folly. Shouldn't we take into account the history of the film industry, an industry now having a century under its belt? Why would a local cinema (a second-run cinema) install such a startlingly new system if there were no CinemaScope first-run exhibitors in the city centre? Maybe I quibble!

Given the silence, I imagine that there is a consensus that I quibble.

I personally didn't know or care what aspect ratio films were when I went to the pictures in Coventry as a lad, although I must admit to a small frisson of excitement when the screen curtains opened a bit more upon the start of the main feature, heralding a wide-screen film. Shame about the Ritz. I remember well going there regularly in the sixties to watch the latest lurid Hammer Horror film and to this day when one appears on the television, it takes me back to those happy days.

The Standard cinema's 'claim to fame' was surely it's 70mm projection equipment and curved screen. The auditorium layout was such that the ends of the screen were within the start of your peripheral vision so giving a 'wraparound' effect. I remember seeing 2001 A Space Odyssey there in 70mm and it was impressive - my folks also saw South Pacific there in 70mm and can remember Dad recounting how planes flew across the screen and their sound followed them. What eventually did for The Standard (I think) was the lack of 70mm source material - many studio's wouldn't pay for it but preferred Panavision and the auditorium was so large to accommodate the screen - it couldn't be broken down to multi screen easily whilst retaining the ability to show 70mm. I think the Cannon in Hertford Street eventually could show 70mm too but by then the format was dying.

Several years ago I was trying to identify old cinemas in Coventry and asked if anyone knew the name of one in the Foleshill Road. My question was published by the Coventry Evening Telegraph and I received a telephone call from a gentleman named Gil Robottom who told me he was researching the old cinemas in Coventry and was gathering information to make into a book. However, he said he could not find a sponsor to aid with the publishing costs. A few years ago I recall reading that Mr Robottom had sadly passed away and I believe his wife intended to carry on his work and publish a book. Does anyone know if this ever happened? I don't recall ever seeing such a book in the local history section of our bookshops.

Coventry Picture Palaces by Gil Robottom, Mercia Cinema Society, 2009, 280pp, £14.95 post free from Mercia Sales, 29 Blackbrook Court, Durham Road, Loughborough, Leics LE11 5UA

Posted on another thread, an article about The Banba Club, at the former Redesdale Cinema