Coventry Cinemas

Wearethemods, Late fifties, about twenty of us friends in the Empire watching the film 'Singing in the Rain' and Coventry and England rugger star Phil Judd puts up an umbrella - sitting next to him was Graham Symonds, Coventry and England swimming star - just no telling in those days what was going to happen next?

Hi again you fans of the flicks! Having launched my book on 1970s Coventry, which included a chapter on cinemas, I'm now doing one on the 1980s. Would love to hear of your memories of going to the flicks during that decade - it was the era when the 'Blockbuster' was launched and the first instalments of what would be endless follow up films (think Star Wars....) Do get in touch when you can! All the very best, Ruth

There is an interesting clip on YouTube of the opening of the Rex cinema, with sound, from British Movietone. (Sorry I am no good at adding a proper link).

A great shot of the Opera House (Thanks to Paul Michael Kennelly)

Thanks for sharing Neil, been in that restaurant a few times sitting and looking out of the window above the coat of arms although I don't remember seeing that at the time (late 40's - early 50's) . It was silver service then. I always had to look my best when mum took me in there.

Probably read before but forgotten - when did the Opera House go and why? I don't think it was war-damage - or was it?

NeilsYard No I don't think it was severely damaged although Mattersons got their roof blown off next door. I think it still showed films throughout the war, it was a good place for the newsreels, sporting events etc.

An article in the Telegraph 21st July 1961 says that the Opera House site of 1/3 acre was sold for a record £100,000 to Sketchley dry cleaners of Hinckley. Planning was in place for 2 shops and dry cleaners processing plant, dispatch and receiving depot for an on the spot same day service. The last film show was 9th September 1961 and by October 1962 it had been demolished and the dry cleaners was nearing completion. The owner was a Mr H C Orr who said it was too good an offer to turn down. The Opera House staging was damaged in an air raid and was then turned into a cinema. It then came into the hands of Mr H C Orr's father.

I remember going to the Opera House in Hales Street in the early 1950s with a few school friends on a Saturday afternoon, but could not tell you what the film was on at the time as we only went there to mess around throwing objects, blowing up balloons and letting go, the two usherettes kept on saying "we'll call the Manager". It was so dark in there and their torches were useless they could not see which of us was doing it. Why they let us in week after week I'll never know but in was a good laugh for.

I too remember the Opera House being very dark, I believe it was because it had back projection, consequently it was very popular with courting couples. Am I right in thinking that it was the only cinema in Coventry on three levels ie. stalls circle and gods ?

Here's a view further up Hertford St of the bridge and the Empire Post copied from topic Hertford Street on 18th Jul 2018 1:20 pm

Another good one Prof. Wish I had a dollar for every time we queued out there, including ABC Minors. For all you young ones on this Forum I am sorry to harp on about it but for me they were the good ol' days.

Another old fashioned cinema was the Scala in Far Gosford Steet, later to be the Odeon. The printing in my book of memories is faded on many pages at my age and so can someone remind me of the car parking at the Scala. I seem to remember back in the 1940's my father parking on a sort of waste ground almost opposite the cinema, up an alley behind the houses as I recollect, but am not sure. Another cinema car park I remember us using at that time was the Gaumont one in Whitefriars Street. One memorable night we left the cinema and got into the car, left the car park and were going along Gosford Street when a figure loomed up in the back seats. A tramp had gone to sleep in our car - in those days, the 1940's, you either didn't bother to lock your car doors and in some of the old cars on the road just after the war the locks probably didn't work. The tramp had probably been doing his sleeping in cars for some time.

My cinema days started in the mid sixties and a regular haunt was the Gaumont, Gosford Street, corner of Whitefriars Street and the carpark then was along Whitefriars Street and entrance on the right through a passageway through the buildings. I thought the Gaumont was renamed the Odeon at around this time, but then I have no recollection of the Scala, which was before my time!

Earlsdon Kid. As I remember, the Scala later Odeon closed in the early 60's, and I guess the name was transferred to the, then, Gaumont. The Scala was very old fashioned. For me the worst cinema at that time was the Prince of Wales in Hillfields. That was a real miserable cinema. I rarely used it.