Coventry Cinemas

I don't know whether I'm right or not but was there one named The Carlton in Stoney Stanton Rd? Also I think there was one in Holbrook Lane opposite the Dunlop but can't think of the name.

This was the Carlton in 2010 The Cupid Cinema was opened in October 1916. Designed by Coventry based architect T.D. Griffiths, with all 518 seats on a single steeply sloped floor. In 1930 it was taken over by the Orr Cinemas chain and was re-named Carlton Theatre. The Carlton Theatre was closed due to war damage in November 1940, the final advertised film was on 4th November 1940 with Lupe Velez in "Mexican Spitfire" and "Two Thoroughbreds". The building was roofless for over 10 years, and was eventually repaired and became a warehouse for Eastern's Furniture Stores. It later became a warehouse for Robinson's Removals. By 1982 it was in use as a store for an amusement slot machine company, who occupied the building until 1983. By 1991 it was occupied by Mercia Knitting Company. It has now become a furniture store, which operates from two levels inside the building. Opposite the Dunlop was the Brookville (2009) Located on the corner of Holbrook Lane and Jackson Road. The Brookville Picture House was opened on 17th November 1928 with "Good Scout Buster" and "War Hawks". Designed by architect J. Bass of Bedworth. Seating was provided in stalls and circle levels. The building also contained a refreshment room and a five-table billiard hall. In November 1930 the refreshment room and billiard hall were converted into a dance hall. The Brookville Picture House was badly damaged in a German bombing raid during Easter 1941. The final film advertised was Jean Arthur in "My Two Husbands" on 12th April 1941. Only the front of the building remained standing. The owners reduced the height of the auditorium walls to a single storey and it was converted into a factory for Harry Weston. After several other uses, it has been a Karpet Kingdom carpet shop since 1987.

Like me I can`t remember which, the Roxy or the Ritz was between Livingstone Rd and the General Wolfe

Lolipop, the Roxy, just over Courtaulds bridge.

Neither, lolipop - it was The Regal Located in the Foleshill district to the north of the city. The Foleshill Palace was opened on 18th October 1911. It was built for and operated by Charles Orr who went on to operate a small local chain of cinemas in the city. Seating was provided for 450 on a single raked level. It was renamed Grand Picture Palace on 20th December 1911. In 1919 the building was enlarged to seat 900. In 1928 it was enlarged again, and with the addition of a balcony could seat 1,600. A tea room and waiting lounge had also been added, and it had been equipped with a 'grand organ'. It re-opened still as a silent cinema on 22nd November 1928. In March 1929 it was equipped with a Western Electric(WE) sound system. In 1934 it was re-named Regal Cinema and the screen was brought forward of the stage, reducing the seating capacity to 1,016, and leaving unused 600 seats and the original silent screen painted on the rear wall all hidden from view. In March 1939 it was taken over by Oscar Deutsch and became part of his Odeon Theatres Ltd. chain. The Regal Cinema was closed by the Rank Organisation on 26th November 1960. The auditorium was soon demolished and a workshop was built on the site. The fa

Located on the corner of Foleshill Road and Edmund Road. The Redesdale Cinema was opened on 31st January 1933. Seating was provided for 1,073 in the stalls and 500 in the circle. It was built for W.H. Bassett-Green. In 1934 it was leased by the local Philpot chain and was re-named Roxy Cinema. In April 1954, the cinema was taken back by Bassett-Green and it reverted back to its original name. It continued to operate for two more years, and was then closed and the contents were auctioned off on 3rd September 1956. The building was converted into the Bambo Club, then became the Hibernia Club and in 1973 became the Tree Tops Club. It was closed in April 1978, and the building was put up 'For Sale'. There was talk of conversion back to cinema use with a restaurant, but this came to nothing. A Sikh group purchased the building in November 1979, and it was converted into the Nanaksar Gursikh Temple.

I was thinking the other day about the time some schoolfriends and I, all aged about thirteen, decided to meet up and go to the Lyric cinema in Holbrook Lane which was showing the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai" in either 1957 or 58. We had decided to be a bit naughty, and when the introductory music was to be played we would all sing at the tops of our voices a rather rude song about Hitler and his men. I won't reproduce it here! However, when the music came on we sheepishly looked at one another and not one of us dared to sing. I can remember the words to this day and often have a chuckle about it whenever the film comes on the tv. The Lyric cinema as was is now a very useful shop that sells all kinds of merchandise at very reasonable prices.

There was a web page by an organisation called Mercia Cinema with what appeared to be a comprehensive list of cinemas in England & Wales. It only got as far as covering towns beginning A to C, thus fortuitously including Coventry. Although the website is now unavailable, the page has been copied to the internet archive. Coventry is to be found near the bottom of the page. Some have detailed descriptions, histories, even ticket prices.

16th September 1971 Post copied from topic Hertford Street on 3rd Jan 2019 9:15 am

Janey - reminds me of the film 'Bridge over the River Kwai'. Well, I knew two soldiers who came back from there. One died from his wounds and bad treatment about five years after his return home, the other one completely closed his mind to those years - he actually has his photo on this forum in a different topic. He burnt all letters, photographs of the last six years he spent out there, and ignored any mention of the period. The bridge still stands today, a few miles inside the border of Thailand, who have control of each side of the Burma river - big tourist attraction, museum, cemetery. There are now houseboats along the river. The episode was a huge disgrace to the civilisation of the human race.

The site of the Alexandra / Theatre One on the corner of Ford Street and Cox Street - now student accommodation "Theatre House" 2014 / 2019

Thanks to my friend Paul Michael Kennelly - I had to add this one just because of that lamppost! Post copied from topic Corporation Street on 14th May 2019 1:38 pm

Neil's Yard, A great picture, but begs history, I doubt anyone knows this scene, or how long it was like this? One of the important streets in Coventry, and it's almost derelict, and few people to its normal routine, old cars and Belisha beacon, but not yet zebra? Post copied from topic Corporation Street on 14th May 2019 1:39 pm

The hoarding advert for the Rialto puts it before 1939 at least.

I agree, love the old pic and couldn't help but notice the Rialto Theatre advert there, where was that theatre, not in Moseley Avenue surely.