Coventry Cinemas

The Opera House opened on March 28th 1889 with a Fred Benson's production of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. It was built for William Bennett who had two London theatres, the Shakespeare in Battersea and the Royal Duchess, Balham, by Essex and Nicol. The auditorium was built on four levels, stalls and three circles, and could accommodate 2,000 people. When the theatre first opened the stage was 30 foot deep by 70 wide, with a proscenium opening of 24 foot, which meant that it was equipped with considerable wing space for such a small stage. The theatre was altered by W.G.R. Sprague in 1898 when the auditorium's dress circle frontage was changed and further alterations were carried out to the gallery and the proscenium arch. The Opera House was damaged by bombs during the Second World War in 1940 but was reopened the following year as a cinema. It appears that there were plans to reopen the Opera House as a live theatre after the war it never happened and so it was demolished in 1961.

Yes it was rear-projection screen, the only one of its kind in Coventry.

Thank you Dutchman, I didn't know that. I went there a few times, but it was cinema I never really liked, I think because of its reputation as a flea pit.

I only went a handful of times, too, but more because it was a bit inconvenient to go into town, when there was the Standard within walking distance - I went to the Saturday morning matinees there. I think when it was made into the Godiva, it went perhaps a bit too much up-market. I rather preferred the Savoy, though, or the Gaumont.

Friday night at the Savoy in the late 1950s was always the highlight of the week. Good behaviour went out of the window, you name it and it happened. I went in one night, sat down at the end of a row and the seat collapsed, someone had taken the bolts out. The man with the torch arrived and proceeded to throw me back out, must have been one of the quickest ejections ever. Back home, five minutes later I had to explain what had happened. Parents were not understanding in those days.

My wife and I frequented various ones in the 70s, including the Godiva, the Alexandra, Odeon, ABC. But as a teenager, I frequented rather more. Never went to the Savoy on a Friday night though, always a Saturday (and it definitely wasn't me wot took the bolts out!!! )

I saw my 1st horror film at th Opera House cinema.I was sneaked in by my sister. I was probably about 10. If I remember, it was "The Grip of The Strangler." with Boris Karloff. It frightened the flippin life of me. It was a nice old cinema. Not like the "Alexandra." which was often known as "The Fleapit." And it was often used by perverts & paedophiles. I was approached & propositioned more than once at the "Alex", when I saw films there as a child. The usherette had to walk me to the end of Cox st. once, because a paedo threatened to see me outside. The Opera House was not like that. I discovered years later that a friend of mine was the first female projectionist in Coventry, & she first worked at The Opera House. This was when there were over 20 cinemas in Coventry, in the 50s & 60s. "Happy Days."

This a rare picture of the Opera House with its rebuilt facade from about 1949-50:

This is exactly how I remember it dutchman - a good find.

What's the film showing, dutchman? Can't quite read it.

Thanks dutchman! That would make the photo 1949 or 50 then, wouldn't it. Cornel Wilde, eh, that takes me back! Dates me, too.....

Possibly Keith although my understanding is that it took much longer for films to reach the UK in those days with big cities like London getting priority. Later pictures of the Opera House show much seedier titles on offer of the kind the Paris (Far Gosford St) and Moulin Rouge (Earlsdon St) used to specialise in.

Hi jmn43, Afraid I'm too young a Coventry kid to really remember The Rex Cinema,as I was born post war in 1950, but I remember my mum telling me that was where my dad proposed to her. Apparently they both worked there & he proposed & sang to my mum the main song from the film "Rosemarie". I think it starred Nelson Eddie, but not sure. My dad later on worked at The Savoy cinema in Radford. The building is still there, but it's a Bingo Hall now. Do You live in Arizona U.S.A.? That is one place I want to visit one day before I'm too old. Such a great history, that part of America. A friend of mine stayed on an Indian reservation a few years ago, & I think that was in Arizona. Best Wishes. Doug.

I moved to the area (Stoke) in 1960 where I remember the cinema although I never went in, when it was converted to a bowling alley stories were told of the cameraman killing himself. All the bowling staff were scared to go upstairs in the dark 'cos they all said they could 'hear things' and thought it was the ghost of the cameraman, Definitely a story to be told to any new staff over the years.

Although I never knew that originally it referred to a cameraman I was told about "charlie the ghost" when I worked at the Bowl. I never saw (or heard) any ghostly goings on though. Having said that the catwalks in the suspended ceiling offered offered a great way of scaring office and cleaning staff who were working late (especially as there was a ventilation grid just above control, perfect for making ghostly noises)