Some Liverpool Cinemas

[18stanley]

great Philip, thanks for the info. Knew you'd come up with the goods. Superb picture of the Princess. Shame it doesn't look as good as that now. Still at least it's not been demolished.

I've found a good pic of the Abbey in one of my Liverpool books. will scan it when I've found a few others to be done.

Do you mind if I come in here,please? I'm still trying to find my way round all
these fascinating blogs. I've been searching info on the Princess and this photo
shows it in all glory,just as I remember it when I waited outside in the
evening trying to persuade some kind adult(s) to "take me in" because it was
an 'A' picture!! Many thanks Philip and for the info given elsewhere - you're
really doing a fantastic job and thoroughly merit all the appreciative remarks
you receive. If I can also put in a penn'orth of my own on the Astoria (also a
brilliant photo), it is certainly on the left hand side of the road coming from
town. I also remember it as one end of the Sunday evening "getting to know
you" parades which happened every week (the other end, if I remember
rightly) was Fusco's icecream parlour on the corner of County Road and
Harlech Street, I think it was. All memories now but still vivid and worth
recording. Stan H.

[PhilipG]

You're welcome, Stan.
Thanks for your kind words.

As mentioned the Queens became a supermarket, but after that it became a "Social Club" (usually the term for bingo).
I've not been able to confirm it had bingo, but it had "Turns" and was one of the first places to employ Tom O'Connor, in the early 1970s.

[gregs dad]

Here`s the Grosvenor on Stanley Rd now a funeral parlour

[Sirob]

Great enquiries, folks.
Here is the Astoria in 1995 and the Princess in 2008.

[Sirob]

And the Commodore, Bank Hall, plus the Carlton, Tuebrook, both 2008

[ItsaZappathing]

Fine pics once again Sirob. The Carlton was easy to bunk in. We used to go of a saturday afternoon and walk in the side door. The screen was always filthy and it even had an egg thrown at it which later dried up and stayed there for a good while.

Anyway good pics

[LondonBeatlesFan]

I was pleased to see a photo of the Carlton Cinema, Tuebrook here as it confirms that it was the one I saw when I was last in Liverpool. I went past that building on the bus and wondered whether it was the Carlton. I am interested in that cinema as its organ is now in the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, Hertfordshire. I am a big fan of cinema organs and have been to hear this one several times.

[18stanley]

More obscure pics now;
What was left of the Lyric Theatre, Everton Valley, in August 1971. Located behind the pub, the partially demolished walls were used for years by Reardons Demolition contractors as a yard. Opened in 1897 as a theatre, converted to a cinema in 1922 , re-converted to a theatre again in 1925 and closed for good in 1932.
Frontage of the Queens cinema, Walton Road, in March 1973. Opened in 1913 and closed in 1959. Never part of a circuit, could only show second district runs and with the Astoria, Victory and Princess nearby, became an early casualty. Demolished 1980, after retail use.

Not a pretty sight but I don' think the Queens was ever an architectural gem,
and I don't think the Saturday afternoon 'specials' for the kids helped it. But it
has magical memories for me growing up in the 30's - with the cowboy serials
(Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson to cite only a couple of those who mesmerised us)
and the cartoons and the various Hal Roach comedies that preceded the 'big'
picture. The interval enabled the proprietors to make a liltle extra revenue
(and fumigate the premises) whilst the oocupantsof the front seats did their
best to shield themselves from a variety of missiles aimed from behind and
perhaps from above though I'm not sure whether the Queens had a balcony.
Your photo nevertheless graphically reflects the general atmosphere of dereliction still suffered by the Kirkdale of the fifties. Stan. H

[PhilipG]

Not a pretty sight but I don' think the Queens was ever an architectural gem,
and I don't think the Saturday afternoon 'specials' for the kids helped it. But it
has magical memories for me growing up in the 30's - with the cowboy serials
(Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson to cite only a couple of those who mesmerised us)
and the cartoons and the various Hal Roach comedies that preceded the 'big'
picture. The interval enabled the proprietors to make a liltle extra revenue
(and fumigate the premises) whilst the oocupantsof the front seats did their
best to shield themselves from a variety of missiles aimed from behind and
perhaps from above though I'm not sure whether the Queens had a balcony.Your photo nevertheless graphically reflects the general atmosphere of dereliction still suffered by the Kirkdale of the fifties. Stan. H

No, it didn't have a balcony but plans to install one in 1927 were granted permission.
But nothing happened.

The organ in the Carlton was a Christie.
They were quite rare, because most cinema organs were Compton.
It's good to know the Carlton's organ survives, because the Carlton itself is slated for demolition, as is the Princess.

[LondonBeatlesFan]

Yes, the Carlton organ was a Christie and a very good one at that. They were built by Hill, Norman and Beard and I am told that they used the name 'Christie' for their cinema organs as they didn't want to use HNB on cinema organs. There was always a lot of snobbery attached to this matter. My music teacher tried to discourage me from getting involved with the cinema organ as he hated them. I am not sure how the Carlton's organ sounded when it was in the cinema but it certainly sounds great in its present location. The percussion is the loudest I've ever heard on a cinema organ!

[PhilipG]

Yes, the Carlton organ was a Christie and a very good one at that. They were built by Hill, Norman and Beard and I am told that they used the name 'Christie' for their cinema organs as they didn't want to use HNB on cinema organs. There was always a lot of snobbery attached to this matter. My music teacher tried to discourage me from getting involved with the cinema organ as he hated them. I am not sure how the Carlton's organ sounded when it was in the cinema but it certainly sounds great in its present location. The percussion is the loudest I've ever heard on a cinema organ!

The organ in the former Methodist Central Hall (here in Liverpool) is by Hill, Norman and Beard.
It was installed in 1907, and is still there, and presumably still playable.
In 2004 (I think) during a Heritage Weekend the hall was open, and somebody was tinkering on the organ.

[LondonBeatlesFan]

Thank you for the information, Philip G. There are some excellent organs in Liverpool. I'll try to find out more about the one that you mentioned.

[PhilipG]

Thank you for the information, Philip G. There are some excellent organs in Liverpool. I'll try to find out more about the one that you mentioned.

It's definitely Norman & Beard.
I wrote Hill, Norman & Beard because you did.
Apart from knowing which cinemas had which organs, I'm not an expert on organs.

Here's Central Hall:
Central Hall. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[LondonBeatlesFan]

The William Hill Organ Company merged with Norman and Beard at some stage to form Hill Norman and Beard. I've played some Norman and Beard organs here in London. I'd like to know more about Liverpool organs. Perhaps I can start a new thread.

[18stanley]

probably already on here but here's The Commodore and The Grosvenor taken today

The Commodore, once the pride of north Liverpool!I remember trying for a week to get in to see City Lights with Charlie Chaplin - and that was in the
afternoons!! When would that be - early 30's? What a comedown. Stan. H