It's amazing to think how bad they actually were compared to the modern multiplex's but there is something about those old picture houses.
Will always remember seeing Close Encounters in the Odeon at Woolwich. I was 11, went with Phillip Innes, we sat right at the front. There were only about 15 people in there including the staff. I was scared sh*tless!
Great memories of ABC Catford in the 60s and Lewisham Odeon and the Rex (later to become studios 6 and 7)The Rex would show films for the "more enlightened",Lewisham Odeon formerly the Gaumont was a really grand place ,a fantastic interior almost comparable to a west end theatre .Earlier films seen include Bridge Over The River Kwaii and some Noman Wisdom classics .I think it was 6d for saturday morning pics at catford ABC !! Nostalgias not what it used to be !!!
Whatever happened to them? A good 3 to 4 hours in the cinema. Kept us out of trouble I guess.
A few I remember seeing -
From Russia With Love & You Only Live Twice - Well Hall Odeon Halloween & Assault on Precinct 13 - Lewisham Odeon Scum & Quadraphenia - Bexleyheath ABC Farwell My Lovely & The Medusa Touch - Bexleyheath ABC
Late night show at Well Hall was great. Always the same films. Either Up in Smoke or The Exorcist. It used to be like a Roman orgy in there some nights. Full pissed up loons and shagging teens.
Great pictures of the old Bexleyheath cinema in HarryAMuse earlier post, spent so much time there; I remember we queued for ages for Rocky IV, it was full so we happily waited in line until the film had gone right through again. Full audience of herberts singing "Rocky, Rocky" throughout the fight scenes made it all worth it.
Was there a car park next to the bexleyheath cinema (now asda)? My great grandad was an attendant from the 40s through to his death in 73. Good memories of a few of these cinemas. Bexleyheath - girl friend's mum worked there and on one day we saw top gun, pretty in pink and shanghai surpise (if memory is correct) - for free. Also saw bttf for free in a preview screening. Bttf 2 was watched at the launch night to odeon woolwich second screen (special guest jimmy greaves). Watched awakenings at odeon well hall road and got some louts kicked out for throwing food!
Only the oldish gits remember the fleapit that was the Tivoli. It was a short distance from Erith town centre, towards Belvedere along Fraser Road on the corner with Riverdale Road. It was originally a Primitive Methodist Church built in 1900 and became a cinema, called the Tower, in 1923. The proscenium was only 12 feet wide. In 1932 it was equipped for ‘talkies’ and was re-named Rialto Cinema. At the beginning of World War II in 1939, it was re-named Rex Cinema. Around 1946, it was re-named Tivoli Cinema. It closed on 25th February 1956 with Clark Gable in "Mogambo" and Ward Bond in "Gypsy Colt".
It was converted into a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness and it is still there.
I went there quite often as it was cheaper than the other cinemas in Erith town centre.
My Dad (godbless him ) , used to tell me of going to the cinema at Well Hall , when he was a kid and they had the FA Cup in their after Charlton won it, not sure if the players were there as well up on stage before the film began?
In addition to Lewisham Odeon where I saw Deep Purple live, Studio 6&7 (I think I saw Emmanuelle there)., where you had the sound of the trains as they went past. MOG may rememebr the cinema in Sydenham where Safeway is now, not to forget the ABC Capitol in Forest Hill where I used to go to the saturday morning club and is now a Wetherspoons,where my daughter worked for a year.
BDL It's amazing to think how bad they actually were compared to the modern multiplex's but there is something about those old picture houses.
I am not sure i would agree with this, most multiplex's are awful places, only decent cinemas are the independents and the small chains - picturehouse greenwich is great.
But Picturehouse Greenwich is a million times better than the old cinemas the whole modern experience is so much better, with the exception of the prices. The old cinemas live up to their nick names of "flea pits!"
Remember seeing Clockwork Orange @ the Penge Odeon, saw live gigs @ Lewisham Odeon and was a regular at the Odeon in Bromley sneaking in the back door for the saturday morning pictures. Shame the usherette is no longer.
The converted music halls such as the Essoldo Penge which was the Empire; I remember the inside (late fifties) with ornate boxes and a large circle gallery gradually fading into a disrepair. Penge had three cinemas within a hundred yards of eachother. The Granada Sydenham was my Saturday morning pictures. Do you also remember the Pullman cinemas (Bromley and Herne Hill) where you could catch films that had just left the circuit and get double bills.
BDL It's amazing to think how bad they actually were compared to the modern multiplex's but there is something about those old picture houses.
I am not sure i would agree with this, most multiplex's are awful places, only decent cinemas are the independents and the small chains - picturehouse greenwich is great.
Greenwich Picturehouse was built in the 80's.
Modern multiplex's lack the character of the old cinemas but at least you can sit in comfort with decent legroom, that's a plus when you are over 6ft tall.
saw the Beatles here in 1963, only saw them, didn't hear a thing for the screaming. And just across the road on the way to Blackheath Hill was the Rex, yet another famous, fantastic little fleapit, now a used car lot
Great memories of ABC Catford in the 60s and Lewisham Odeon and the Rex (later to become studios 6 and 7)The Rex would show films for the "more enlightened",Lewisham Odeon formerly the Gaumont was a really grand place ,a fantastic interior almost comparable to a west end theatre .Earlier films seen include Bridge Over The River Kwaii and some Noman Wisdom classics .I think it was 6d for saturday morning pics at catford ABC !! Nostalgias not what it used to be !!!
Great memories. Thanks lolwray. Saturday morning pictures was 10p I think in my day at the Catford ABC. Used to do that in the morning and my Dad after collecting me and popping in the betting shop would take me to The Valley.
The Lewisham was a very ornate inside. Very sad that none of these 3 couldn't have been restored.
Comments
Mmmmm...........on second thoughts maybe not.
Will always remember seeing Close Encounters in the Odeon at Woolwich. I was 11, went with Phillip Innes, we sat right at the front. There were only about 15 people in there including the staff. I was scared sh*tless!
Roxy being demolished
Roxy when it was opened
Whatever happened to them? A good 3 to 4 hours in the cinema. Kept us out of trouble I guess.
A few I remember seeing -
From Russia With Love & You Only Live Twice - Well Hall Odeon
Halloween & Assault on Precinct 13 - Lewisham Odeon
Scum & Quadraphenia - Bexleyheath ABC
Farwell My Lovely & The Medusa Touch - Bexleyheath ABC
Remember the sofa seats in screen 2 at Well Hall.
Good memories of a few of these cinemas. Bexleyheath - girl friend's mum worked there and on one day we saw top gun, pretty in pink and shanghai surpise (if memory is correct) - for free.
Also saw bttf for free in a preview screening.
Bttf 2 was watched at the launch night to odeon woolwich second screen (special guest jimmy greaves).
Watched awakenings at odeon well hall road and got some louts kicked out for throwing food!
In 1932 it was equipped for ‘talkies’ and was re-named Rialto Cinema. At the beginning of World War II in 1939, it was re-named Rex Cinema. Around 1946, it was re-named Tivoli Cinema. It closed on 25th February 1956 with Clark Gable in "Mogambo" and Ward Bond in "Gypsy Colt".
It was converted into a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness and it is still there.
I went there quite often as it was cheaper than the other cinemas in Erith town centre.
Shame the usherette is no longer.
Commodore in Orpington (now McDonalds) and the Embassy (Now Morrisons) in Petts Wood are two that spring to mind.
Modern multiplex's lack the character of the old cinemas but at least you can sit in comfort with decent legroom, that's a plus when you are over 6ft tall.
The Lewisham was a very ornate inside. Very sad that none of these 3 couldn't have been restored.