General Chat

From the diary Ann i note Pal Joey.

Happy days

I like that too Joeva :-)

Loved ' High Society' with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly. Always remember the song 'True Love' written by Cole Porter sang by Grace and Bing. <3

Jolson Story-- Desert Song & Show Boat-a bit before your time--Easter Parade--Glen Miller Story-Anchor's Away-- Gigi--An American in Paris-

we had loads of cinemas in Cardiff city centre - Park Hall, Capitol, Queens, Odeon, Empire, Olympia, Central, Pavilion

suburbs - Globe, Monico, Tivoli, Gaeity, Ninian, County, Grand

I have to admit that I actually like the new cinema because the sound level suits me, I can hear the dialogue.

Supposedly the oldest cinema in Britain which opened in Jan 1909 is the Colwyn Bay theatre and cinema.it has been completely refurbished and alternates between live shows and films.
It recently went digital instead of the old 35 mm reels.
I haven't been yet but intend to try it and hope that it is more like the old cinemas.
I don t like these multi cinemas and it is always so loud.
Think this will be more old fashioned.
Have been to live theatre there and it is more like the old time ones we remember .
Think the prices are very reasonable too. :-)

Wetherspoons have refurbished The Regal in Gloucester too, although I never went there as a cinema.

Wasn't it great when there was about three cinemas in every town?
Wetherspoons have taken over the old Hippodrome cinema in March, Cambs., and have refurbished it just like an old cinema, in the Art Deco style a great place for a meal or drink. Pity more cinemas aren't brought back to a useful life.

and don't forget Carmen Jones - bringing opera to the masses!!!

AnnG.........

Queueing up outside either in the 1s-9d side or the 2-6d side. :-D

"Room for two in the one and nines"

The cinema was an experience in the 50s. The luxury of the plush red carpet and Art Deco fittings at the Odeon, after the austeriy of the time when we only had lino on the floor at home :-)

I forgot to mention Fiddler On The Roof - great movie. We were also fortunate to see Topol in the stage production in London.

Tec

My parents took me to see most of these musicals when I was a kid - I love them, and like to watch them anytime they are repeated on the telly. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was on TCM a couple of weeks ago, a welcome break from all that Saturday sport.

Oh yes Tec, the blue Haze and getting up to let people in or out of their seats, ice creams at the interval and seeing the film through twice. And the mad rush to beat the national anthem, which we couldn't join because OH was in uniform standing to attention! :-)

First record album my boyfriend (now OH) bought me was South Pacific.....when we were on honeymoon went to see Westside Story and Flower Drum Song.

I've always loved any Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly musicals soo how about American in Paris ...and Top Hat?(I know it's from the twenties but ggreat, if you get the chance go and see the new stage musical :-D

Other stage shows...Carmen,
Guys and Dolls
The Pyjama Game
Fiddler on the Roof
Gypsy
Has Paint your Wagon been mentioned?
Hello Dolly..........sure there must be loads more..

edit: and Annie get your Gun...

Well this thread is a trip down Memory Lane :-)

Thank you AnnG.

My favourites were also South Pacific and West Side Story. I can remember which girl I was going out with to see each of them at the time :-)

A film I would very much like to see again is Porgy and Bess with Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr, Pearl Bailey, and Dorothy Dandridge.
Saw this in 1959 aged 18 at a cinema in Melbourne. The first cinema I'd been in where smoking was not allowed - so there was no blue haze.

Tec.

The first film I saw at the cinema was State Fair, Mum used to take me to a Wednesday Matinee at Kingston and we went on the bus as she couldn't drive then.

I also remember seeing, Gigi, Can Can, South Pacific, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The King and I.

I remember one afternoon having an almighty nose bleed and being stared at all the way home with blood all down the front of my coat !!! I had it drilled into me so hard that I had to be good and not make any noise in the cinema, that I didn't tell Mum, and she didn't notice. M

I didn't know that either Brenda. He was such a good-looking man and always had a sexy twinkle in his eye . . .

Know he wasn't known for his 50's musicals ,more westerns,but I loved Dale Robertson in the early days....just looked him up to find an obit as he died on Feb 28 th this year aged 89......didnt see anything in the press.RIP.Dale.

Sorry Paula, don't remember the Palace. There was also the Rosum up Leamore way.

Have looked it up, Palace closed when I was 6. The Classic, I was 10 when it disappeared. Mum used to refer to a flea pit.

The Empire and Imperial were the 2 where I saw the reruns.

Remember the hot chestnut/baked potato man outside the Imperial in the winter?

Golden Earrings was much earlier - if my memory serves me correctly, Marlene Deitrich and Ray Milland - there was a song "Golden Earrings" - my Mum was very young when she had me and we lived round the corner from a small local cinema - The Monico - they had two main films week - MTW and TFS - and as I was so good she took me when I was very little - don't tell Daddy we've been to the pctures today - but I always did :-D So, I saw hundreds of films, all B & W of course, with the news bulletin and adverts half way through plus trailers for forthcoming films - we knew the man who played the organ at the beginning and the end

At another small local cinema - The Tivoli - one of my Dad's sisters used to play the piano for the silent films