Standing Room Only Cartoon Cinema

[Mike Newell]

Reading James Doherty’s excellent book on “Memories of Belfast Cinemas” I was intrigued to read about the Kelvin/ Classic cinema which operated in downtown Belfast from 1940 to 1968 and was locally known as the “Cartoon Cinema”. This was because they effectively ran rotating one hour programmes of exclusively cartoons and newsreels. It was close to a major train station and collected customers waiting for trains plus kids after school or free child minding while parents went shopping. It ran from 9 in the morning until early evening.

It was a small cinema and apparently popular enough that it was Standing Room only for some shows.

Is this a one off or has anyone else ever heard of a cinema in any other city that operated like this? It does sound very much like the cinema in “Smallest Show on Earth”

[John Burgess]

I recall years ago whilst visiting London these small cinemas or News Theatres as they were called were common place. They ran continuous programmes of cartoons and of course current news reels. Great for killing time as you suggested. I’m not sure why they pulled the plug on these great little cinemas, I would imagine to make way for some hideous new development.
John

[Maurice Leakey]

When I worked as a trainee projectionist at the Odeon, Bristol, in 1952 I used to visit the nearby News Theatre in my lunch break of 90 minutes.

The cinema ran an hour programme of the latest newsreel, and the previous one. In those days the newsreel companies issued two editions per week. They also showed cartoons, Pete Smith Specialities, Behind The Eight Ball, and Fitzpatrick Traveltalks, the latter with its final words, "And so we say farewell to......."

It was demolished in 1959 and is now part of Castle car park.

Odeon cinema, Bristol. - Chester Cinemas
News Theatre in Bristol, GB - Cinema Treasures

[Mike Newell]

Interesting answers nice to hear there were similar theatres.

I think it was the availability of television that finished them. I heard the Cartoon Theatre biggest claim to fame was when the Beatles played Belfast in 1964 they skipped out of the theatre they were performing at across the road to go to and see the funnies for a hour. John Lennon was the instigator. Their management thought they had disappeared.

Another super 8 connection was that when the site was redeveloped into a row of shops.

One of the shops was occupied by a firm called “Jennings Electrics”. It was an electrical retailer but seem to specialise in electric shaver repairs and parts (a blast from the past there). Anyway they must have commissioned a simple advert of their name and address which was shown with other mainstream adverts in the local cinema called the “New Vic” across the road in the 1980s . One of Derann’s advert reels don’t ask which number has a number of day sets and adverts and somehow the “Jennings Electric” has managed to find its way in there identifying the source.

[Ed Gordon]

The Green Parrot Theatre was opened around 1914.

It became a popular 24/7 grind house that was favoured by homeless street people looking for a place to spend the night. By the early-1970’s it was operating as a X-rated adult porn cinema who’s patrons gave it the nick-name ‘the dirty bird’.

It had a fire in October 1979 and was closed, never to re-open again and it was demolished.

Source: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11434

If you watch the 1973 movie, Cinderella Liberty, staring James Caan, you will see him walking past the theater.

[Brian Fretwell]

I London they were often on the railway stations like Victoria and Waterloo. So if you missed your train and there wasn't another for 30 minutes or an hour they were ideal to pass the time. I believe the Waterloo one (By platform 1) was empty for many years before it was demolished. I never went to it but remember the lightbox showing news headlines that was put in front of it when it closed.

[Mike Newell]

Source: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/11434

If you watch the 1973 movie, Cinderella Liberty, staring James Caan, you will see him walking past the theater.

Funny, the Strand cinema in Belfast had for awhile in the 1970s /1980s the reputation of the dirty Mac cinema in that it played all the sex comedies like Confessions of and Lemon Popsicle series. They had a revival of Emmanuel’s and a group of us went to see it thinking this is going to be hot stuff. Boy were we disappointed. All I remember was the whole thing was soft focus and that bloody man covered in tattoos.

Emmanuelle played in Paris continuously I think in a cinema on Champs Elycee right up until 2000s. It was there every time I visited Paris but I didn’t notice it 2012 so maybe it has finally gone

Ironically, the Strand despite nearly being demolished and shut down a couple of times has been refurbished and still operates as a cinema and theatre. The only Art Deco 1930s cinema left. A multiplex but the original exterior is intact. 87 years old.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55213798


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50978020

[Ed Gordon]

That is interesting Mike. I would seem that porno kept a lot of movies theaters alive until video tapes killed porno.

[Mike Newell]

Two other entertaining cinema experiences to share are :-


When I went to see Grease on its original 1978 cinema release. A man ran naked down the main aisle declaring his love for Olivia Newton John when she was singing “Hopelessly Devoted to You” He was man handled by staff at short notice. This was a repeat performance. Never had that experience when showing the feature in 8mm or Blu ray.

The other adventure was when I had to go to Birmingham for work for a few days. I was bored there was a big Odeon cinema in Bow Street across from the hotel. Film was Heat Al Pacino Robert De Niro movie so it was 1995. It was a big auditorium not a multiplex. Anyway halfway through the movie you were aware something was happening at the front of the cinema. Like half the audience left on mass. Anyway the police arrived, I love those helmets they wear. Rubber truncheons were used and people were removed. Thought I was a fight but somebody got stabbed. When I was leaving at the end of film there were speckles of 🩸 blood on the way out. Funny enough they didn’t even stop the film or turn the lights on .

I had more free time the next day so as Dudley is close by went to Derann. Great work trip wasn’t it ! I mentioned my adventure at the cinema to them and they said yeah that place has a reputation.

[Brian Fretwell]

That is interesting Mike. I would seem that porno kept a lot of movies theaters alive until video tapes killed porno.

A cinema a few miles from me went over to porn, but it was reported that in the school holidays when they showed Disney films for a couple of weeks taking went up enough for them to rethink!