Royalty Cinema

We lived directly opposite the cinema. I could look through the window to see what was on. The Royalty was a somewhat posh cinema. If you had little money you went in the stalls through it’s own entrance (extreme right on picture) and queued down the side. The better off entered through the front doors and paid at a separate box office. The stalls crowd went down little steps and entered in front of the screen. Projection was from under the balcony. A huge place with excellent sound and picture. When Cinemascope was installed two large boards at opposite ends of the building proclaimed ‘in the wonder of Cinemascope’.It was actually quite impressive (unlike the Picture House up the road). They took the brown curtains down and replaced them with a frilly descending curtain that covered the wide curved screen. The place had an odd smell (Jeyes fluid?) but was always full until the advent of t.v. Films ran Mon to Wed and Thurs to Sat with old and often abridged films on Sundays. I expected a three hour show. Two films, Pathe News, Adverts, trailers and sometimes a Pathe Pictorial. The show would finish with the National Athem but folk would rush for the exit to avoid it!! They had a lively ABC Minors Saturday Morn kids club. When it started all the children previously attending The Picture House club left (free badges, Birthday presents etc.) and joined the new one. The Picture House (known as The Old Harborne) kids club closed as it’s audience had gone. I remember them showing a 3D film called ‘Metroscopix’ with red and green glasses. A ladder came out of the screen!! Another gimmic was a film called ‘House on Haunted Hill’ in a process called ‘Emergo’ It was simply a wooden coffin on stage which opened to allow a plastic skeleton to pass on a wire over the heads of the audience about ten minutes from the end of the film!! You could buy the ABC film review on your way out to read of the coming films and stars. Maurice Smith worked there and I used to help him on Saturdays. The Cinema is now closed and terribly run down. The people of Harborne should be ashamed that they have a single screen gem in their midst and have let it go to wrack and ruin. If only I lived back home I’d have tried to do something about it. Is it too late??

If those links don’t work, go to flickr les veuves photostream and look at the album named ‘Birmingham Cinemas’

Hi sjh 123,

I was born and lived directly opposite the Royalty until leaving Birmingham in 1961. If I can help in any way I’d be happy to.

Dave Groves

And another more devasting one:–

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-45570791

Grand opening ad posted.