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Picture Halls...."
kin
a go tae the pictures Mammy?"
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Glasgow the Cinema City or as we would say
"Glesca the place wi' aw the picture halls"
At the turn of the century Glasgow was one of the liveliest cities in
Europe. Walking was the principal form of transport and the bustling streets were filled with groups heading for
the theatre, music halls, pubs, banquets and the pictures!
Glasgow embraced the cinema boom just as it did with many other aspects of
life....it embraced it with a fervour and passion unequalled anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
For Glasgow in its Picture House heyday was CINEMA CITY.
Pre-war newspapers carried page after page of adverts for picture houses,
columns displaying programme details for 130 plus cinemas. More per head of population than
any other city in Europe! Films were shown in converted shops, public halls, skating rinks etc but the
first building to open exclusively for the showing of films was in our famous Sauchiehall Street in
1907, Pringle's Picture Palace. By 1917 there were over one hundred establishments throughout the city.
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While some were high class halls, complete
with bars, restaurants and uniformed ushers, others were old warehouses
and of the 'fleapit' variety! |
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Skinny
Malinky long legs
Big Banana feet
went tae the pictures
and couldnae find a seat
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ARCADIA PICTURE HALL,
London Rd, Bridgeton
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BLACK CAT PICTURE HALL,
Springfield Road
The Black Cat opened in 1921 and seated 893 people.
It closed its doors in 1955
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KINGS PICTURE THEATRE, 59
James St, Bridgeton
The Kings at 59 James Street was built in 1910 and seated 1400
people.
The current frontage dates from a 1930's rebuild.
It closed its doors in 1959 and is now a furniture store warehouse.
Originally a drill hall and then a roller skating rink.
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LANGHAMHALL
PICTURE HALL,
Broad St, Bridgeton
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OLYMPIA PICTURE HALL,
Bridgeton Cross
The Olympia theatre opened in 1911 seating 2000!
It was taken over by the ABC chain in 1924, closing in 1974.
It became a bingo hall until the late nineties, then a furniture
store....
but is now closed. The facade is a listed B building.
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PREMIER PICTURE PALACE,
Kirkpatrick St,
The Premier was converted from an engine works in 1910 and seated 700
people. It closed its doors in 1957 was a warehouse but is now
closed and
up for let. The Auditorium was flat floored.
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PLAZA PICTURE HALL,
Nuneaton Street, Bridgeton
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SCOTIA PICTURE HALL,
Millerston St,
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STRATHCLYDE PICTURE HALL,
Summerfield St,
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When the cinema boom faded many
cinemas were converted into bingo halls, warehouses and storage facilities but many were reduced to lying sadly shuttered and dormant.
The laughter of the audiences, the characters of bygone days but a distant memory......
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Extract
from GlescaPals Messageboard March 4, 2003, Betty Murphy
I used to go with my granny to the pictures every
night in the week and sometimes twice on a Saturday!
I went to the Arcadia , Olympia, Orient , Argyle before it got burned
down, the Granada, 3 p's [ parkhead picture palace] Blackcat, Bedford, and
there were many more I just can't remember all the names, that's when they
showed two films, and the programme changed half way through the week
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