ABC Cinema, Angel St.

Anyone with memories of the BEST cinema ever

in Sheffield (even now)

Can't remember when it opened but I was there at

the first ever film to be shown there.

I was only a kid but my mum got a couple of

tickets for the UK premiere of a romantic

comedy called "Don't Bother To Knock".

Widescreen films shown there were superb

because of the size of the cinema you could

get some distance between you and the screen,

unlike the smaller venues of today.

Progess ?????

The ABC Cinema, Angel Street

This was the last large screen cinema that was built in Sheffield. Initially it had one large screen in the main auditorium and the concourse restaurant, upstairs, which was later converted into a smaller screen. It was built in 1961 and closed in 1989, and then demolished soon after to make way for a new retail development, which has still not been built 10 years on! and to add insult to injury is still an unmade temporory pay and display car park.

When it was opened in 1961 it was claimed to be the most modern cinema in Britain. Featuring the most up to date projection and sound equipment, and a very large 60 foot screen, which was one of the largest in the country.

The 1300 seats were laid out in a Stadium plan, where the circle was slightly raised from the stalls, with a thick dark wall between, instead of the more conventional balcony.

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Fantastic - remember the queues lining all the way up the tunnel around the corner?

I remember going to the Saturday morning picture show & the popcorn breaks!

But my fondest memory is of dashing down to the Gaumont to queue up for Star Wars!

I'll always remember going to see Monty Python and The Holy Grail there when it first came out - and sitting straight through it twice.

I remember going to see Monty Pyton's 'Meaning Of Life' at the ABC when I had just turned 16 - it was an 18 film, and there's no doubt the woman in the ticket office knew we were all under age.

"I just hope we don't get raided," she said as we sheepishly trooped in.

We were sat just behind the tunnel entrances, and I nearly cacked myself when I saw a couple of peak-capped figures emerge out of the gloom. I thought they were coppers - but they were just St. John's ambulance!

Originally posted by Hal9001

The ABC Cinema, Angel Street

 

The 1300 seats were laid out in a Stadium plan, where the circle was slightly raised from the stalls, with a thick dark wall between, instead of the more conventional balcony.

Sorry to be pedantic but there were 1327 seats. I should know as I (was supposed to) walked each row every morning when on duty and flip each seat squab (the bit yer backside goes on) to check for damage. Then I checked the lav's for soap and toilet paper. Good fun, heh!

i saw the Exorsist there in 1970blob and the queues were right

up the side backing onto Cockaynes ,alsp st johns ambulence ppl were there to help with the fainters .

Also saw The sound of music there much earlier than that with my Mum

It was a wonderful cinema

and then demolished soon after to make way for a new retail development, which has still not been built 10 years on! and to add insult to injury is still an unmade temporory pay and display car park.

In fact it is now a hotel with Fox's superstore below it.

I have fond memories of the Saturday morning matinee in the 80's which cost 50p

I recall seeing Beat Street and Spiderman on the big screen and taking my little brother to see Ewoks: Caravan of Courage on the small screen.

I wish the cinema was still there as the tiny ones we have these days have just lost that atmosphere

I remember the "Minor's Matinees" on a saturday morning, with Those awful films starring a very youthful Keith Chegwin, ("Young Robin Hood", among others!!)

I remember it cost five pence (!) to get in to the Minors Matinee, and my first boyfriend (we were 13!) was a rotten skinflint (lol), and he'd make me pay my five pence myself! (what?? I'll meet you inside??!! pah! can't you guess... he didn't last long!)

You'd be brought out onto the stage with your cards if it was your birthday, and they's sing happy birthday and that dire song about "the minors of the ABC!" aand the manager always used to look uncomfortable as he tried to control the little hoolicans chucking boiled sweets at him and the birthday boys and girls, such as Dixon's mint-rock. Crikey, it was bedlam!

Do you remember, you got badges with letters of the alphabet on them, if you were a regular attender, and you tried to build up the whole alphabet..?

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