Old Sheffield Picture Palaces

[mick35]

Does anyone remember or went to the Victory Cinema on Upwell street.When I went there in the late forties early 1950's it cost 7d to go in downstairs and 10p to go upstairs.Its no longer there.

[Nigel Womersle]

Main sound systems were either Western Electric or RCA (mostly WE), although BTH did have their own systems. Remember that at this time, CinemaScope was on its way in, but most suburban cinemas couldn't afford to instal the 4-track magnetic equipment for stereophonic sound, so made use of optical prints. The narrower magnetic oxide tracks meant the the ratio could be 2.55:1 rather than the 2.33:1 that allowed space for the (wider) optical tracks. Some sort of optical/stereo hybrid appeared called 'Perspecta' sound, but this was short-lived, I believe.

So most cinemas still made do with their old sound equipment; the size of the screen made large horns possible, given the right front end, the sound could be amazing.

Apart from this, the 4-track stereo setup had left-centre-right sound sources behind the screen, the 4th track driving a number of satellite speakers around the auditorium (these were known as 'ambions'). If you saw 'The Robe' at this time, the thunder effects were very effective.

Interestingly, modern systems appear to have gone back to optical tracks in Dolby-equipped theatres, presumably these can produce a digital signal that can be manipulated through the decoders. I'm a bit unsure of THX - some theatres are now totally digital, the film appears on a hard drive, and presumably, this will give more overhead to the sound source in term of frequency- and dynamic-range. It seems to me from what I see and hear, that the digital picture cannot yet compete with film in terms of quality, so the old girl's not dead yet. But there are financial gains for the studios in using digital material, so the demise of film is, surely inevitable.

The rise of multiscreen theatres and the demise of the old picture palace with its occasionally stunning architecture and fittings is not to my taste. Even the 'Kinema in the Woods' at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire now boasts 2 screens - signs of the times, I suppose.

To your original question - I've no doubt that they will be valuable, as you suggest, but not very useful in today's world. The valve amplifiers were modest, given that they did not need wide frequency range, and the behind-screen loudspeakers could be just enormous. Everything for reliability, performance didn't matter all that much.

 

Years ago I went to The Kinema in The Woods at Woodhall Spa. Only one screen then, and a very large one at that. I believe the projection was from behind the screen. The entire cinema was immaculate. The film I saw was Black Christmas.

[MikeX]

I lived on Shoreham Street at the time - opposite the football ground (although my real interest was cricket, and Yorkshire County matches were staged at Bramall Lane in those days).

From this, you'll gather that the Heeley theatres and the Abbeydale were our locals. I suppose that the family would go to the cinema 2, perhaps 3 times a week then, interspersed with occasional visits to the Empire Theatre and the Lyceum. Most provincial theatres would have a change of programme on Wednesday night, so, two bites at the cherry, so to speak.

Muliplex has done little to make a cinema visit enjoyable - the poor screens, claustrophobic theatres and noisy customers keep me away.

Carosio makes the point that you don't get those flickering light beams any more - probably because of no-smoking policies and dust filtration.

Edited September 25, 2012 by MikeX
Spelling correction

[maginu]

there was a cinema at darnall called the lyric also picture house at bottom of staniforth road called the regal now a furniture shop

[awoollen]

Does anyone remember or went to the Victory Cinema on Upwell street.When I went there in the late forties early 1950's it cost 7d to go in downstairs and 10p to go upstairs.Its no longer there.

dint cost nowt if tha went in the bottom when some one ellse went in of course you crawled on floor

[terry457]

I used to go to the Rex cinema at the bottom of Mansfield rd. also one on the arbourthorne estate near the fishing pond, my sister took me there in the thirties.

 

Also, there was a cinema down Duke st.below Talbot rd. on the left hand side going down. One night, we were sat in there and a choc. Ice came over the top and fell into my lap, I promptly ate it then just after, a girl came to us and asked if we had seen a choc. Ice, We said no as we hadn't any money to buy her another one!!!

 

Hi I think that was the park cinema your talking about.The one on the Arbourthorne was the Carlton. can you remember the darnall cinema (the bugs hut) that must have been the smallest and best, it was all on one level yet it had an upstairs and downstairs ,just two steps made it so. 6pence downstairs on the hard wooden seats 10 pence halfpenny upstairs, all they ever showed was cowboys.

[Nigel Womersle]

Hi I think that was the park cinema your talking about.The one on the Arbourthorne was the Carlton. can you remember the darnall cinema (the bugs hut) that must have been the smallest and best, it was all on one level yet it had an upstairs and downstairs ,just two steps made it so. 6pence downstairs on the hard wooden seats 10 pence halfpenny upstairs, all they ever showed was cowboys.

 

There was a cinema on Duke Street called 'The Norfolk'.

[soft ayperth]

There was a cinema on Duke Street called 'The Norfolk'.

 

Norfolk Picture Palace, actually. A rather grandiose name for a very humble place.

[terry457]

Norfolk Picture Palace, actually. A rather grandiose name for a very humble place.

 

Yea you're right Nigel I can remember the Norfolk but never went there, the wife and I went to the park cinema a few times.

[mikebatty]

I recently went in the Weatherspoons Pub at Woodseats, The pub is called the Woodseats Palace, I was amazed to find out it was an old cinema and apparently there was another 2 on Woodseats itself, one was called the Chantry.

 

Which others do you know of in Sheffield ?

 

Abbeydale Pictures - Now a bar and snooker club

Heeley Pictures Palace - Where Ponsfords new building is on London Rd

 

Anymore, there must have been loads in the 50/60s

 

Anyone remember the Tudor . I think it was on Ecclesall Road .

 

---------- Post added 29-12-2012 at 14:36 ----------

 

Anyone remember the Tudor . I think it was on Ecclesall Road .

 

There was also the Oxford on Oxford street , Upperthorpe .

And . Please, don't forget the" ROSCOE " , or bug hut as it was known. The tanna rush was the the highlight for us kids on a Saturday afternoon for us kids .

 

The two cinemas' in Barkers Pool - Gaumont and the cinema . The Kinema at Hillsborough . The Esseldo's at Lane top and at Southey green and , the "Upperthorpe" at the top of Wood Street , on Langset Road .The Wicker - insitu- was renown for a " touch- up " from the purves .We used to go in two's and three' s for safety .