Sheffield History Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 THE CLASSIC CINEMA [Link to picture: http://www.picturesh...ff.refno=s00014 Opened in February 1911 as the Electra Palace, had it's first sound movie in 1930 then it became the news theatre in September 1945, when it showed end to end newsreels of the progress of the second world war, as these were the days before television, and only recently in the televised gulf wars can younger people understand why people would have been keen to experience a theatre like this. In 1962 the fa�ade of the theatre was altered into a more modern appearence, by cutting off the high tower and cladding the frontage in a metal rail system which allowed the hanging of letters to advertise the forthcoming attractions, and current movies. It shut it's doors as a cinema in 1982, and reverted to use as a sale room until it burned down in 1984. TIMELINE - Classic Cinema ( Electra Palace) Built & Open - 1911 Talkies Introduced - 1930 Changed To News Theatre - Sept 1945 Changed to Cartoon Cinema -1959 Changed to Classic & Frontage modernised - January 1962 Closed As Cinema - 24th November 1982 Desroyed in fire & Demolished -1984 Seats Appx. 670 Later reduced to 484 LOCATION Fitzalan Square - Sheffield Link to pictire: http://www.picturesh...ff.refno=s21316 Information sourced from - http://www.rocknroll...emas/gone1.html Some of the pictures sourced from - http://www.picturesheffield.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest codeyes Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Used to go once a month wi me dad and brother when it was a Cartoon Cinema circa 1960 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted February 24, 2007 Author Share Posted February 24, 2007 Here the cinema is shown on the right - next to Barclays Bank This was when the cinema was known as the 'Cartoon Cinema' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dazza Posted March 11, 2007 Share Posted March 11, 2007 I saw an afternoon showing of the Dambusters there......with two mates....and nobody else!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingpig Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 Anyone remember the alnight Horror and Kung Fu events and the ' Indus ' curry house next door boy am I feeling old now!!. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 and then ... from "In Memory of Sheffield's Cinemas - Richard Ward" (Sheffield City Libraries - 1988) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 and ... and ... and ... then it accidently got burnt to a crisp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 Whoa - I'm glad I logged on today now - those are brilliant pictures ! Thanks for posting - that's something I've waited a long time to see so it just made my day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Indeed, all credit to the author, but I'll send you an invoice anyway Here's one that didn't even get built ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrinderBloke Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I remember the Saturday night all night horror shows, a few beers, a curry and then off to The Classic. Getting the first bus home on Sunday morning. Happy days, or indeed nights. Shame about the fire (or if memory serves it was more than one fire) which resulted in the end of the building, but seeing the Electra frontage was spectacular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest echo Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 After my Mother passed away, I took my Dad to the pictures every Thursday night - just to get him out of the house. We went to The Classic to see Gone With The Wind as he had never seen it. He said it was the longest. but one of the best films he had ever seen. This was in 1975. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sheffsteel Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I went on organsied school trips there twice. We saw "The Bellstone Fox" and also "The Amazing Mr Blunden". It was in the late 70's and I remember the cinema being small, old fashioned and antiquified compared the ABC and Gaumont cinemas. My main memory though is: We were all children and we were getting a lot of pleasure from banging the seats with our hands to see who could get the biggest ploom of dust to rise off the seats. I kind of remember the cinema had a slight strange dusty smell to it. My other memory is: The very narrow lane/path next to the cinema. You could almost stretch out your arms and touch the walls as the path was so narrow. I was only young and was fascinated to find such a narrow alleyway. I remember thinkin that if you had a fat person walking up the alley and a fat person walking down the alley, then you'd get a traffic jam. It would have been really embarrassing as one would have to reverse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest P.C Guru Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I saw my first film here Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1969, it was so good my Mum and Dad bought me the sound track and I still have the Album. :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheffield History Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 I saw my first film here Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1969, it was so good my Mum and Dad bought me the sound track and I still have the Album. Ah.. but can you sing the 'chitty chitty bang bang' theme tune all the way through without getting tongue twisted ? I tried it the other day in the car (don't ask) and couldn't do it lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest melpemberton Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Saw my first film there late seventies/very early eighties either a Disney or may have been "The Time Bandits" Remember one thing that is sadly lacking from todays cinema however, the interval with the ice ream lady! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsavo Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 The Classic had a pair of shutterless projectors, the first in Sheffield. These Philips units used a small water cooled lamp switched on and off, in sync with the film, in place of the usual projector shutter. They worked fine but if you got anything but pure clear water in the system, you ended up with very brown looking whites on the screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 Never managed to see a film in this place :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zep Posted November 25, 2007 Share Posted November 25, 2007 Never managed to see a film in this place Great pictures, cheers. When I was a kid I had to go to the Childrens hospital for a check up on my hips every 6 months and my Nan would first take me into either the Gambit or Davies Clock restaurant, then we'd watch a film after we'd visited the hospital. I remember seeing Oh Mr Porter, The Absent Minded Professor, Swiss Family Robinson and Song of the South in which the tar baby scared me witless..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest plain talker Posted September 28, 2008 Share Posted September 28, 2008 and ... and ... and ... then it accidently got burnt to a crisp the photo of the "classic" frontage was very interesting. The circular patterned thing in the centre of the hoarding which covered the beautiful frontage of the cinema originally housed a clock. I'm not sure why the clock was replaced by the patterned thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 the photo of the "classic" frontage was very interesting. The circular patterned thing in the centre of the hoarding which covered the beautiful frontage of the cinema originally housed a clock. I'm not sure why the clock was replaced by the patterned thing. Not a fantastic photo, but better than nowt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Old Canny Street Kid Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Not a fantastic photo, but better than nowt. Two things to mention: 1 I can remember, about 1944-5, when we used to pay our electricity bills at the premises that became the News Theatre soon after the end of the war. 2. Someone earlier said that the Grand was a theatre that was never built. I think it was situated on the top corner of Bridge Street, about where the old Corporation Restaurant was in the mid-1940s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skeets Posted November 28, 2008 Share Posted November 28, 2008 Not a fantastic photo, but better than nowt. HI Steve surprised no one has mentioned the snooker hall that was under the Electra, agood venue at one time Skeets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest grahamfutter Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 HI Steve surprised no one has mentioned the snooker hall that was under the Electra, agood venue at one time Skeets. when they were pulling the classic cinema down I asked the demolition men if i could have the light that was on the side of the building they said OK , and i have still got it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest abcman Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 A somewhat uncongested Fitzalan Square and the Classic Cinema, not like today. (Approximately 1961) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lebourg Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 A somewhat uncongested Fitzalan Square and the Classic Cinema, not like today. If I was good my mum used to take me to the then news theater to watch the cartoons. Later I seem to remember they wanted to pull down the Wigfalls building but it was listed. About 2 weeks later there was a fire!!! whoops. next thing the building was gone. Does anyone remember the building at the top corner of Snig Hill. I used to wait with my mom there to catch the tram. The front was clad in cream coloured tile and there was fire damage showing at all the windows which were metal framed. Must have been set on fire during the blitz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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