“I remember there were two screenings in the evenings. The first house started at around 6 o’clock, with the second at around 8:15pm. It was a real rush for workers to get to the first house. Sometimes there were two separate showings, but often everything went on continuously.

What was particularly frustrating was that after queuing for half-hour or more for the second house, in often cold and wet conditions, you could not be sure of getting in until after the main film had started. This was because the first house viewers would stay on.

Another memory is of the Odeon Club on Saturday mornings. I remember the club song which went like this: “To the Ode – Odeon we have come. Now we’re all together we can have some fun. Is everybody happy – YES…. Etc. etc.” I can’t remember the rest.”

Eileen Clarke

Below is a video clip of another version of the Odeon Cinema Club Song. The ABC Minors also had a Cinema Club song. Clubs, songs and badges gave the children a feeling of belonging and brought loyalty to the cinemas as child regulars returned each week.

“My first memory of the pictures is coming to the Plaza to see ‘Oliver’. Of course I fell in love with ‘Oliver’ as I was the same age, probably about 6 or 7. Aww!!!”

Di Pennington

“I was interviewed for the position of Assistance Cinema Manager, with the Rank Organisation, at the Odeon, London Road, Liverpool. The interview was on Bonfire Night, 5th November 1957. Guess who the interviewer was? – Regional Controller, Mr A. J. Rockett.

 

Odeon Cinema, Waterloo, 1957 and the playing of the National Anthem. Just before the end of the last performance of the evening there was usually a rush to exit the cinema as those still in the audience , when the lights went up, were duty bound to stand and wait until ‘God save the Queen’ had been played. All movement stopped when the ‘National Anthem came on and even those people caught half-way out in the aisles would remain still until the ‘Anthem’ was finished.

While working as Assistant Manager at the Royal Hippodrome in West Derby Road, the Fulham football team came in one Friday evening. At that time (1958) they had a few famous players like Jimmy Hill, Graham Leggett and England captain Johnny Haynes; which the older generation will recall. At the interval I put a ‘slide’ on the screen saying, “Welcome to the Fulham Football Club. We hope you enjoy tonight’s show. We hope you don’t enjoy tomorrow’s match against Liverpool quite so much!” They took it in good part and the following day at Anfield the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Derek also met his wife of over 50 years Eva. She worked as an usherette at the Odeon in Crosby and on his first day on duty was introduced to his wife in an amusing manor.
She came into the cinema scooting her bike through to park it, and wondering what she was doing called out to her ” Excuse me, I didn’t catch your name?” and she replied “That’s because I didn’t throw it”, and continued to go through the cinema to park her bike, unaware that he was the new manager.

Later that day the usherette had to line up in front of the cinema manager who at the time was a man named Sammy Moore, in what was called ‘The Managers Parade’ – whereby the usherette would line up to be inspected upon appearance and smartness of their uniform. The usherettes were then introduced to the new assistant manager, and Derek and Eva were formly introduced. Fell in love and have been married ever since.”

Derek Anderton

“My memory of going to the cinema include watching ‘The Night of the Living Dead’ and my wife hiding throughout the whole film. The occasions when she was not hiding she would be screaming!!!”

Mr.C. Pritchard

“The Liverpool Echo would list over a 100 cinemas each night. I would travel all over Merseyside to watch certain films.

I lived in the Anfield area of Liverpool and would go to places such as Huyton to see ‘Top Hat’. Once I travelled to the Winter Gardens, Waterloo to see ‘Blue Skies’. One day I would be in a ‘flea pit’ like the Cabbage Hall, or the Everton Palace. The next day I would be in the Forum or the Odeon in London Road.”

Burt Hamblet

“Regal Cinema, Litherland: pay day pocket money in hand and off to the pictures, it was nine pence to get in, with my friends who lived locally. One favourite film was ‘Singing in the Rain’, starring Gene Kelly – a great film. All the way home we sang the theme song and at every lamp post we said we would swing around it until we came to the ‘chippy’: 3 penneth of chips. What joy, blown the rest the rest of that week’s pocket money. Next it was to the Stella Cinema, Seaforth to see Betty Davies and Paul Hendried in ‘Now Voyager’ – plenty to talk about all week. Another favourite was Deborah Kerr in ‘An Affair to Remember’, you felt you had a great night out. Laurel and Hardy made us laugh so much our sides hurt. One night, on the way home I lost the heel of my shoe, hobbled home and got a good telling off from Mum. But we did love the cinema – Happy Days.”

Anne Price

Jessica Irene Sexton was born in 1917; her family then lived in a small cottage in Vale Road, Crosby, opposite St. Luke’s Church. In the 1930s Rene, as she liked to be known, went into domestic service. She worked for a family in a house called ‘Graigmin’, situated on the corner of Mariners Road, Crosby. This house is still there and is now a Doctor’s surgery. On her days off, Rene used to meet friends at the bottom of South Road, Waterloo.

One day Rene met a young man, who was on leave from the Merchant Navy. He invited her to the pictures next evening. There was great local excitement, as a new cinema was opening that night. That cinema was the Plaza, on Crosby Road North, Waterloo. It was a Gala Night, the Lord Mayor was present and the audience were given souvenir programmes. The film shown was ‘South Riding, the star was Ralph Richardson. The young couple decided to meet again the next week. The date was 2nd September 1939! Sadly, war was declared next day and the Plaza closed.

Rene never saw her sailor friend again. It was assumed he had been recalled to the Navy. Rene later joined the A.T.S. and due to her skills at cooking she became a cook to the officers’ mess, made many friends and enjoyed service life

Memories of Jessica Irene Sexton – submitted by Alice Molloy.

Film magazines such as Photoplay and Newsreels such as Pathe and British Movie Tone would have features showing the behind the scenes glamorous lives of the stars. Some of these images were often as fictitious as some of the films which they starred in.

Film cards and photographs of the stars became valuable prized possessions which were collected and exchanged by the cinema goers and would be a talking point in society.

Watch Jean’s memories below of collecting Photoplay:

Hear Bill talking about the stars and fashions shown in the film magazines: