As well as adverising forthcoming and current film attractions, cinema programmes often promoted local business as well. Local firms would pay for advertising space which would assist in the cost of publication of the cinema programme.

The adverts themselves are quite interesting pieces of social history. One of the adverts on the programme below is for a heel bar in Bootle, offering to change the colour of your shoes to match your summer outfit, this is a service unheard of today in our modern disposable consumer society.

Although by this time television in the home had become more popular, we can see from this  cinema programme that the showing of older films or re releases was still common place. Notice that the first double programme of the month were two re releases;  ’Witness For The Prosecution’ from 1957 and ‘The Far Country’  from 1954.

The biblical epic ‘Barabbas’  from 1962 was at the time on general release.

The ‘X’ rated main feature ‘Grip of Fear ‘ states underneath ‘Adults only’

Notice that two of the supporting features were re releases;  ’Operation Mad Ball,’ 1957, and ’3 Coins in a Fountain,’ 1954 and were abridged versions. This means that the film had been edited or condensed to fit in with the timings of the main feature and other film screenings.

Many children would leave the cinema slapping their thighs and pretending to be cowboys like their favorite action hero’s. They would also use their coats as a capes, pretending to fly like batman, reliving what they had just watched on the screen.

The songs and musicals would be enacted around the streets when the young people left the cinema.

Due to the rolling and changing film program and the large number of cinemas, there was always lots of choice.

It was a warm, dark environment away from family and friends. That was until the lights would go on and many friends in courting couples would be scattered around the cinema especially on the back row. The cinema acted a social venue in which people from the community could come together, meet and find out who was dating who.

“I was born in 1952 – as a young girl, I was a ‘very’ proud ABC Minor and wore my badge with pride!  I was at the Regal in Litherland every Saturday morning without fail. I remember the wonderful sense of ‘belonging’. I loved singing the the song ‘We are the ABC Minors, happy girls and boys……’ – and we were!!!

In 1959 when Ben Hur was advertised I was desperate to go and see it but my Mum said I wasn’t old enough.

In the 60′s groups of us would think nothing of walking from Litherland,  to and from the Odeon in Crosby and the Gaumont in Bootle to see all the new films.

In 1968, I went out on my first ‘proper’ date, what did we do?  We went to see Oliver! I’ve still got the programme!!

My Dad was born in 1919 he used to tell me he used to collect jam jars to get into the ‘pictures’!!!!

I realise what a big part of my growing up revolved around the local cinemas!”

Jean Livingstone