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.

The brochures contained details of the stars appearing in the films, the technical credits, stills and a synopsis of the film together with historical data if appropriate.

Due to the fact that it was the school holidays the cinema was showing a number of Walt Disney films namely ‘Bon Voyage’ and ‘Big Red.”

Interestingly, the film ‘Big Red’ was supported by one of Disney’s famous full length feature cartoons ‘Dumbo’ which was originally released in 1941.

This is a flyer for the 1967 film ‘A Guide for the Married Man’ which was distributed to Rank Cinema patrons, the film in fact carried an ‘X’ certificate although viewed today can be considered quite tame and only carry a PG certificate.

This is a scanned copy of a flyer that was handed out in cinemas to advertise forthcoming films. This flyer is promoting the film ‘ Nine Hours to Rama’ directed Mark Robson, telling the story of the events leading up to the assassination of Mohatma Gandhi. The film was shown at Bootle Gaumont in 1962.