The Gainsborough, opened in 1922 and was named after the famous painter Thomas Gainsborough. It was built almost directly opposite The Picture House of Bootle and helped bring about its closure.

The Gainsborough had a seating capacity of 1300 and was perceived at the time to be the finest cinema in the suburbs, with its graceful structure and decoration.

The proceeds from the opening programme on 18th May 1922 were donated to the Mayors Unemployment fund. Amongst the first films shown at the Gainsborough were D.W.Griffith’s masterpiece ‘The Love Flower’ with Carol Dempster and Richard Barthelmess. The cinema also had an orchestra this was retained longer than most cinemas in the area as the cinema was not equipped for sound until August 1930.

The Gainsborough was part of the ABC Circuit and ran popular children’s cinema matinees through the 30′s to 1960. They would often have talent and variety shows laid on for the children to support the film program and competitions such as fancy dress and singing.

The cinema had voluntary child cinema monitors who would help out at the children’s cinema matinees. Each child monitor would be in charge of a few rows of cinema seats and their job was to maintain cleanliness and order

Despite growing competition from other local cinemas, the Gainsborough remained a successful cinema until the late 1950’s. As with lots of cinemas at this time the increase of televisions in the home and increase of leisure activities spelt its demise and on 12th November 1960 the Gainsborough closed its doors as a cinema and showed its last films – ‘The Bellboy’ featuring Jerry Lewis and ‘Tarzan The Magnificent’.

The building was then acquired by Mecca Ltd and was converted into a Bingo Hall which was popular until the 1980’s.

Local people have mentioned that when the building was being demolished the ornate features from the building were put into storage, the whereabouts of these are unknown. On the site today is an extension of the car show rooms.

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To the Saturday evening film program which would provide a full night of entertainment often including two films and a newsreel in a warm, safe, luxurious environment at a reasonable price. The cinema was often a very popular place for first dates and courting couples.

To the mid week rolling film program. Showing films from a Monday to Wednesday, with a different film on a Thursday to Saturday and a special program of a Sunday.

The Pictures were a place for families to go to be entertained, informed and find out about national and world events.

Cinemas provided a full afternoon or evening’s entertainment which was considered to be good value for money – an affordable luxury.

The day was 2nd September 1939 and due to the onset and declaration of World War II the government ordered all cinemas and places of entertainment to be closed due to fear of bombing. Calls were quickly raised to re-open the cinemas and within two weeks the restrictions were lifted.

The cinema was a place where the public could be entertained, to take their mind away from rationing and the harsh realities of war as well as an escape for a few hours into the magical world of film.

It provided a way of helping keep up spirits and would later be used as a useful tool in providing information about the war efforts and a way of communicating public information to large audiences through films and government announcements.

The newsreels and public information films made for the cinema gave the government a means of controlling what and how information was given to its audience as tighter controls of film censorship took hold.

Film makers such as Humphrey Jennings, David Lean and Carol Reed produced British films to rival Hollywood. These gave accounts of British life through the war and served as a purpose to boost morale, giving a reflection of war all be it with a certain slant which could now be deemed as propaganda to a cynical eye. Films such as ‘Listen to Britain’ 1942 directed by Humphrey Jennings and Stewart McAlister.’ ‘The True Glory’ 1945 directed by Carol Reed and ‘A Diary for Timothy’ also directed by Jennings in 1945.

Of course not all cinema goers would want to watch films about the war, they wanted to go to the pictures to escape into the comforts and luxurious surrounding which the cinema provided.

Unfortunately a few of our local picture houses were damaged and destroyed during the war years. The area was hit quite badly due to its close proximity to the docks. Old Picture Houses such as The Broadway, The Imperial and the Metropole were hit in strikes and closed. Bombing during the May blitz caused devastation not only to buildings and businesses but also to families, around the corner from where the Metropole stood a memorial stone has been erected in memory of those who lost their lives.

“I went to the Palace in Marsh lane. We would have tarpaulin muster and send one of us in to open the door and we all bunked in the doorman wore a glittering uniform and an officer type coloured cap his name was Sunny? We would come out slapping or bums, giddy upping down Marsh Lane. We would take jam jars to Dalby’s scrap yard in Salisbury road, and run messages from the shops to get our picture money. Roy Rogers gabby/ Hayes /Tex Ritter/ Lone Ranger Gene Autry all my hero’s, when I grew up to find Randolph Scott and Gabby Hayes were gay – still don’t believe it.

Sun Hall, Gainsborough, Muncaster Irlam road / the Carlton. There are only 3 cinemas left in Bootle, still in use for other purposes what are they and where are they? We also got 6 pence for going for coke from the gas works, and that’s the only time you would see a Marsh Lane lad push a pram…”

Tommy Watson

1956 Ice Cream advert

“As a lad in the early fifties I used to go the Gainy Abc minors Sat morning and if it was your birthday you went on stage and got a free tub of ice cream and a free pass for next week. Sunny the (doorman) said to me:

“Davey the amount of birthdays you have you have to be at least 106 years old” (he was wrong, 107)

Great days”

Davey Rowlands, Balfour Road. Ex pat. – Sent from Queensland Australia