HERE’S the third part in our series looking at old cinemas in the area, thanks to pictures from the collection of Tom Heath.
The Coliseum Picture House, on Linacre Road, Litherland, had its grand opening in February, 1921.
It boasted a seating capacity of approximately 1,400 and its proprietors claimed it was Liverpool’s largest cinema.
It closed its doors in 1931 for a revamp and opened again in May that year, still showing silent films and was the last cinema in the district to do so.
However, the cinema faced opposition in 1955 when ABC took over the Regal, in Litherland, which was followed by the opening of the New Gaumont, in Bootle, in 1956.
By the early 1960s, visitors to the cinema had declined and bingo was introduced.
The last films were shown in September 1963 and the hall was converted for bingo.
It continued being used for this until September 1983 when a serious fire damaged the auditorium and roof.
The building was demolished in 1990 and new houses built on the site in 1997.
The Regal, on Church Road, Litherland, opened its doors on June 12, 1939, with the feature film the Gracie Fields comedy Keep Smiling.
It was taken over by ABC in 1955 who introduced continuous performances throughout the day.
However, this was reduced to evenings only, except for Saturdays and holidays, in the late 1950s and in the early 1960s audiences started to decline.
The Regal closed its doors in July 1962 with a double feature – A Cry From the Streets and Inn For Trouble – and the building was converted into a luxury bowling centre.
It later became Secrets - once described as “one of Liverpool’s plushest nightclubs�.
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margaret lloyd wrote...
you don't mention when it was allison's or the wispa club
Posted by: margaret lloyd | December 4, 2007 8:02 PM