The person outside the "Golden Domes" cinema in Streatham
High Road is Andy's father, Reginald F Andrews. Note the ornate
gas street lamps, and tram line in the road. Whilst Reg thought
the picture was taken in 1937, the two films being shown were
released in 1934 and were screened at the "Golden Domes" between
30th July and 4th August 1934.[1]
Very welcome information also came from Spencer Hobbs who has
researched the "Streatham News" archives
and found the advertisement on the right which nicely places
the photograph to the week commencing 30 July 1934.[2] In
retrospect the lack of ABC logo (see below) should have alerted
us to a date earlier than 1935. Spencer tells us that the Golden
Domes was one of six cinemas to have existed in Streatham.
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Advert from the "Streatham News," 30 Jul 1934. |
Reg grew up in Didcot, Berks but showed a great interest in
the cinema and things technical from an early age. He worked
at his school's Cinema Club in Didcot during his early teens
and by the time he was 16 he was 4th Operator at a cinema
in Reading. After a move to Yeovil to help open a new cinema
there Reg moved to the Golden Domes as Chief Operator in
1932. The cinema was bought by the ABC group (Associated
British Cinemas) in 1935 at which point he became its Manager.
The "Golden Domes" showed its last film in November
1938[3] when
it was replaced by the new Regal, Streatham that had been built
further along the High Street and opened on 14 November[3].
It had 2,000 seats, so had a much bigger capacity that reflected
the popularity of cinema at that time. Mr. Linden had been
appointed as that cinema's manager.
The Plaza, Catford (right) was Reg's next
cinema and he returned there several times later in his career.
We have other photographs showing the World famous clown,
Coco, outside the Plaza when he visited the cinema to promote
road safety for children. |
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The film "Left Right and Centre", which starred
Ian Carmichael and Alastair Sim, was released in 1959. |
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In 1941 Reg was called up and appointed to the Army's Cinema Service (part of the RAOC) and in 1945 he was selected to
join a then secret mission on the Cunard ship 'Franconia' taking senior officials to the Yalta Conference (attended
by Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin). During the voyage he showed films to Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Viscount
Alanbrooke and, once arrived at the conference, Molotov. Many of the films were from the war front, and he was told
never to discuss what he saw and heard, but some of the popular movies of the day were also screened to provide some
lighter moments.
 WW2 - Reginald Andrews' Franconia Adventure.
After the war Reg worked at a number of South London cinemas including the Regal, Streatham; the Rex, Norbury and the
Capitol, Forest Hill. At the Capitol, Andy, then aged about 5, was introduced to Dulcie Gray and Michael Denison who
were promoting their latest film, "The Glass Mountain".
Finally he went to the Ritz, Balham, shown below. "Funeral in Berlin" was released in 1966 and
starred Michael Caine as Harry Palmer and Oscar Homolka as Colonel Stok.
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| The Ritz Cinema, Balham, 1966 |
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| Ritz Cinema, Balham : Proscenium arch and the stage curtain |
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| Ritz Cinema, Balham : Back stalls and circle |
Since we included the above on our site we have been delighted
to receive letters from two people with strong 'ABC' connections
who have added valuable material to the story:
Brian Eady from Wellington, Somerset was a regular
visitor to the Ritz Balham and recalls being taken to see,
amongst many others, "The Alamo" (1960) and "Tom
Thumb" (1958). Always popular was 'Pathe News', although the death of
Donald Campbell on Coniston Water in 1967 is a less happy memory.
Brian particularly recalls (as does Andy) the catcalls and
whistles when love scenes came on screen, though these were
somewhat tame compared to modern offerings....
Brian recently discovered that the facade of the Ritz underwent
a re-build in the early 1950s and the balcony was installed
at the same time. Just to the left of the Ritz can be seen
the offices of Pearl Assurance, situated above a small supermarket;
the latter was opened by Jimmy Edwards and Brian still has
his autograph in the front of a copy of a Green Shield Stamps
catalogue from that day.
Ronald Alexander-Mace from Norbury South London was
an ABC employee between 1948 and 1954 and remembers Andy's
father well. ABC's policy of moving young managers from place
to place, and using them on relief duties, ensured that Ronald's
career involved periods covering a very wide area of South
London: Regal Purley, Savoy Croydon, Palladium Brixton, Regal
Beckenham, Majestic Mitcham, Picture House (Ritz) Balham, Prince
of Wales Lewisham, Capitol Forest Hill, Mayfair Tooting, Regal
Streatham, Rex Norbury, Plaza Catford, Regal Sidcup, Ritz Erith,
Regal Bexley Heath, Regal Old Kent Road, Regal Camberwell,
Elephant & Castle (guess where that was!), Princess Crayford,
and one at Gravesend. The list of locations is testament to the scale
and importance of cinemas in our national life in those days. Where
once huge numbers of people would regularly come together 'at the movies',
many now stay at home and watch TV or DVD, possibly on their own.
Ronald recalls the screening of an experimental 3D movie at
the Plaza Catford and of the nightmare when one of the two
projectors broke down; he had to make several announcements
from the stage - to assorted catcalls and a slow hand clap
from the audience - as efforts were made to get the show going
again.
It is an understatement to say that Ronald is a cinema buff
- in 1952 he was a founder member of the Cinema Organ Society
and still owns and plays a Hammond. Perhaps he can be persuaded
to write his memoirs one day.
The following picture of the Rex Norbury is reproduced with
Ronald's kind permission. Note the friendly constables providing
gentle crowd control (those were the days!).
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| The Rex Cinema, Norbury, 1937 |
The films being shown are "Swing Time" and "Mister Cinderella".
The latter starred Jack Haley, best known for his part as the 'Tin Man' in The Wizard of Oz
made in 1939. "Mister Cinderella" was released in the US in 1936 and probably came
to the UK early in 1937. It is known that the Rex opened in 1937 and the winter coats and
leafless trees suggests the photo was taken in Jan/Feb of that year. Also the small shops
either side of the entrance are still boarded up and incomplete, so
we might guess that the official opening day was close. Possibly
the crowds and police presence are evidence of the picture
being taken on opening day itself. Note the small logo near
the top of the building and compare it with the grand version
later applied to all ABCs like the Plaza, above.
The Rex was eventually turned into an office block where,
quite by chance, Ronald was later located while working in
a quite different industry.
Anyone interested in London cinemas might be interested to
read "The Cinemas of Croydon" by Allen Eyles and
Keith Skone.
Elsewhere on the internet:
Streatham
High Road, November 1978, a photograph by Brian Whittle
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