Historical "porn" cinemas in the UK

[andysmz]

I am attempting to document all the porn cinemas which have previously existed in the UK. The attachment contains around 100 cinemas which I have already identified. If you have any additional details about cinemas listed, corrections (particularly closing dates) or additions, please let me know.

Thanks

[maxedout]

Well I can't speak for any of the others, but this one's wrong

Liverpool - Tatler Cinema Club
25 Church Street - Closed 1972

The Tatler was on London Road & can't have closed that early - I went there once & I was only 11 in 1972
Think you need to add about 10 years to that one.

Also

Liverpool - Gilmore Cinema Club
Manchester Street - Closed 1985 (blown up !)

Not sure about the "blown up", all the buildings on that row (the Gilmore was on the corner) have been demolished now
- a pub nearby (can't remember the name but I think it was in Dale Street) was demolished by explosion & filmed for some TV programme or other.
Maybe the 2 have been mixed up.

It was a dump anyway - If you remember "the worst toilet in Scotland" scene in Trainspotting ...

The Gilmore's was worse.

[Hugh Jampton]

Have you contacted the Yahoo group sexatthemovies? They would have info and be very happy to share...

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jampton

Have you contacted the Yahoo group sexatthemovies? They would have info and be very happy to share...

Thanks. Some of the info has come from members of that group and it's actually where I currently store the database.

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by maxedout

Well I can't speak for any of the others, but this one's wrong

Liverpool - Tatler Cinema Club
25 Church Street - Closed 1972

The Tatler was on London Road & can't have closed that early - I went there once & I was only 11 in 1972
Think you need to add about 10 years to that one.
.

Thanks. The info re closure date came from a thread on one of the Liverpool forums and seemed quite early. Did it actually finish its days as a Tatler or was it renamed at any time ?

Originally Posted by maxedout

Liverpool - Gilmore Cinema Club
Manchester Street - Closed 1985 (blown up !)

Not sure about the "blown up", all the buildings on that row (the Gilmore was on the corner) have been demolished now
- a pub nearby (can't remember the name but I think it was in Dale Street) was demolished by explosion & filmed for some TV programme or other.
Maybe the 2 have been mixed up.

Sounds likely. Thanks for clearing that up.

[vvn]

Originally Posted by andysmz

I am attempting to document all the porn cinemas which have previously existed in the UK. The attachment contains around 100 cinemas which I have already identified. If you have any additional details about cinemas listed, corrections (particularly closing dates) or additions, please let me know.

Thanks

I'm pretty sure that I visited the Taboo Club in London as late as 1979, it may even have been 1980. I started visiting in either the autumn of 1976 or the spring of 1977.

I think I've still got the membership card stashed away in the loft. If you're opening a museum, I'll gladly donate it!

Best of luck and best regards,
vvn

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by vvn

I'm pretty sure that I visited the Taboo Club in London as late as 1979, it may even have been 1980. I started visiting in either the autumn of 1976 or the spring of 1977.

I think I've still got the membership card stashed away in the loft. If you're opening a museum, I'll gladly donate it!

Best of luck and best regards,
vvn

Thanks for that. Were you a filmgoer at any other London gentlemens cinematographic establishments ? Any information is much appreciated - particularly as the "golden age" was around 30 years ago and memories are fading and many of the participants have sadly passed away.

I don't plan to open a "real" museum but a "virtual" museum may well be a possibility so you could always scan your membership card - I assume it belongs to Mr John Smith, Michael Mouse or someone similar !

I'm also trying to establish whether cinemas like Taboo were all part of a chain or whether the same name was used independently - anyone know the answer?

Edited to add:

I know John Lindsay had the London one - were all the other Taboos his as well ?

[maxedout]

re: the Tatler, Liverpool

Did it actually finish its days as a Tatler or was it renamed at any time ?

I don't think it renamed - it was certainly the Tatler when I went in the late 70's (maybe very early 80's).

It was actually pretty good inside - the building was an old cinema anyway so it was a decent size & didn't have the usual seedy back street look most porn cinemas had.

I haven't been past there for a while (the bus used to go right past it but they changed the route slightly) but I think the building is still there.

[biwe]

Now used as a music venue - here it is in it's heyday

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by maxedout

re: the Tatler, Liverpool


I don't think it renamed - it was certainly the Tatler when I went in the late 70's (maybe very early 80's).

It was actually pretty good inside - the building was an old cinema anyway so it was a decent size & didn't have the usual seedy back street look most porn cinemas had.

I haven't been past there for a while (the bus used to go right past it but they changed the route slightly) but I think the building is still there.

Unlike many porn cinemas, Tatlers tended to be purpose built. Originally they specialised in newsreel and cartoons. The Classic cinema chain used the name for their "uncensored" Tatler Cinema Clubs from the mid 60s onwards. Tatler Cinema Clubs were either standalone (as the Liverpool one would seem to be) or the smallest of the screens produced by multi-screening a single Classic from the late 60s onwards.