Historical "porn" cinemas in the UK

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by biwe

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

Thanks for those pics - any idea of the date they were taken ?

I actually visited the Classic Grand a few times between 1983 and 1992 when it finally closed. Amazingly, there were 3 cinemas all from the Classic chain which showed soft porn in the 70s/80s. The Grand was the last to close. First to go was the Classic just up the road in Renfield Street after a fire in 1981 followed a couple of years later by the Classic/Curzon/Tatler at the Mitchell Library end of Sauchiehall Street. The Classic Grand hung on through the acquisition of Classic cinemas by Golan Globus and according to some sources had significantly higher takings than other "regular" cinemas owned by the group in Glasgow. A gap of a couple of years followed before Glasgow acquired another porn cinema in the shape of Divally's which was essentially the backroom of a pub just behind the St Enoch shopping centre. This managed to stay open until the 21st century, latterly as part of the Legs n'Co lapdancing club but was finally phased out completely around 2002 - the lapdancers are still there though !

[biwe]

Originally Posted by andysmz

Thanks for those pics - any idea of the date they were taken ?

I actually visited the Classic Grand a few times between 1983 and 1992 when it finally closed. Amazingly, there were 3 cinemas all from the Classic chain which showed soft porn in the 70s/80s. The Grand was the last to close. First to go was the Classic just up the road in Renfield Street after a fire in 1981 followed a couple of years later by the Classic/Curzon/Tatler at the Mitchell Library end of Sauchiehall Street. The Classic Grand hung on through the acquisition of Classic cinemas by Golan Globus and according to some sources had significantly higher takings than other "regular" cinemas owned by the group in Glasgow. A gap of a couple of years followed before Glasgow acquired another porn cinema in the shape of Divally's which was essentially the backroom of a pub just behind the St Enoch shopping centre. This managed to stay open until the 21st century, latterly as part of the Legs n'Co lapdancing club but was finally phased out completely around 2002 - the lapdancers are still there though !

I think the Classic grand pics are from the 80's. Divally's - I only went there a few times to see some bands play as well as a great little cult film club which showed films not quite what they showed during the daytime.

[maxedout]

A bit more info on the Liverpool section - from "Picture Palaces of Liverpool" by Harold Ackroyd ) found in my local library, there must be other similar books for other large cities in their "local history" section.
The pictures are scanned from the book.

Liverpool - Jacey

Clayton Square - Closed 1972

The Gala was Liverpool's international film theatre showed continental x cert films (arty stuff rather than porn) from 20th Sept 1962. After 12 months, it was renamed "The Jacey" & continued with the same sort of movies until it's closure on 7th july 1972 with the programme "Don't Deliver Us From Evil" & "The Subject is Sex".

You'll love this next bit.

The building was then converted into a church, the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament.

It was demolished in 1986

Liverpool - Kings ,Curzon, Classic,Tatler ,Eros

London Road & Anson Road- Closed 1983

This needs a bit of editing. My earlier posts on the subject were a bit off.

The building was a cinema from 1911 under various names. In fact it holds the record for the greatest number of name changes in Liverpool with 9 different names.

As "The King's", it was a normal cinema & never showed any adult movies.

It opened as "The Curzon Club Cinema" on 4th April 1972 showing uncensored movies.

The Tatler transferred from it's Church Street premises on 22 Dec 1972 & continued until 18 Nov 1979.

The cinema then became "The Classic" showing standard x cert movies until 24 Aug 1980. Uncensored films then returned for the final 12 months as "The Eros Club Cinema" until August 1981 when the council had an attack of righteousness & closed it down.

The building was demolished several years later

The Eros Club Cinema - London Rd, Liverpool

Liverpool - Tatler Cinema Club

25 Church Street - Closed 1972

Moved to London Road - see above

If you're interested, the first uncensored film shown there was "I, A Woman" on 8th Sept 1969.

Just 2 days earlier, their last programme was "Doctor Doolittle"

After the adult movies moved to London Road, the cinema was re-named "The Classic Cartoon Cinema" - it closed 3 months later.

Site of the Tatler - Church St, Liverpool

Liverpool - Tunnel Picture House or The Avenue

Tunnel Road - Closed ?????

This was never an adult cinema - it became the Avenue in 1961 & eventually closed down in 1968 before re-opening as a bingo hall & later as the Tunnel Club.

[andysmz]

Extremely grateful for the Liverpool info. I was aware that Ackroyd's book existed but hadn't seen it and you have saved me no end of time. Thanks !

Interestingly, there is quite a lot on one of the Liverpool forums from another cinema expert who feels that some of Ackroyd's research is lacking in places - not sure whether this affects the stuff relating to "porn" cinemas though.

In respect of the Avenue, it's on my list because I picked up info somewhere (poss same forums) that it showed "naughty" films at some point in 50s/60s. I rather think these may have been X rated "continental" films which was basically "porn" (albeit softer than what we see on many TV programmes now) as far as the deprived British public of the day were concerned.

[argoman]

The magazine Continental Film Review used to carry listings for what was playing in sex cinemas, and membership only ones as well, from the late sixties till the mid-seventies. I have quite a few of these listings, heres two examples from March 1971 and April 1972.

[AlanF]

The Paris Cinema in Coventry didn't show porn movies, BUT the nearby Theatre One DID!!
The Paris Cinema closed down in the early 1980s like a lot of cinemas due to the new video age, re-opened as a Laser Quest place and was derelict for years with junkies squatting there.
Theatre One showed X films ONLY on Friday and Saturday nights and after 11.00pm. It remained a cinema till the late 1980's and always looked shabby and scruffy. Some dodgy Indians brought it and painted it lime green and pink for a nightclub that was NEVER going to suceed!
I'll grab some pics of them nowadays......both still standing

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by argoman

The magazine Continental Film Review used to carry listings for what was playing in sex cinemas, and membership only ones as well, from the late sixties till the mid-seventies. I have quite a few of these listings, heres two examples from March 1971 and April 1972

.

Excellent stuff. I was totally unaware of this mag which seems to cover. I would be extremely grateful if you could scan a few more listings covering the period you have. Thanks

[andysmz]

Originally Posted by AlanF

The Paris Cinema in Coventry didn't show porn movies, BUT the nearby Theatre One DID!!
The Paris Cinema closed down in the early 1980s like a lot of cinemas due to the new video age, re-opened as a Laser Quest place and was derelict for years with junkies squatting there.
Theatre One showed X films ONLY on Friday and Saturday nights and after 11.00pm. It remained a cinema till the late 1980's and always looked shabby and scruffy. Some dodgy Indians brought it and painted it lime green and pink for a nightclub that was NEVER going to suceed!
I'll grab some pics of them nowadays......both still standing

Thanks for the info. The note I have is that the Paris showed "continental erotic films". Maybe this was in the early 60s when it was the Paris Continental ? - see cinematreasures.org/theater/15736/

Extremely grateful for the Theatre One info. According to my quick google someone wants to demolish the existing building and build student residences.

[argoman]

Originally Posted by andysmz

.

Excellent stuff. I was totally unaware of this mag which seems to cover. I would be extremely grateful if you could scan a few more listings covering the period you have. Thanks

I’m working my way through scanning all the listings from the CFR’s I have, I’ve already done a few below (used the dates as filenames). More to follow…

[argoman]

Listings for May and October 1968, plus Jacey/Tatler Cinema Ads