Cinema-going in the 1940s/50s

In stark contrast to today’s soulless, extortionately-priced multiplexes, the cinemas of the 1940s and 50s were a much more homely affair - cheaper, more local, and definitely more individual in style. They formed an important part of the cultural life of any town and were a place where indelible memories were made…

1940s cinemagoers

Before TV took over our lives, cinema was the main form of mass entertainment from the 1920s to the
late 1950s with attendances peaking around 1946 at over 31 million visits to the cinema each week. Although nowadays it would be considered an unheard-of extravagance, it would not have been uncommon during the war, and in the years following, for people to go to the pictures several times a week. A survey of young Londoners in 1947 revealed that 21% had been to the cinema the previous evening and in 1949 41% of London’s youth went to the pictures every weekend.

 

The Granada, Tooting

Cinemas were a nice place to spend time. Intended to mimic the exotic, many London cinemas were (and some still are) prime examples of fantasy architecture – the Finsbury Park Astoria was made to resemble a Moorish walled city, the Kilburn State was a mock-up of the Empire State Building and the Carlton in Islington had stunning Egyptian features. These were ‘people’s palaces’ in every sense of the word, where people could relax in a wonderland for a few hours a night. As well as stunning exteriors, no expense was spared on interior features: marble staircases, walnut-panelled walls, huge mirrors and often chandeliers were very much the order of the day. Cinema designer Theodore Komisarjevzky (creator of the amazing Venetian Gothic Tooting Granada of 1931) wrote: “The picture theatre supplies folk with the flavour of romance for which they crave.”

The Forum, Kentish Town

But it wasn’t just the larger picture palaces that fulfilled this need. Even the most modest of ‘flea-pits’
provided warmth, privacy, a comfy seat, deep carpets and wall-to-wall escapism - a marked contrast to most people’s day-to-day existence in cramped, draughty accommodation with only a radio for entertainment.

Gaisford listings May 1945

And there were plenty of them within a small radius. Growing up in the Camden Town/Kentish Town area of north London, Pat August remembers having plenty of choice as to where to go to see the latest movie. Within a short walk from her home were: the Court, the Gaisford, the Forum and the Tolmer… to name just a few.  

Court cinema listings Sept 1937

 Pat recalls happy days spent at these local cinemas in the 1940s and 50s: “I started going to the cinema aged about 9. I didn’t go with my mum but a friend (Kathleen Daly) who lived near Queen’s Crescent. We went every week – if it was an ‘A’ certificate that was showing (no unaccompanied under-twelves) we just asked a stranger to take us in! There were several cinemas in our local area: Our favourite was the Court cinema in Malden Road, Kentish Town. Tickets cost about 9d and we paid out of our pocket-money. 

The Great Caruso (1951)

For your money you generally got two films with a newsreel in between. Most of the films were black and white - Technicolor was not so good and usually reserved for musicals (which I hated!). We always sat downstairs, upstairs was too dear. Smoking was allowed and all the adults puffed away during the films. There were choc ices and tubs of ice-cream but we couldn’t afford them. And sweets were still rationed at that time. Films I can remember enjoying were ‘Stagecoach’ with John Wayne and ‘The Great Caruso’ (1951) starring Mario Lanza. We had lots of favourite stars, pretty much all American: Alan Ladd, Joan Crawford, George Raft, Burt Lancaster and Barbara Stanwyck, to name just a few. We considered English films a bit corny and the leading men (like Dirk Bogarde, James Mason and Stewart Grainger) were old-fashioned, not particularly handsome and wore terrible clothes!”

Despite the widespread popularity of American movies, some top-quality British films were made

It Always Rains... (1947)

however, many set in London. One of these, the 1947 Film ‘It Always Rains on Sundays’ starring Googie Withers, was actually filmed on Pat August’s doorstep and caused much excitement in the neighbourhood. Set in the ‘East End’ , it is a tense and exciting thriller set against a realistic working-class background.

In fact, only some of the scenes were filmed in the East End, in and around Petticoat Lane. Much of the rest of the film was shot in the Camden Town area, with Hawley Road, Clarence Way (where the Sandigates’ house is located) and Holy Trinity Church making several appearances. Pat August recalls watching the film being made as a young teenager and the fun of seeing the star John McCullum having to be soaked several times by the fire brigade called in to spray ‘rain’, due to a lack of the real thing during filming!

Clarence Way, NW1

 

Sadly, of Pat’s local cinemas only one still exists, albeit not showing films. The Gaisford, on the corner

The Tolmer in 1972

of Gaisford Street and Kentish Town Road was demolished in 1960. The Tolmer in Hampstead Road (originally the Tolmers Square Congregational Church) had a large seating capacity (1,050) and in the 1940s programmes were changed three times a week, with ticket prices ranging from 6d to 1s 6d. It was demolished in 1972. The Court in Malden Road was Kentish Town’s earliest picture-house. Seat prices were low (1s for adults and 6d for kids) and the films were usually second-run features. It closed in 1958 and the land is now occupied by the Court Service Station. The Forum in Highgate Road, Kentish Road is now Grade II-listed. It opened in 1934 with a seating capacity of 2,175 and a large first-floor tea-lounge and dance hall. It ceased to be a cinema in 1970 but is now a thriving music venue.

 

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References:

London in the 20^th century Jerry White (2001)

Bright Lights, Big City: London Entertained 1830-1950 Gavin Weightman (1992)

The Cinemas of Camden Mark Aston (1997)

Video clip: https://www2.bfi.org.uk/introducing-ealing-studios/it-always-rains-sunday

Interview with Patricia August, aged 86, originally from Camden Town