Former Futurist Cinema

Summary

Cinema of 1919 designed by Arthur Stockwell, with the designs later simplified by Essex and Goodman. The building was altered in the late twentieth century and in the early twenty-first century.

Reasons for Designation

The Futurist cinema, constructed in 1919 to the designs of Arthur Stockwell, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural Interest:

* the former cinema is an accomplished example of early cinema architecture, with well executed classical elements and quality stone detailing;

* though the interior of the cinema has seen some alteration, the plan form remains legible with some areas of decorative detailing also surviving;

* despite some minor areas of alteration to the exterior, these have had a minimal impact on the cohesiveness of the design with the exterior surviving remarkably well.

Historic Interest:

* as a particularly early example of cinema design and on an impressively large scale during this early period of film;

* as one of the first cinemas in England to show ‘talkies’ with the film ‘The Singing Fool’ screened in March 1929.

History

The former Futurist Cinema was designed in 1914 by the Newcastle upon Tyne based architect Arthur Stockwell. Construction of the building was delayed by the First World War and the designs were eventually simplified by Birmingham architectural practice Essex and Goodman. At this point the project was taken over by Mr A Hollander who brought on board businessman Sol Levy, who had already established a number of Scala cinemas across the country. The builders were H Dorse & Son of Cradley Heath with the building’s metal work produced by Peyton & Peyton of Bordesley Works. A late amendment to the design to include a first-floor extension housing a band room was approved by the local authority in May 1919, with the room creating a covered passageway between Hill Street and John Bright Street. The cinema opened on 30 July 1919 and could house over 1200 patrons in total, with seating for 360 at gallery level, with a further 870 seats at ground floor. On opening, the cinema was noted to have a first floor with ‘cosily furnished’ tea rooms and a lounge. The building was also described as having a decorative scheme created by Val Prince who was given free rein to create designs which were in keeping with the Futurist title of the cinema. The first film to be screened at the cinema was D W Griffith’s war drama ‘The Great Love’.

In March 1929, The Futurist Cinema was the first in Birmingham to show ‘talkies’, with the film ‘The Singing Fool’ chosen as the first screening. By 1934 the cinema’s decorative murals had fallen out of fashion and as a result they were painted over in a phase of redecoration. The cinema was damaged during an air raid in November 1940, later reopening in April 1943. A 1937 Ordnance Survey map shows that the covered passageway with band room above was altered after the Second World War, with the former passageway infilled. In the later C20 the building was known as the Cannon Cinema and during this period it was altered to create two separate screens. The cinema eventually closed in September 1991. In subsequent years, the building was converted into a night club. Internal photographs from the 1990s show a number of surviving fittings including decorative plaster cornicing, a marble staircase within the lobby, panelling and pilasters within the screen. At an unknown date the marble staircase was removed as was the cinema’s proscenium arch.

In 2016 the west end of the building, fronting onto John Bright Street, was opened as a bar and restaurant. The interior of the building was modernised as part of these works. In the mid-2010s, glass screens were installed to the top of the balustrade of the arcade on the principal elevation, to raise its height. During this period the building was also extended at first floor, creating a large new room directly to the west of the former band room (not included in the listing).

Details

MATERIALS: constructed of brick with stone and terracotta dressings and stucco ground floor.

PLAN: the cinema’s principal façade faces onto John Bright Street with the cinema’s screen forming a rectangular range to the rear (east).

EXTERIOR: the building is classical in design, with an Ionic arcade over the first floor of the principal elevation (west). The arcade has a balcony with squat stone balusters and capitals with splayed volutes adorned with swags of carved fruit. The two-storey entrance façade has a rusticated ground floor, with rusticated piers delineating the seven bays. The central three bays on the ground floor are open and are the former cinema’s principal entrance. There is an additional entrance to the north, within an original opening, with a slim six-light window immediately to the south with original glazing. To the south of the cinema’s principal entrance are two further bays which have inserted modern glazing and C21 metal roller shutters. There are transom lights immediately above the ground floor with eight panes, which also feature above the north two bays. The five bays at the south end of the building have had modern facias applied beneath the projecting cornice between the ground and first floors. At first floor, to either side of the arcade is a window within each bay with surround, cornice and key stone supporting a moulded pediment. The two bays containing windows to the north and south are framed by rusticated stone quoins which have carved scroll details at the base and top. Above the pairs of windows is a central oculus window, both of which are currently boarded up. Above the first floor there is a large projecting cornice with dentil detail beneath a stone parapet with anthemion finials. The parapet is solid with the exception of the entrance bays, which feature the same stone balusters as the arcade below.

The rear (east) elevation is tall, with a gable end fronting Hill Street. The building has stone cornices above the ground and first floors, with the first-floor cornice having dentil detailing. There are recessed brick panels with terracotta borders at first floor and roof level. There are also recessed panels and a string course at ground floor, between rusticated piers which match those on the principal façade. A large entrance at both the north and south ends of the building is under a semi-circular arch with exaggerated keystones and featuring a round circular plaque with moulded edge and swag detail. The centre of the plaque has been altered. Beneath the arch, both of the entrances have double doors which have been replaced and have C21 metal roller shutters.

To the north of the gable is the cinema’s former band room, with the former passageway beneath infilled, with stretcher bond brick and modern glazing between the earlier building’s rusticated piers. The building is over two storeys and has a concrete plat band between the ground and first floors. At first floor level there are two windows with concrete sills and windows, above is a brick parapet with a modern glazed balcony.

The north elevation of the building has a section joining John Bright Street which matches the details on the principal façade, with rusticated, rendered ground floor and brick first floor. The ground floor has two window openings between rusticated piers which have been infilled. Above is a single window opening at the centre of this section with surround and pediment to match those on John Bright Street. The rusticated quoins and dentilled cornice also continue to this elevation, with the stone parapet framed by further anthemion pinnacles. To the east is the cinema’s screen, with the building continuing in a plainer style, with a tall three-storey section, with a number of window openings. All of the openings at ground floor have been infilled with brick, including an exit to the cinema’s screen roughly at the centre of the façade. This section of the building also has a moulded cornice at roof level.

To the south, the building is adjoined by another building on both John Bright Street and Hill Street.

INTERIOR: the entrance to the cinema on John Bright Street leads to a lobby which features predominantly C21 fittings and finishes. To the rear is the cinema’s screen which retains pilasters with Ionic volutes on the north and south walls. The proscenium arch and balcony have been removed with C20 walkways installed.

The first floor of the building, facing onto John Bright Street, houses the former tea rooms. The tea rooms are accessed via a separate entrance on John Bright Street, with the stair a late-C20 replacement. The stair well has a coffered ceiling with cast plaster cornicing depicting flowers and fruit. There is further decorative cornicing within the tea rooms themselves with repeating foliate designs. Elsewhere finishes predominantly date to the C21.

The cinema’s band room survives at the north-east end of the building, now housing cloakroom facilities. A large extension of C21 date to the west is not included.

Sources

Other
Birmingham Gazette, Wednesday 30 July 1919, p 7.
Birmingham Gazette, Saturday 2 March 1929, p 5.
Birmingham Gazette, Tuesday 20th April 1943.
‘Sol Levy, Midlands Pioneer’, A Eyles, Picture House, vol 8, 1986, pp 3-11.

End of official list entry

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