This post is dedicated to the memory of
Dennis Roylance
The Ritz prior to demolition
All the signs still intact
Projection Box portholes
The exit show in the picture below
In it's former glory days
Shown here to compare with the shot above
The end insight... demolition ball in action
These pictures have been sent in by Steve Hill, they have come from 'stills' taken from an 8mm film that was made by Dennis Roylance, who sadly passed away last year. Steve says he thinks Dennis would be thrilled his work was being viewed. Steve has donated some great picture which will be posted soon.
These are really superb photos. I had been looking for photos of the Ritz for years then all these arrived at once.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much ,Steve!
So many of these palaces of culture have been demolished. In some places they have been restored to their former glory.
ReplyDeletei will take some more stills from the film soon
ReplyDeletethe nice interior shot didnt come from the film someone sent me that years ago it was found at abc offices in london and sent to me as the person knew i loved the ritz .
thanks to tom and the team for sutch a wonderful site
Too bad, I think. We have a similar age & style theater here which escaped the wrecking ball and has been restored by concerned citizens. It has something going on- films, dance recitals, plays- frequently. I am very glad it is there.
ReplyDeleteLove the interior shot of the Ritz which immediately transports me back. One or two of us would buy tickets at the pay box, go in and sit till the usherette was chatting to her mate on the other side and then go and let another 3 or 4 in through the EXIT doors [push bar to open]. Wonder what the modern equivalent of that would be - point a shotgun at the cashier maybe??
ReplyDeleteHa..We did much the same at at Theatre Royal, more so at the Saturday matinee...
ReplyDeletein approx 1980 i attended the play scheme in the summer holidays, i accually got into the Ritz though a narrow window that was open, the rest of the building had been boarded up, i along with my brother, russell, duncan and peter used this as our den, i thought it was just a old bingo hall until i found the film and projection room, the old pathe films were there, i didnt know at the time but this was history, sadly i recall that when the building was knocked down all those films were put into a skip.... all that history gone in the blink of an eye.. years later i told my dad all about this, though i am no thief we did agree that in hindsight i should have taken the films and saved them
ReplyDeleteI think back now to the many old building I had a root in... how I wish I'd saved some of the 'junk' which as now turned into local treasure trove... ha!
ReplyDeleteI was an operator at the Ritz in the mid 60's before my move to the Palace Middleton. The machines were Ross GC3's, grey hammertone rather than the usual black, Peerless Magnarcs and RCA sound.
ReplyDelete