Ation during the Great Depression
the back stalls, and at the side was a wide carpeted staircase leading to the balcony waiting lounge.
Having ascended the staircase patrons would have been able to marvel at the beautiful stained glass window, more akin to a cathedral, that the proprieretors had managed to commission Thomas William Camm of Smethwick to make. Made up of a series of pseudo-heraldic designs the window has managed to survive the past 85 years even though the building was permanently closed on March 31, 2000. It had closed as a cinema in November 1963 before its reincarnation as a bingo hall. The main features of the window are linked together by bands decorativley representing the sky with clouds and stars, water with waves and bubbles, and earth with birds. Each side of the vertical bands is bounded by chains suggesting the manufactures of Cradley Heath, with anchors in the corner lower lights.
Exciting
One of the most important features of the Majestic was its organ, in this case a Christie, and on the opening afternoon William Sykes was the man making the interlude music. At the opening the sight of the organ console rising on its pneumatic lift in the centre of the orchestra pit must have been very exciting and absolutely astounding to the audience. William Sykes was an organist of some renown described in the souvenir: “As capable and experienced a musician as has ever held an appointment in the Midlands.” On that first afternoon he was also able to give an organ recital entitled “Cinema Memories”, and for his interlude pieces before the films were shown and just before the music began a page-boy would walk on stage with the title of the music printed on a large card, Sykes would then rise from the depths, and slides, made by himself were projected onto the screen above him. His interlude music was always treated as an integral part of the programme.
Newsreel entertainment was becoming increasingly popular and Pathe News especially brought all the current events happening in the world to a much larger audience in the days before television. On the Saturday before the opening of the Majestic the 92nd running of the Grand National had taken place at Aintree. After the opening ceremony the audience in the cinema were treated to a short film showing the race highlights, which incidentally was won by Kellsboro’ Jack at 25/1 ridden by Dudley Williams. The atmosphere must have been raucous. There followed a short film twenty minutes long entitled “Hatta Marri” described as a comedy and staring Dorothy Granger and Harry Gribbon.
The top billing that Monday afternoon was a film called “The Flag Lieutenant” starring Anna Neagle and Henry Edwards and was about a lieutenant accused of cowardice. It would have kept the Cradley Heath audience enthralled for 85 minutes. All proceeds from the inaugural event were donated to the Cradley Heath Friendly Society and the local Carnival Committee.
Standing in front of the old Majestic today it is hard to belive the history it has lived through, erected at a time of the world’s greatest Depression, then surviving the Second World War, but eventually succumbing to a change in social habits with the dawn of the age of the television. By the time the cinema revival took place it was too late for the Majestic, but have you any stories that relate to its heyday? Please contact us, you will fine details on page 2.