Cinemagoing 1930s Style
Many CCINTB participants highlight the glitz and glamour of 1930s cinemagoing in their interviews and documents, stressing how important a role this aspect played in their daily lives, as illustrated in Margaret Young’s comment: “Mind you, it was a form of escape in those days, too. You were into another world. I mean this business of them walking around with their long dresses on all day long, and having their servants and their, the upstairs-downstairs. We absolutely loved that… I mean it was never-never-land…” (MY-92-001AT002)

With the 1930s described as the ‘heyday’ of cinemagoing, a building boom resulted in many stunning Art Deco buildings designed with an emphasis on luxuriance and elegance, including wall-to-wall carpeting and opulent décor to reflect the Hollywood glamour: “And I can remember, when I went to the Savoy [probably referring to Savoy, Burnt Oak], you felt you were sinking down… Ankle-deep. I’d never been on such a soft carpet… (Irene Letchet, IL-95-207AT001). This boom in cinema-building was also reflected in Harrow, which underwent enormous changes in the 1930s resulting in the opening of several new ‘supercinemas’, such as the Dominion Cinema (later renamed to the Safari).

Glasgow, widely known as ‘Cinema City’, had over 110 cinemas and a total seating capacity in excess of 175,000, more cinemas per head than any other city in the world. Most areas in Glasgow had their own cinemas, thought not all luxurious, with some known as ‘second run’ cinemas’: “…both Cranston’s and the Regent further up, which is still called the ‘Regent Building’, they took sort of second runs, you know, just a few weeks after the main cinemas” (Paterson, TP-92-013AT001), and the least salubrious known as ‘fleapits’ for obvious reasons.

The ‘froth’ of Hollywood
Several of our participants use the word ‘froth’ or ‘frothy’ to describe the particular appeal of Hollywood spectaculars and musicals, with Denis Houlston, for example, using it to describe Ernst Lubitsch comedies: “So we liked them, of course, as schoolboys ’cause they were risqué, but apart from that they were very witty, very funny and as frothy and light as a meringue…” (DH-95-034AT001), while Margaret Young used it to describe musicals: “Rather than the frothy ones like the Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire’s which I adored.” (MY-92-001AT002).

Musicals are cited as a particular favourite with the majority of our interview participants, both male and female: “ I used to always save it till there was a musical on. Or a romance. That was why I wanted… Oh I loved musicals.” (Ellen Casey, EC-95-182AT001), “I loved Deanna Durbin. I loved musicals.” (Rosalind Avadis, RA-95-199AT001), “I’m sure I saw every musical that was going.” (Anthony Venis, AV-95-202AT001), “…if it was a musical, you’d be singing the songs and sort of living the part…” (Doreen Lyell, DL-95-216AT002), “Yes. I loved musicals. I loved musicals. Mad on dancing, mad on dancing.” (Helen Smeaton, HS-92-036AT002). Busby Berkeley spectaculars seemed to exemplify the glitz and glamour and impressed many, including Beatrice Cooper: ” Oh the Busby Berkeley films were fabulous! Aw they loved it.” (BC-95-208AT002).

Many participants recount stories of devouring the weekly film magazines such as ‘Picturegoer’ and ‘Film Weekly’, with Margaret Young and sister Mollie Stevenson vying with each other: “It was a fight who was to get it first“, so that they could cut out their idols and plaster their bedrooms with pictures: “And the pictures were so glamorous and, aw they were just absolutely gorgeous” (MY-92-001AT001). Irene Letchet remembers sticking images of her favourite film star on her desk at school: “And under the desk lid, you had your favourite film star” (IL-95-207AT01), while Denis Houlston acknowledged himself an avid reader, writing  that he got “hooked” when he was ill aged nine or ten and a family friend brought around a “large pile” of ‘Picturegoers’ (DH-95-34PL002).

While it is difficult to comment with certainty when looking back through the lens of history, it is interesting to note Norman MacDonald’s observation that it had only been fifteen years since the First World War and that this may well have impacted on a public desire or need for some form of escapism: “And it, in a way, going to see spectacular film shows, all the glitz and glamour and interesting things which came with them, was one way of putting a screen between you and, eh [laughs] and, eh, the awful possibility that you were going to be confronted with another war…”

Others, including Sheila McWhinnie, highlighted that cinemas provided a much-needed antidote to  poverty and deprivation: “I think there’d have been a revolution here if it hadn’t been for the cinemas! [laughs] Honest! I mean, it kept peoples’ minds off other things, really!”  (SM-92-004AT002).

We hope you have enjoyed this brief tour dedicated to the theme of ‘Glitz and Glamour’.

If you would like to explore any of the interviews cited, links to the Home Pages of key participants are included below:

Rosalind Avadis and Maurice Bloom (RA-95-199/MB-95-199)
Beatrice Cooper (BC-95-208)
Denis Houlston (DH-95-34)
Irene and Bernard Letchet (IL-95-207/BL-95-207)
Doreen Lyell (DL-95-216)
Norman MacDonald (NM-92-005)
Mickie Rivers (MR-95-210)
Anthony (Tony) Paterson (TP-92-013)
Helen Smeaton (HS-92-036)
Margaret Young and Mollie Stevenson (MY-92-001/MS-92-002)