Report - Royalty Cinema, Harborne - July 2015

GRONK · Jul 12, 2015

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The final stop on my tour around the Black Country, the Royalty Cinema is located in Harborne, Birmingham. It is a multi level cinema has was converted into a Bingo Hall. It is currently empty with no certain future in sight. The Cinemas former car park now plays host to an eastern European Carwash. The seating on the ground floor has all been removed with a fake flat floor being installed at the time of conversion into a Bingo Hall, however some parts have been removed and you can see the sloped floor and the markings left behind by the seating. The balcony area has had the first 10 (or so) rows of seats removed and a level floor installed. However a lot of the original seating still remains on this level. The buildings last occupants were Gala Bingo who closed the building for the last time in 2010. Then in November 2012 police raided the building removing 40 cannabis plants from the attic area.

Located in the Harborne district of southwest Birmingham, at the corner of High Street and Greenfield Road. The Royalty Cinema was opened on 20th October 1930 with Maurice Chevalier in "The Love Parade". It was built for and operated by the local independent Selly Oak Pictures Ltd.

The Royalty Cinema was taken over by the Associated British Cinemas(ABC) chain in March 1935. ABC closed the cinema on 2nd November 1963 with Cliff Robertson in "P.T.109". It was converted into a Mecca Bingo Club, and in 2010 it is operating as a Gala Bingo Club.

In the summer of 2011, the Royalty Cinema was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.