456:(1940). The exterior structure for Chingford was designed by Andrew Mather, whilst Brighton was by Samuel Beverley. The interiors of both these buildings do not appear to have any features in common with Fairweather's style, however, and there is no mention of his contribution in the extensively researched published histories of either circuit, so his involvement is not certain.
549:
As a result of the general decline in ballroom dancing and the emergence of the multi-national cinema companies, the
Playhouse found it increasingly difficult to obtain first-run films and consequently struggled to fill its vast spaces with paying customers. The area was already in decline – the
561:
By the mid-1960s maintenance costs was outstripping revenue considerably and all means of diversification were considered. The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a reprieve of sorts, with many of the top Pop and Rock bands of the day hiring the cinema auditorium as a concert venue. The ballroom was
508:
The ballroom was constructed to the exacting standards as befitted the expectations of ballroom dancing at that time with a sprung floor designed to absorb the impact of the dancers. In its hey-day, the ballroom played host to leading dance bands of the era including; Ken
Mackintosh,
582:, was to become the leading concert venue in Glasgow until it finally closed in June 1985. The building was demolished in September 1987 following a fire that rendered the building structurally unsafe. It is now the site of the
570:, and provided a guaranteed source of revenue for the Green family. The building continued to deteriorate to the extent the cinema auditorium finally closed on 30 June 1973. Shortly after the closure, a lease was negotiated by
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336:
In the early 1920s, the Green's recognised the need to secure the best and latest films for their customers, a city-centre venue was required, they proceeded to purchase properties within the
480:
could be retracted upwards to reveal a small stage some 12-foot (3.7 m) high from floor-level. The projection box was located in the centre underside of the lower
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270:, housed in a truck chassis which opened out to form a 50-foot (15 m) stage, complete with two carved gilded staircases flanked by four tall columns. The
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444:(1927), designed as a super cinema and now used as a theatre. It is also suggested that Fairweather was involved in the interior designs of both the
476:
in excess of 4,000, the cinema laid claim to be the largest in the United
Kingdom and Europe. Designed primarily as a cinema to screen films, the
496:, providing the cinema with a uniqueness that was exploited in newspaper advertisements of the day. An additional upper balcony was nicknamed
393:
in 1922 to study cinema design, and submitted plans in 1925 which were approved. Construction commenced on a venue that would have a cinema,
21:
247:, making its first appearance on the fairgrounds in 1898. Although Green travelled with several large shows, the most extravagant was the
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281:, a rental operation enabling cost-effectiveness in purchasing film reels outright for showing in the cinema chain and renting to other
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1109:(Details of Green's Film Service / Green's Topical Productions and links to related film clips in the Scottish Screen Archive)
1085:
Spies At The ABC - Vampires t The Odeon - Culture At The Cosmo: What We
Watched In Glasgow Cinemas In The 1960s by Jim Doyle
424:
woven into the custom-made carpets laid throughout the buildings. Other notable cinemas by
Fairweather include the Savoy in
622:
182:
227:; from that solitary carousel he developed a number of travelling fairground shows. It is widely believed that along with
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309:
and the purchase of a rival's producing facilities gave the Green's the ability to produce their own films such as the
1055:
377:
in the late 19th century. The architect, John
Fairweather, specialised in cinema design and had previously designed
1132:
340:
bounded by
Renfrew Street, West Nile Street, Renfield Street and Renfrew Lane with the intention to construct the
181:. Opened in 1927, the Playhouse operated until the 1970s, a decline in audience numbers in the 1960s necessitated
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365:. The building was the culmination of four years' work by the Green family, originally travelling fairground
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office tower in the early 1960s, further diminishing the area's status as
Glasgow's entertainment district.
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Following a series of newspaper advertisements highlighting the comfort and strength of the building,
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and London were engaged in the renting of comedies, dramas and serials, with departments selling
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344:. The construction of which was to be a massive undertaking for a small family firm.
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on a lease-holding arrangement, until final closure in 1985, with subsequent
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In 1914, Green established as an adjunct to the cinema business,
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was destroyed by fire in 1953, and subsequently replaced by the
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and other facilities. The
Playhouse was at 126 Renfield Street,
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was travelled throughout the fairgrounds during 1911 to 1914.
239:
in the UK. He had travelled to London in 1896 and purchased a
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Photographs of
Vinegar Hill, Gallowgate, Glasgow 1915 to 1954
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485:
433:
537:, access to the ballroom necessitated the installation of a
404:
Fairweather was to design three other Green's Playhouses,
373:
who had moved their business to Vinegar Hill, Gallowgate,
321:. Their activities were developed further with a Scottish
464:
The cinema premiered the feature-length action thriller,
405:
488:
was luxurious for its time, and the installation of the
189:
until closure in 1973. The building continued in use as
597:
Artistes who performed at Green's Playhouse, 1967–1973
285:/ cinema operators. Green died in 1915, his sons, Fred
1107:
National Library of Scotland: Scottish Screen Archive
574:
who reopened the cinema auditorium as a music venue,
301:
and printing publicity material including their own
1080:Cinemas & Cinemagoing: The First Super Cinemas
157:was an entertainment complex comprising a cinema,
1114:
1158:Demolished buildings and structures in Scotland
492:seating on the lower balcony, was popular with
416:(1940). All four buildings displayed elaborate
231:, he was one of the original pioneers of the
1128:Former buildings and structures in Scotland
1050:. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 110.
352:
333:, reverting in 1921 to the original name.
16:Entertainment complex in Glasgow, Scotland
529:, Scottish jazz trombonist, began in the
1042:
255:, who had previously purchased it from
1115:
1097:Green's Playhouse archive photographs
361:, was opened on 15 September 1927 by
623:Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band
347:
525:'s Big Band. The musical career of
329:, with a change of name in 1919 to
204:
13:
1153:1973 disestablishments in Scotland
14:
1169:
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420:interiors with the family slogan
1148:Event venues established in 1927
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401:and other auxiliary facilities.
327:The Scottish Moving Picture News
1123:Former music venues in Scotland
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1:
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1048:Guinness Book of Records 1982
991:The Scotsman – 10 August 1929
592:
459:
566:which operated a club named
173:, designed by the architect
169:, Scotland, commissioned by
7:
1075:National Fairground Archive
873:"Green's Playhouse, Wishaw"
847:"Green's Playhouse, Dundee"
533:. Perched above the cinema
331:British Moving Picture News
319:Green's Topical Productions
305:magazine. An investment in
223:, came into ownership of a
10:
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720:Paul McCartney & Wings
653:Emerson, Lake & Palmer
193:, after being acquired by
432:(1935), the Ritz Cinema,
428:(1929), the Ritz Cinema,
263:was centred on a 104-key
251:, purchased in 1911 from
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821:"Green's Playhouse, Ayr"
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422:It's Good – It's Green's
1133:Music venues in Glasgow
785:Van der Graaf Generator
452:(1935) and the Essoldo
353:Design and construction
253:George 'President' Kemp
179:Cinema Building Company
972:"Playhouse, Edinburgh"
925:"Ritz Cinema, Burton"
790:West, Bruce and Laing
608:Barclay James Harvest
578:, in September 1973.
379:Green's Picturedromes
303:Green's Kinema Tatler
951:"Ritz Cinema, Wigan"
279:Green's Film Service
257:Orton & Spooners
1002:"Classic Chingford"
899:"Savoy, Cambuslang"
531:Playhouse Orchestra
418:Corinthian columned
225:fairground carousel
177:, and built by the
73:126 Renfield Street
53:
33: /
1143:Cinemas in Glasgow
1138:History of Glasgow
1023:"Essoldo Brighton"
931:on 3 December 2008
770:The Rolling Stones
556:St. Andrew's House
317:under the name of
51:
584:Cineworld Glasgow
359:Green's Playhouse
348:Green's Playhouse
342:Green's Playhouse
299:cinema projectors
155:Green's Playhouse
152:
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122:15 September 1927
52:Green's Playhouse
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927:. Archived from
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901:. Archived from
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879:on 23 March 2007
875:. Archived from
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853:on 30 March 2007
849:. Archived from
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823:. Archived from
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519:Oscar Rabin Band
494:courting couples
474:seating capacity
436:(1938), and the
363:George Green Ltd
313:(1916), for the
311:Patriotic Porker
268:fairground organ
229:Randall Williams
205:The Green family
175:John Fairweather
171:George Green Ltd
147:John Fairweather
89:George Green Ltd
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37:55.863°N 4.256°W
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905:on 19 July 2011
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827:on 19 July 2011
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755:Ten Years After
750:Stone the Crows
715:Mott the Hoople
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572:Unicorn Leisure
564:Unicorn Leisure
552:Royalty Theatre
547:
527:George Chisholm
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430:Burton-on-Trent
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219:, the son of a
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195:Unicorn Leisure
183:diversification
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933:. Retrieved
929:the original
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907:. Retrieved
903:the original
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881:. Retrieved
877:the original
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855:. Retrieved
851:the original
841:
829:. Retrieved
825:the original
815:
795:Wishbone Ash
705:Led Zeppelin
700:King Crimson
690:Jimi Hendrix
603:Alice Cooper
596:
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567:
563:
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523:Ronnie Scott
507:
504:The ballroom
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412:(1936), and
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389:. He toured
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307:Samson Films
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241:theatrograph
240:
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210:George Green
208:
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153:
135:Years active
130:30 June 1973
114:Construction
18:
1028:13 February
1007:13 February
977:13 February
956:13 February
935:13 February
909:13 February
883:13 February
857:13 February
831:13 February
710:Lindisfarne
695:John Mayall
685:Jethro Tull
638:Deep Purple
633:David Bowie
628:Chuck Berry
470:Monty Banks
468:, starring
237:fairgrounds
217:watch-maker
187:music venue
106:Current use
94:Designation
40: /
1117:Categories
1069:References
780:Uriah Heep
745:Status Quo
735:Roxy Music
725:Pink Floyd
680:Humble Pie
648:Elton John
593:Performers
580:The Apollo
576:the Apollo
562:leased to
535:auditorium
460:The cinema
426:Cambuslang
387:Rutherglen
338:city block
315:War Office
214:apprentice
199:demolition
191:the Apollo
109:Demolished
59:The Apollo
25:55°51′47″N
760:The Faces
587:multiplex
472:. With a
466:Play Safe
450:Chingford
442:Edinburgh
438:Playhouse
399:tea rooms
383:Tollcross
291:(d. 1982)
289:and Bert
287:(d. 1965)
201:in 1987.
163:tea rooms
143:Architect
28:4°15′22″W
1046:(1981).
675:Hawkwind
511:Joe Loss
498:The Gods
454:Brighton
408:(1931),
395:ballroom
323:newsreel
265:Marenghi
159:ballroom
138:46 Years
100:Ballroom
79:Scotland
775:The Who
670:Genesis
643:Donovan
482:balcony
391:America
375:Glasgow
371:Preston
367:showmen
295:Glasgow
283:showmen
235:on the
167:Glasgow
76:Glasgow
70:Address
1054:
658:Family
568:Clouds
517:, the
484:. The
478:screen
414:Wishaw
410:Dundee
127:Closed
119:Opened
97:Cinema
807:Notes
740:Slade
486:decor
446:Odeon
434:Wigan
369:from
243:from
212:, an
185:as a
86:Owner
1052:ISBN
1030:2008
1009:2008
979:2008
958:2008
937:2008
911:2008
885:2008
859:2008
833:2008
665:Free
539:lift
521:and
385:and
800:Yes
440:in
406:Ayr
381:in
1119::
589:.
513:,
448:,
397:,
325:,
161:,
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1032:.
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960:.
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887:.
861:.
835:.
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