Tivoli Picture House
Masbrough Street,
Rotherham.
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Location
Located at 169 Masbrough Street between Victoria Street and Princess Street with Tivoli Yard adjacent to the Tivoli Buildings and cinema. The building overlooked the Coronation Bridge spanning the railway.
The Building
The 3-storey Victorian stone built building was originally occupied by Henry Bray & Co Ltd and in 1913 underwent a major transformation to create a picture hall by virtually gutting the original interior structure and rebuilding. The exterior was essentially as before with the addition of a large illuminated 'Tivoli' sign above the front façade.
Contractors
Architect - J.E. Knight, Rotherham.
Building Alterations - Robert Snell, Masbrough, Rotherham.
Plasterwork - Jenkinson Brothers, Rotherham.
Decorations - Harrison Brothers, Rotherham.
Projectors - W. Butcher & Sons Ltd, London.
New Interior
The main entrance led to a spacious vestibule with a floor and steps of Italian marble terrazzo and adorned with potted plants. The stairs at each side led to the new balcony with seating for 130 in steps affording a clear view of the screen. The front of the balcony was richly decorated with fibrous plasterwork.
Two pairs of doors from the front vestibule enter the stalls area with its raked floor and 500 blue plush tip-up seats making a total capacity of 630. The new hall boasted many wide exits for public safety.
Auditorium decorations were in the Robert Adam style in warm cream, white and pale blue adorned with gold. The walls had plaster panels with 'Comedy & Tragedy' theatrical masks. The overall scheme was considered both beautiful and artistic.
The proscenium mouldings decorated in gold with an opening 33 feet wide with a 12 feet deep stage and four dressing rooms for live variety shows. The screen was described as a movable "pendant stereoscopic screen" claimed to give an improved visual effect and the top of the screen slightly inclined to enhance viewing from the front stalls. The blue plush velvet curtains matched the upholstered seats. Interior lighting was by the "latest electrical illuminants".
The projection room was on the second floor at the back of the circle along with rewind room, stores and manager's office. The projection room boasted fireproof doors, steel shutters and two exits. The two Butcher's 'Empire model 13' projectors claimed to be "remarkably free from flicker with their Maltese cross movement".
The Opening
The Tivoli opened on Saturday 5th April 1913 with Charles Henry Lord of Bradford as its proprietor and trading as Tivoli Pictures Ltd. The Lord family had interests in several cinemas in the Bradford area, notably the Elysian, Elite and Coliseum - more details can be found on my Bradford Cinemas History website. C.H Lord owned and ran the Tivoli from 1913 to 1915 when he closed it due to the First World War staffing difficulties.
New Lessees
C.H Lord then leased the cinema to S.W Gent's Grand Theatre Company of Sheffield with manager Tom Ryan who claimed to employ the first female projectionist - a Miss N. Salvini.
After a short closure the Tivoli reopened in August 1918 leased by George T. Longden, another Bradford man, who ran Bradford's Birch Lane cinema. Longden gave Miss Salvini some managerial responsibilities and she soon became manageress until 1921 to be followed later by Arthur Hutton.
Sandy Powell
There is a story that Sandy Powell and his mother, Lily Le Maine, (who both then lived in Bridge Cottages in Rotherham) appeared many times on the Tivoli stage as 'lantern coolers', ie. acts on stage whilst the hot projector lantern was literally cooling down. All this was long before Powell became famous as a comedian.
Modernisation & Sound
After four months closure in the summer of 1931 for an extensive reconstruction and (another) internal rebuild in which the Italian terrazzo vestibule was retained with Canadian pine doors.
Internal decorations were based around cream with lilac and carmine walls adorned with gold and silver with blue dado surround. The latest in American tip-up seating offering a high level of comfort with a capacity of circa 650. Effective use was made of coving and concealed lighting whilst the outside of the building was floodlit after dark.
The latest Western Electric wide range sound system was installed together with a larger screen boasting a picture size of 21 feet wide x 16 feet high.
Contractors
Architect - Frank A. Tugwell, Scarborough.
(Frank Tugwell was famed for his theatre designs which included the Hippodrome and Futurist, Scarborough; Theatre Royal, York; Opera House, Harrogate; Prince of Wales, Birmingham and the Arcadia, Skegness.)
Main Contractor - Chadwick & Co (1931) Ltd, Rotherham.
Steelwork - Allott Bros. & Leigh, Rotherham.
Lighting - Deans Electrical & Engineering Co Ltd, Rotherham.
Plasterwork - Jenkinson Brothers, Rotherham.
Sound System - Western Electric Co Ltd, London.
Uniforms - Alfred Harold (Uniforms) Ltd, London W.1.
Civic Reopening
The 'new' Tivoli reopened on Saturday 1st August 1931 with a ceremony performed by the Deputy Mayor of Rotherham, Alderman E. Cruikshanks JP, who praised the quality of the reconstruction. The opening 'talkie' film was . . .
"The Gay Nineties" - 1930 USA B/W part Technicolor 79 mins.
with MovieTone sound-on-film.
(aka "The Florodora Girl" in the USA)
Starring Marion Davies, Lawrence Gray and Walter Catlett.
Prices were Stalls 6d and 8d, Circle 1/-d.
Proprietors C.H Lord of Bradford appointed May Kaye as manageress and to elevate the "tone" of the audiences.
New Owner
In 1932 the Tivoli was taken over by the Westminster Picture Palace Company comprising Messrs J.J Woffenden, B. Barker (Chairman) and J.R Whiteley. Seating capacity was now 644 with prices of 5d to 1/-d and only occasional variety shows are held.
B. Barker acted as general manager during the Second World Ward period. By 1950, under the same management, prices were now 6d to 1/9d.
CinemaScope
A new wide panoramic screen for CinemaScope was installed in November 1955 and opened on Thursday 1st December 1955 with . . .
"The Purple Mask" - 1955 USA Technicolor 82 mins.
Starring Tony Curtis, Colleen Miller and Gene Barry.
Closure
With declining audiences, The Tivoli closed on Saturday 31st January 1959 with . . .
"The Proud Rebel" - 1958 USA Technicolor 103 mins.
Starring Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland and Dean Jagger.
and
"Handle with Care" - 1958 USA B/W 82 mins.
Starring Dean Jones, Joan O'Brien and Thomas Mitchell.
Afterlife
After a short closure, the premises were acquired by Frederick Elliott Ltd and renamed Tivoli Furniture Stores for use as a furniture showroom and warehouse.
In 1988 the building was bought by Ken Booth of Booth Metals, Rotherham - a local scrap merchant and subsequently demolished in July 1989 to make way for a car park.
Copyright ©1983/2004, Colin Sutton.
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.
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