In the sixth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the ABC reimagined and reinvented itself in the 1980s, before eventually shutting its doors for the final time in 1993.

Following the 1977 firebomb, the ABC remained closed until 1980, when the original auditorium was subdivided into four screens and the exterior saw substantial renovation. The glitz and glamour of the 1930s was now long gone, giving way to a more functional space at a time when cinema exhibitors struggled to attract audiences away from the lure of home video. Later in the decade, the cinema became part of the Cannon chain and rumours emerged that it would be replaced by a new multiplex cinema. The Cannon lasted until 1993, with one of its final films, The Vanishing, representing the eventual demolition of the building. The new MGM cinema celebrated its opening screening of Jurassic Park with a fax from Steven Spielberg, but how did that compare the to the grand opening of 1936?

Links:
Flickr - exterior of ABC, 1980
Belfast 35mm - exterior of ABC, 1986
Belfast 35mm - Great Victoria Street, 1992

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

In the fifth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we go back to the 1970s. This was a difficult decade for cinema exhibitors across Britain and Ireland, but especially so in Belfast, a city that also had to navigate the civil unrest of the Troubles.

 Despite the chaos, big American films such as The Godfather, The Exorcist and Jaws attracted large audiences and queues were seen outside the Ritz (now renamed the ABC) for the first time in several years. Billy Connolly even came to the cinema to provide much-needed comic relief, a performance captured in Big Banana Feet, the documentary of his Irish tour. The Wombles stage show was less successful, resulting in angry complaints and eventual refunds. But all performances came to an end in 1977 when an IRA firebomb forced the cinema to close. 

Links:
Flickr - Army patrol outside the ABC
BBC Rewind - The Wombles at the ABC (1974)
BBC Rewind - Firebomb attack on the ABC (1977)

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

In the fourth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz responded to the explosion of youth culture in the 1960s and hosted some of the world's biggest musical acts.

As audiences continued to fall in the 1960s, cinema became more youth-oriented with The Young Ones, featuring Cliff Richard, breaking box-office records in 1962. In the following year, the Ritz changed to the ABC, a more functional name linking it to the chain which had operated the cinema since 1938. This decade also saw the cafe rebranded as The Rotunda, after a rotating refrigerated counter. Many of the stars who arrived in the 1960s came from the world of music rather than film, with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones among those who performed at the ABC. But the decade ended with the outbreak of the Troubles and a biblical flood that destroyed the once-almighty cinema organ.

Links:
NI Digital Film Archive - Rolling Stones Mania
ITN - The Beatles at Belfast Ritz for press gathering
NMNI - A view of the Ritz (ABC) on Great Victoria Street

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

In the third episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz coped with the challenges of the 1950s using spectacle, spectacles and even a Shillelagh.

Cinema attendance peaked after the Second World War, but the 1950s brought new challenges such as the arrival of television. The Ritz responded with widescreen and a short-lived experiment showing 3D films. And the continuation of Midnight Matinees, late-night screenings often featuring personal appearances and promotional stunts, helped reinforce the Ritz’s status as the ‘Wonder Cinema’.  Belfast film fans still flocked to see big films such as The Quiet Man, and in 1958, just as cinema attendance went into freefall, one of the world’s biggest film stars, Cary Grant, arrived at the Ritz.

Links:
British Pathe - Angels One Five premiere
British Pathe - My Brother Jonathan premiere

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

In the second episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we explore what it was like to go the Ritz during the height of cinema attendance in the 1930s and 1940s. How much did it cost and what awaited visitors when they moved from the pay boxes to the plush foyer and grand auditorium?

While the Ritz offered entertainment and escapism and screened many of the era’s most iconic films, a trip to the ‘Wonder Cinema’ also provided the opportunity to see stage shows and performances at its mighty Compton organ. Food was a key part of the cinema experience and patrons could also enjoy coffee or a meal at the cinema cafe, which stayed open until midnight. And we also discuss how the onset of the Second World War brought both challenges and opportunities for cinema exhibitors.

Links:

Cinema Treasures - various pictures including the opening programme
NMNI - Ritz exterior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz interior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz projection room (1936)

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

In the first episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast we go back to the 1930s to discuss the cinema boom and the grand opening of the Ritz, Belfast’s largest and most upmarket cinema.

Cinema attendance grew rapidly in the 1930s and the Ritz, opened by British chain Union Cinemas, was one of many venues built to serve a growing audience of film fans in Belfast. We discuss the Ritz’s architectural style, cultural impact and the concerns many people had about this new ‘super cinema’. We then go back to 9 November 1936, the Ritz’s opening night, which featured a special appearance by Gracie Fields, possibly the biggest British box-office star of the 1930s.

Links:

Cinema Treasures - various pictures including the opening programme
NMNI - Ritz exterior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz interior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz projection room (1936)

Send us a message

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

Take a trip from The Wizard of Oz to Reservoir Dogs in The Wonder Cinema of Ireland, the Ritz, Belfast. Join hosts filmmaker Brian Henry Martin and cinema historian Dr Sam Manning for a new six-part series revealing the remarkable story of a long lost picture palace.

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Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com