Coliseum Cinema, Nevill Street

The Coliseum Cinema on Nevill Street opened May 1913 during a rise in popularity of film. Consisting of a 750 seat auditorium (and eventually a café), the site was popular with locals and visitors alike. After Charles Pathé visited to London in 1910 to introduce news reels to British audiences – many entrepreneurs began building new cinemas to suit demand. Before the advent of television, cinemas acted as places for people to socialise and get their weekly news. Within as many months, three more picture houses opened in the resort beginning competition for exclusive screenings and more exciting rosters. After a long life, the cinema eventually closed for good in November 1959 and was demolished the following year. On the site now stands the Embassy Restaurant & Takeaway.

In our second recording, Norman Green remembers his time working at the Coliseum from the age of 13 in 1916. He was asked to join the staff there after many of the men in the town were called away to the army for the First World War. He was the youngest person in Southport working in a similar role at the time. He started as ‘rewind boy’ in the operating box and went on to do complete showings on his own, finally ending up as Chief Operator.

Recording ref - UAP003/21 S1 (NWFA/21 S1) – Norman Green - ©️ North West Film Archive, Manchester Metropolitan University

Image ref - NSP22159 – Neville Street and Promenade, c.1895 - ©️ Sefton Libraries Information Services courtesy of Sefton Looking Back - Image Archive