Pictures will enlarge, thanks to the regular Gurnite reader that sent these pictures in.
UPDATE: Back to the top for the following memories contributed:
"memories memories memories..
Remember the ashtrays on the back of every seat, I can smell it now if I think about it, not bad for a non smoker.
Remember the little kiosk where they took the money, and the lady with the ice cream tray at halftime. Also the usher who wore a green suit with gold braid epaulettes,he showed you to your seat then 10 minutes later he would throw you out for mis- behaving, but he would still give us posters from the outside adverising window,wish I had kept them they would be worth a bob or two today.
The boys spent more time crawling about under the seats on a Saturday afternoon than they did watching the film.I don't think they ever knew what happened to "Flash Gordon"
Do you know which decade I mean?
When you went out of your house with a shilling- sixpence to get in and the other sixpence for a bag of butterkist and an ice cream
You could leave your house at 12 noon and your parents didn't look for you till about 6.
Along time ago but only yesterday really."
"Happy memories of The Playhouse Cinema, if you were flush & had a date went to the balcony with your girl & treated her to butterkist toffee flavour popcorn & the temptation to have a fondle in the dark, some of us lads were lucky & never got our faces slapped, after the film when the lights went on you could spot those who had no luck with a wee feel as one side of their faces were always bright red.
Other lads sat down the front with cricked necks looking up at the big screen, & woe betide if the film suddenly stopped all you would hear is the stomping of feet until the film started again, & you would dread if there was any love scenes as the leading man & lady fondly kissed as you knew one of the front seat lads would let off a rasper of a fart, with the usher frantically searching with her torch to find the culprit who would be grabbed by the lug & thrown out.
Thing seemed so innocent in your youth as you could not wait till Saturday to find out what happened in the next instalment of Flash Gordon.
Hell I've got a tear in my eye. "
Remember the ashtrays on the back of every seat, I can smell it now if I think about it, not bad for a non smoker.
Remember the little kiosk where they took the money, and the lady with the ice cream tray at halftime. Also the usher who wore a green suit with gold braid epaulettes,he showed you to your seat then 10 minutes later he would throw you out for mis- behaving, but he would still give us posters from the outside adverising window,wish I had kept them they would be worth a bob or two today.
The boys spent more time crawling about under the seats on a Saturday afternoon than they did watching the film.I don't think they ever knew what happened to "Flash Gordon"
Do you know which decade I mean?
When you went out of your house with a shilling- sixpence to get in and the other sixpence for a bag of butterkist and an ice cream
You could leave your house at 12 noon and your parents didn't look for you till about 6.
Along time ago but only yesterday really."
"Happy memories of The Playhouse Cinema, if you were flush & had a date went to the balcony with your girl & treated her to butterkist toffee flavour popcorn & the temptation to have a fondle in the dark, some of us lads were lucky & never got our faces slapped, after the film when the lights went on you could spot those who had no luck with a wee feel as one side of their faces were always bright red.
Other lads sat down the front with cricked necks looking up at the big screen, & woe betide if the film suddenly stopped all you would hear is the stomping of feet until the film started again, & you would dread if there was any love scenes as the leading man & lady fondly kissed as you knew one of the front seat lads would let off a rasper of a fart, with the usher frantically searching with her torch to find the culprit who would be grabbed by the lug & thrown out.
Thing seemed so innocent in your youth as you could not wait till Saturday to find out what happened in the next instalment of Flash Gordon.
Hell I've got a tear in my eye. "
"I remember it well.Left hand side, back row last two seats at the end.
Friday and Saturday nights.It didn't matter what was showing.Who wanted to watch a love story anyway.Nothing like being hands on,so they say.Just trying to remember who the other regulars were in the next seats.
I know they made a hell of a noise anyway.The Ice Cream Mivvies before the trailers,used to cool everyone down a bit.Once the lights went on at the finish you couldn't see a thing.Everyone had the same look on their faces,as much as to say "it wisnae us.Happy Days!
The Regal had real luxury,double seats in the back row.Better not go there! I think the wife is watching.?"
UPDATE: more memories still coming in - scroll down the comments for the latest
Friday and Saturday nights.It didn't matter what was showing.Who wanted to watch a love story anyway.Nothing like being hands on,so they say.Just trying to remember who the other regulars were in the next seats.
I know they made a hell of a noise anyway.The Ice Cream Mivvies before the trailers,used to cool everyone down a bit.Once the lights went on at the finish you couldn't see a thing.Everyone had the same look on their faces,as much as to say "it wisnae us.Happy Days!
The Regal had real luxury,double seats in the back row.Better not go there! I think the wife is watching.?"
UPDATE: more memories still coming in - scroll down the comments for the latest
Have those seats gone in a skip? what a waste!
ReplyDeleteDid hear somewhere that a bit of the old equipment was museum bound, hopefully the seats too.
ReplyDeleteSeats are still there. Hope to ask those involved what is going to happen to them. They may donate them to the museum.
ReplyDeletememories memories memories..
ReplyDeleteRemember the ashtrays on the back of every seat, I can smell it now if I think about it, not bad for a non smoker.
Remember the little kiosk where they took the money, and the lady with the ice cream tray at halftime. Also the usher who wore a green suit with gold braid epaulettes,he showed you to your seat then 10 minutes later he would throw you out for mis- behaving, but he would still give us posters from the outside adverising window,wish I had kept them they would be worth a bob or two today.
The boys spent more time crawling about under the seats on a Saturday afternoon than they did watching the film.I don't think they ever knew what happened to "Flash Gordon"
Do you know which decade I mean?
When you went out of your house with a shilling- sixpence to get in and the other sixpence for a bag of butterkist and an ice cream
You could leave your house at 12 noon and your parents didn't look for you till about 6.
Along time ago but only yesterday really.
Happy memories of The Playhouse Cinema, if you were flush & had a date went to the balcony with your girl & treated her to butterkist toffee flavour popcorn
ReplyDelete& the temptation to have a fondle in the dark, some of us lads were lucky & never got our faces slapped, after the film when the lights went on you could spot those who had no luck with a wee feel as one side of their faces were always bright red.
Other lads sat down the front with
cricked necks looking up at the big screen, & woe betide if the film suddenly stopped all you would hear is the stomping of feet
until the film started again, & you would dread if there was any love scenes as the leading man & lady fondly kissed as you knew one of the front seat lads would let off a rasper of a fart, with the usher frantically searching with her torch to find the culprit
who would be grabbed by the lug & thrown out.
Thing seemed so innocent in your youth as you could not wait till
Saturday to find out what happened
in the next instalment of Flash Gordon.
Hell I've got a tear in my eye.
I remember it well.Left hand side, back row last two seats at the end.
ReplyDeleteFriday and Saturday nights.It didn't matter what was showing.Who wanted to watch a love story anyway.Nothing like being hands on,so they say.Just trying to remember who the other regulars were in the next seats.
I know they made a hell of a noise anyway.The Ice Cream Mivvies before the trailers,used to cool everyone down a bit.Once the lights went on at the finish you couldn't see a thing.Everyone had the same look on their faces,as much as to say "it wisnae us.Happy
Days!
The Regal had real luxury,double seats in the back row.Better not go there! I think the wife is watching.?
I dont know if The Gurn will publish my comment in response to
ReplyDeleteBack Row Regulars memories but as a Friday & Saturday night fan I may be wrong but i think I have sat in the seats behind him & could not hear the film for the bloody smooching noises they were making, I think if the brain cells serve me well it reminds me
of The Balcony Casanova a gentleman by the name of T.... (there the editor had to step in) :-)
If you were on the seat behind,it must have been the toilet one.If my memory serves me well,I think that was the Ladies.?
ReplyDeleteAh the memories, what great entertainment the Playhouse provided and mostly it wasnt the film that kept us amused. Queueing up outside then being on our best behaviour as we went to pay the woman in the kiosk but as soon as we were in the cinema and the light had dimmed everything changed. We would crawl under seats, ping lollipop sticks at folk, try to sneak up to the balcony via the fire escape dodging the usher with her torch that was like a search light from stalag 13. Then we all looked forward to the intermission when the ice cream wifie appeared and was usually mobbed by folk all wanting the same thing. Also remember the badges that they used to give out to help promote the films.
ReplyDeletePlayhouse memories of the staff who worked there Nairns answer to the 2 Fat Ladies Christine Robb & Gladys Milne who could just about fit into the ticket kiosk in the front foyer, you always got a good
ReplyDeletelaugh with these two, Mr Chisholm the manager, Jean Duncan who was a long serving member of staff,Mrs MacKay,cant remember the mans name who took your tickets & showed you to your seats but he had a small moustache
& we called him Hitler, also fond memories of The Hammer Horror Films which always left you wary walking home by yourself after seeing the blood sucking vampires sink their teeth into the neck of their poor victim
lot of fond memories of saturday morning films and if you went on the stage during films and sang a wee song or said a poem etc you would always get a bag of sweets or something the doc was always first up on the stage every week
ReplyDeleteA wee correction for Over Rated regarding the toilets as you entered The Playhouse foyer the ticket office was in the middle with the Ladies on the left & the Gents on the right. Never ventured upstairs to the balcony area as i saved the change for a bag o chips & 2 pickled eggs to scoff on the way home arm in arm
ReplyDeletewith the woman of my dreams actress Ursula Andress.
It's never this much fun at Cinema Nairn, not even comfy back row seats to be had
ReplyDeleteMaybe the seats could be auctioned to the highest bidder - put them in a dark corner of the living room - turn on Sky movies and rekindle the erotic spirit of yesteryear
ReplyDeleteNow we know who was doing all the farting then,Mr Flush.No more pickled
ReplyDeleteeggs for you my friend.By the way,did
you ever see Gone with the Wind.?
Yes Mr Flush its me who let off but never let on, one of my favourite films is Get Farter starring Michael Caine,also a French thriller staring Methane Murale, no bad for a Nairn Loon but while i worked in America i was the technical advisor for the flatulence scenes during the filming of Blazing Saddles when i owned the Bottom Burp Company based in La, where i used to hang about with Keich Sutherland who used to sun bathe on the poop deck of my luxury yacht, as someone who does not give a dam I must admit Gone with the Wind is a stinker.
ReplyDeletewaiting at the end of the film to sing "God Save the Queen". we were brainwashed in those days. and we used to try and go before the singing started then you didn't feel guilty!!
ReplyDelete