The Ritz Theatre, Utting Avenue, Liverpool

Liverpool Theatres Index

Above - Lionel A. G. Prichard's own Sketch of the Liverpool Ritz in 1929 - From The Bioscope, March 13th 1929.

The Ritz Theatre was situated on Utting Avenue at the junction with Bidston Road in the Anfield area of Liverpool. The Theatre was built at a cost of £20,000 and opened on Saturday the 16th of March 1929 with a showing of the Films 'The Joker', 'Sailors Don't Care', and 'The Betrayal', all accompanied by the Theatre's own orchestra. The Theatre's exterior was designed in the French Renaissance style and the Auditorium in the Egyptian Style, by the architect Lionel A. G. Prichard, and, although it was primarily built as a Cinema, it did have a Stage and Dressing Rooms for its artists for when it was used as a Cine Variety Theatre.

The Bioscope reported on the new Ritz Theatre in their 13th of March 1929 edition saying:- 'Built at a cost of £20,000, the Ritz Cinema, Utting Avenue, Liverpool, which seats 1,200 persons, will open to the public on Saturday next, March 16th. The exterior is executed in French Renaissance style in rustic brick and terra cotta. All the seating is on one floor, which has a rake of one in eight. The entrance hall is on the ground floor, and there is a foyer above.

Above - A View of the Egyptian Style Proscenium of the Ritz Theatre, Liverpool in 1929 - From the Bioscope, 27th of March 1929.

A feature is the novel scheme of decorations which are executed in Egyptian Style in bright colours and gold. The tip-up seats are upholstered in red plush, and the various curtains are of blue material. The pelmet is golden brown. There are dressing rooms on either side of the large stage. Electric light and gas fittings are equipped with shades that harmonise very delightfully with the general colour scheme. There is a large waiting room at the rear of the Theatre, where there is a paybox for the low-priced seats. The total waiting room capacity is roughly equivalent to the number of seats in the Theatre.

The Theatre has a generating room on the ground floor and the operating and rewinding rooms are situated above the foyer. Two Gaumont Eclipse machines are installed.

The opening programme will include the films 'The Joker' and 'Sailors Don't Care.' Prices of admission in the evenings will be 6d. and 1s., and at matinees there will be 1,000 seats at 3d. and 200 at 6d.

Mr. Alex Grant, from the West Derby Picture House, and formerly of the Olympia, Liverpool, has been appointed manager, and he will book programmes both for the Ritz and for the WestDerby Cinema, Liverpool.

The directors of the theatre are: H. Kenton (chairman), Mrs. E. Kenton, A. Adams, D. B. Wadley, W. woodman.

Mr. Lionel A. G. Prichard, .R.I.B.A., chartered architect, of 57, Moorfields, Liverpool, was responsible for the designs which were interpreted by the following firms of contractors and sub-contractors: General contractors, Messrs. J. A. Milestone & Son, Ltd., Liscard; verandah and spiral stairs, Messrs. Carron Co., Liverpool; door furniture, Messrs. Campbell & Mabbs, Ltd., Liverpool; electrical work, Messrs. T. Woodman & Co., Liverpool; screen and side wings, Mr. T. Robinson, Liverpool; ornamental balustrading and flambeaux, Messrs. Gardiner, Sons & Co., Ltd., Bristol; marble work, Messrs. John Stubbs & Sons, Liverpool; armoured doors, Messrs. Mather & Platt, Ltd., Manchester; jointless and terrazzo flooring, Messrs. Cecil L. Gandy & Co., Liverpool; seating, draperies, decorations, cork carpet, orchestra rail and paybox. Messr. Goodalls, Ltd., Manchester; heating and window gearing, Mr. Arthur Roberts, Liverpool; terra cotta, Messrs. Shaws Glazed Brick and Terra Cotta Company. Ltd., Darwen; metal casements, Messrs. Mellowes & Co., Ltd., Sheffield; sanitary fittings, Messrs. Dodd & Oulton, Ltd., Liverpool; steelwork, Messrs. Guy & Co., Ltd., Liverpool; roof (Trafford tiles), Messrs. Broughton & Cleater, Liverpool; reinforcement. Messrs. B. R. C. Engineering, Company, Ltd., Stafford; projectors, Gaumont, Liverpool; electric fittings, Messrs. Edison & Swan, Ltd., Liverpool; generators, Messrs. G. E. C., Ltd., Liverpool.'

The above text in quotes was first published in The Bioscope, 13th of March 1929.

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Ritz Theatre / Cinema, Liverpool in October 2008 - Click to Interact.

The Ritz Theatre had first opened on the 16th of March 1929 and its stage was often used for cine variety shows in its first year with a full orchestra, which also accompanied the silent films, situated in the Orchestra Pit provided. However, only a little after a year later the Theatre had a British Thomson Houston sound system installed which was used for the first 'Talkie' at the Ritz; 'Fox Movietone Follies of 1929', which was shown there on the 7th of April 1930.

Above - An Advertisement for British Thompson-Houston Co. Ltd. - From The Bioscope, 9th of April 1930.

Despite its lavish interior and modern equipment however, the Ritz was not a great success as it was out competed by the Major Circuits in the City; the Ritz having to show older films whilst the major Theatres showed all the latest ones.

One of the Projectionists at the Ritz Cinema in the 1940s was Alfred Mahon, shown right, he started there as the third projectionist in 1949 and would work many Cinemas over the years and eventually became a projectionist on the Ship the Mauretania. There is a very interesting article on Alfred's career on the Liverpool Picture Palace Website here, and a video about him working on the Mauretania here.

Right - Projectionist Alfred Mahon on the roof of the Ritz Cinema, Liverpool in 1950 - Courtesy Alfred Mahon.

In the 1950s the Ritz stopped providing matinée performances but did install a Cinemascope Screen in 1955 which put it back on the map a little. After the success of the showing of the Cinemascope film 'The Robe' at the Cinema in January 1955 it resumed the matinée performances again.

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Ritz Theatre / Cinema, Liverpool in September 2022 - Click to Interact.

Sadly the success soon waned and the Ritz was closed after its final film showing on the 30th of June 1957. The building was then bought by a coach tour operator, and later it became a Tasker Sports Superstore, and later still a Taskers Angling shop.

In early 2023 the building was in the process of being renovated and altered for conversion to residential use, see image below.

Above - A Google StreetView Image of the former Ritz Theatre / Cinema, Liverpool in May 2023 - Click to Interact.

Some of the later information for this Theatre was gleaned from the excellent Cinema Treasures Website.

If you have any more information or images for this Theatre that you are willing to share please Contact me.