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| The former Odeon on Baxter Gate |
The new Odeon
cinema on Baxter Gate opened on Saturday 21 November 1936, built on the site of the former Post Office. The building was designed by the Harry Weedon architectural firm which was based in Birmingham, and was responsible for the design of all the cinemas in the Odeon chain. The lead architect was Weedon himself, although he employed assistant architect Arthur J. Price in the design of Loughborough's Odeon.
Estimates of the cost of
construction were around £50,000, but the eventual cost of the alone was just under £30,500. Facing bricks were used on the side of the building that fronted onto Lemyngton Street, but the side adjacent to the car park used common stock brick. the faience tiles were produced by the Hathernware, produced by the firm formerly known as Hathern Station Brick and Terra Cotta Company, who had already produced many attractive fronts for Odeon buildings. There is nothing in the newspaper reports to indicate which company made the brick itself - Hathern all round, maybe.
In October 1936, Mr W. Bryan of Kettering
applied for a music, singing and dancing licence for the new cinema to be
granted to Mr Richard Herbert who had already been granted such licences in a
number of towns: the licence was granted, not least because this new, modern
cinema could demonstrate that it had been built with the safety and comfort of the
patrons paramount.
Having said that,
the local fire superintendent, along with two firemen and a patent extinguisher
arrived at the cinema in late November 1936. A fuse had blown out, but before the
fire brigade arrived, members of the cinema staff were able to avert any
danger.
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| Clarence George Starkey, 1939 |
The Odeon would accommodate a total of 1,625 people - 1,029 in the stalls and 596 in the circle. The first appointed general manager was Clarence George Starkey.
The opening
programme included ‘Mr Deeds Goes to Town’ (1) starring Gary Cooper, ‘Broken
Toys’ and a musical interlude from the Band of the Fifth Battalion, the
Leicestershire Regiment (TA). The evening reception and dancing for guests went
on until midnight.
The opening
hours of cinemas was highly regulated, but Loughborough magistrates granted permission
for cinemas in the town to open on Christmas Day in 1936. It wasn’t until 1940
that Loughborough cinemas were allowed to open regularly on Sundays, although there had been an exceptional Sunday opening on 20th March 1938.
In February
1937 Clarence George Starkey entertained audiences at the Loughborough Odeon
with his accordion playing. It was such a success that he planned to make it a regular
feature.
In early September
1937, secretary of the Loughborough Trades Council advised that he had written
to the Loughborough Division MP, concerning a complaint about the working conditions
and wages of cinema employees. The report in ‘The Era’ does not specify if this
was any specific cinema in Loughborough, or if this was a national complaint,
but as a result of the local meeting, all cinema employees – The New Empire,
The Victory and The Odeon – were approached for their views. Unfortunately, the
outcome is not clear. However, in March 1938, the 60 employees of Loughborough
cinemas decided to form a union, affiliated to the local trades council. They
demanded a 48-hour working week and an extra week’s holiday with pay.
As well as
entertaining his audiences with his accordion playing, Clarence George Starkey
was brilliant at publicising films, and linking with local firms. In October
1937, he managed to get a display in the Corporation electricity showrooms in support
of the film ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, which consisted of a
large notice in the window:
“The charge
of the Loughborough light brigade has been reduced, all electricity labour
savers are no within range of your pocket.”
This was accompanied
by stills from the film, and a tray of Mexican jumping beans!!
The next
month, Starkey publicised ‘Farewell Again’ by having two carnival bands –
the Sileby Carnival band, and the Loughborough
Blue Diamonds Carnival Band – march through town to the cinema. Crowds of
people lined the route, and Starkey took the opportunity it give out publicity material. Also in November 1937, Starkey invited the
mayor, Alderman Arthur Lacey, to deliver an address before the showing of the
Ministry of Health film ‘100 Years’.
At the
beginning of 1938, Starkey asked patrons to contribute photos of their dogs,
and awarded a 5s. prize to what was considered to be the most natural picture. This
was to publicise ‘Storm in a Teacup’. In February 1938 Starkey teamed up
with a local music dealer (possibly George Hames on Market Street, who was also
an accordion player): the music shop displayed stills from the film ‘His
Affair’, and the cinema displayed the sheet music in the cinema. That same
month, Starkey publicised the film ‘Marked Woman’ by taking photographs of
female employees leaving their factory work for the day. The photographs were
then displayed in the cinema foyer, and if one of the girls identified
themselves they received a free pass to see the film. Some of the factories
nearby were Cottons on Pinfold Gate/ Baxter Gate, Caldwells on Church Gate, and
Towles on Nottingham Road.
In March 1938
Starkey worked with Timpsons to promote the film ‘Knight without Armour’. The
public were invited to describe the most chivalrous deed they had ever done,
and the best letters received won a pair of shoes!! At the end of March, the
child’s cot which appeared in the cinema foyer was reserved for the baby born
at the time closest to the screening of the film ‘A Star is Born’. This
time Starkey teamed up with two local retailers – Allsops who donated the
prize, and the music shop which displayed stills from the film, with the cinema
displaying copies of the sheet music.
When ‘Vogues
of 1938’ was released, Starkey teamed up with the local Singer Sewing Machine
retailer where promotion told that the stars’ dresses were made on Singer
machines, and one such machine was on show in the cinema foyer.
For his final
two publicity stunts at the Loughborough Odeon, before moving to Halifax, Starkey
involved the local Halfords on High Street, who lent the cinema a tandem. To
promote ‘Woman Chases Man’ cut outs of a man and a woman, with jointed legs sat
on a tandem in the cinema foyer, and pedalled – the pedals being operated by an
electric motor! Lastly, Starkey’s chief operator created a mechanical display
unit, which was used to promote the film ‘Slave Ship’ and could be re-used in
the future. A plywood wheel, which has holders for still or cards from films,
and revolves with the help of an electric motor, protrudes out of a boxy structure. This was a particularly
eye-catching object and attracted the attention of many patrons.
Clarence George
Starkey departed Loughborough at the end of May 1938, and his position as
manager was taken by Leonard Putsnam.
Timeline for Clarence George Starkey
Grandparents – Benjamin and Phoebe
Parents – Benjamin and Charlotte Gibbins
Siblings – Harold B. and Lancelot Malcolm
Hereward
Children - Norman Harold
1829 – birth of Benjamin Starkey (Snr),
grandfather of Clarence George Starkey, probably in Wishaw
1830 – birth of Phoebe, grandmother of
Clarence George Starkey, possibly in Nechell, which is listed as being in Stafford
1845 – birth of George Starkey, son of
Benjamin (Snr) and Phoebe, brother of Benjamin (Jnr) and uncle of Clarence
George Starkey
1857 – birth of Sarah Starkey, daughter of
Benjamin (Snr) and Phoebe, sister of Benjamin (Jnr) and aunt to Clarence George
Starkey
26
February 1868 – birth
of Charlotte, mother of Clarence George Starkey
17
November 1870 – birth
of Benjamin Starkey (Jnr), father of Clarence George Starkey, to father
Benjamin (Snr) and mother Phoebe. Possibly born in Walsall
1871 – on the 1871 census, Benjamin
Starkey (Snr), aged 40, is listed as a railway guard, living at 116 Nechells
Place, Aston, with his wife Phoebe, aged 41, and children George, aged 16 who
is unable to work due to injuries, Sarah aged 4, and Benjamin (Jnr) aged 4
months.
1881 - Benjamin Starkey (Snr), grandfather
to Clarence George Starkey, is living with his wife, Phoebe, son George, daughter
Sarah, and son Benjamin (Jnr) at 115 Nechells (?) Place, Nechells (?) Aston.
Benjamin (Snr) is a railway guard, and George a labourer.
18 October
1890 – marriage of
Benjamin Starkey (Jnr), aged 19 to Charlotte Gibbins, aged 22, in St Clements
church in Nechells St Clement. They are
listed on the marriage certificate as both living at 116 Nechells Place.
Benjamin’s father, Benjamin (Snr) is listed as a railway guard, and Charlotte’s
father, George Gibbins, is a fitter.
1891 – Benjamin Starkey, father to
Clarence George Starkey, is listed on the 1891 census as a 20 year-old general
labourer, born in Birmingham, and now living at the back of 93 Havelock Road,
Erdington in Aston. Charlotte, his wife, is aged 23, and was born in
Cheltenham.
1894 – birth of Annie Mayall, later wife
to Clarence George Starkey, daughter of Fred Mayall and Elizabeth Ann. The
birth is registered at Oldham, Lancashire.
30
September 1896 –
Clarence George Starkey was born, and is birth registered at Aston.
1901 – the 1901 census lists Clarence
George Starkey, aged 4, living with parents Benjamin, aged 30 and Charlotte
aged 32, as well as older brother Harold B. aged 9. Also listed at the property
– Cals (?) Street North, in Aston – are Benjamin’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth
Gibbons, aged 24 who was born in Birmingham, and Samuel Austin, aged 23 and
also born in Birmingham, is listed as a boarder. Benjamin is a warehouseman (stampings?),
Elizabeth is a warehousewoman (labellings?) and Samuel is a steel and iron
stamper.
1901 – on the 1901 census, Annie Mayall is
living with her grandparents and her mother at 20 Cambridge Road, Blackpool,
all of who were born in Oldham. Thomas aged 59 is listed as an agent for the
British Workman’s Society: his wife is Ellen, aged 58. Annie’s mother, Eliza Ann,
is listed as single, and aged 35.
1911 – on the 1911 census returns,
Clarence George Starkey is listed with his father, Benjamin (Jnr) aged 40, his
mother, Charlotte (Lottie), and younger brother, Lancelot Malcolm Hereward,
aged 3, along with Clarence George Starkey’s widowed grandfather, Benjamin
(Snr) aged 83. The head of the household is William Tylar, aged 53, a factor of
photographic goods who was born in New Bolingbrooke, Lincolnshire.
Benjamin
(Snr) is listed as a retired railway guard who was born in Wishaw, and Benjamin
(Jnr) who was born somewhere in Birmingham, was the clerk to William Tylar.
Charlotte, aged 42, was born in Cheltenham, and it’s possible she was also
working for William Tylar’s photographic shop.
Clarence
George Starkey is aged 14 and is listed as a student at the property, 22
Westminster Road, Handsworth.
1911 – Annie Mayall, who later becomes
wife to Clarence George Starkey, is listed on the census as living with her
grandparents, Thomas and Ellen, and her mother, Eliza Ann, at 88 Granville
Road, Blackpool, where she is an apprentice to a dressmaker.
1915-1920 - Clarence George Starkey served in
the Royal Army Service Corps. On 16 September 1915 when he registered at
Aldershot, Clarence George Starkey was living with his mother, Charlotte, at 20
Redcar Road, Blackpool. At the age of 26, Clarence George Starkey was 5 feet 9
5/8 inches tall, and had a chest measurement of 37 ½ inches. By the time he
left the army, Clarence George Starkey had reached the rank of SQMS – which
could be either Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant, or Staff Quartermaster
Sergeant. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
14
February 1917 -
Clarence George Starkey, a 20 year old soldier, marries Annie Mayall, aged 22,
in Blackpool at the parish church. Clarence George Starkey’s father, Benjamin,
is a clerk, and Annie’s father, Fred Mayall, is an insurance agent. At the time
of the marriage, Clarence George Starkey is living at 22 Redcar Road,
Blackpool, and Annie at 88 Granville Road, Blackpool.
1917-1922 - Clarence George Starkey and his
wife Annie lived in Blackpool and Bournemouth
1918 or
1920 – birth of
Norman Harold Starkey, son of Clarence George Starkey and his wife Annie (the
records are quite confused)
1920 and
1921 – Clarence
George Starkey appears on an electoral roll for Boscombe, with his father
father Benjamin (Jnr), mother Charlotte, and William Tylar, at 11 Churchill
Road, Boscombe, Dorset
2 February
1921 – birth of
Georgina Matilda Llewellyn, third wife of Clarence George Starkey
11 March
1922 – at the age of
25, Clarence George Starkey travelled to New York on the Aquitania, part of the
Cunard Line, from Southampton. At the time he was living at 24 Newcastle Avenue
Blackpool. He apparently lived at Chicago for 10 years, where he owned a dance
hall, where he conducted dance orchestras, and arranged numerous shows and
other entertainment. He also broadcasted his piano-accordion playing. His wife
and son followed him in 1923.
1923 – Norman Starkey appears on a transcript
of a passenger list: his birth is listed as being in 1921
13 May 1932 - Clarence George Starkey, wife
Annie, and son Norman returned from living in the US for 10 years. They
travelled on the Olympic, part of the White Star line, and arrived in
Southampton. Clarence is listed as a musician. They are coming to live at 32
Grosvenor Gardens, Boscombe, Hants.
1932 -
1935 – Clarence George
Starkey is manager of the Regal cinema in Bradford. His approach to publicity
was novel, for example, while at Bradford he introduced a musical interlude,
selected from suggestions by cinema goers. If their suggestion was playing when
they are in the cinema, they are offered a prize. Starkey also played his piano
accordion on the stage, and organised a piano accordion band.
October
1935 – Clarence George
Starkey is appointed manager of the Rialto cinema on Briggate, Leeds, succeeding
John Briggs. The managing director at Leeds is John Lambert.
November
1935 – Roy S. Neill
is appointed as assistant manager to Clarence George Starkey at Leeds. Neill
had previously been at Harrogate.
July 1936 – Clarence George Starkey resigned
from his position at Leeds – presumably he had a new role lined up!
October
1936 – it is reported
that the licence for the Rialto cinema in Leeds is being transferred from
Clarence George Starkey to Harry Carter.
21 November
1936 – the Loughborough
Odeon on Baxter Gate opens with Clarence George Starkey as its first manager.
Starkey was keen to provide Loughborough cinema goers with what they wanted,
and hoped they would be so good as to let him know what this was.
January
1937 – while Clarence
George Starkey was not at home, there was a chimney fire at his house on King
Edward Road, which was luckily quickly reported to, and dealt with by the local
fire brigade
March 1937 –
it is reported in a local newspaper, the Lancashire Evening Post,
that Annie raised a divorce petition against her husband, Clarence George
Starkey, citing Dorothy Martin, of Bolton Road, Bradford.
1938 – Clarence George Starkey married
second wife, Dorothy Martin, who was born on 8 October 1916. They were married
in the first quarter of the year, in Bradford.
April 1938 - Clarence George Starkey was fined
£1 for speeding in Nuneaton. At the time, he was living at 6 Park Street,
Loughborough
Mid-May
1938 – the ‘Leicester
Evening Mail’ announced that Clarence George Starkey would be leaving
Loughborough’s Odeon, to take charge of the new cinema in Halifax at the end of
May. Despite this, he would return after a week’s holiday to supervise a baby
parade!! The new manager would be Mr W. Putsman (2), who was coming from the
Odeon cinema at Brierley Hill, where he was currently the manager.
30 May
1938 – the baby parade
at Loughborough’s Odeon cinema, which Clarence George Starkey supervised, was
attended by 105 babies! The event was connected to a film which was currently
showing at the Odeon, entitled ‘Lovely to look at’, and it was this
concept that was used as judging criteria.
January
1939 – a famous film
star visits the Odeon cinema in Halifax, while Clarence George Starkey is
manager. The film star is a young Anna Neagle, whose latest film, ‘Sixty
glorious years’, was being shown at the Odeon, and had been seen by over
8,000 people in and around Halifax. Indeed, Clarence George Starkey arranged a
special showing of the film for 80 members of the South African War Veterans’
Association. Anna Neagle was accompanied by the film’s producer, Mr Herbert
Wilcox. Also visiting was Miss Mildred C. Marsden, the reigning Halifax wool
Queen, and Mr T.W. Marsh, the president of the Halifax Chamber of Trade, was
also in attendance. The party had travelled via Sheffield, from whence it had
taken them 2 hours, because of the snow on the roads.
30 April
1939 – when Clarence
George Starkey was manager of the Odeon cinema in Halifax, he arranged a
charity performance in aid of the Halifax Society for the Blind, the Royal
Halifax Infirmary and the Cinematograph Trades Benevolent Fund. The film shown
for the event was ‘The Hope of His Side’, and the event raised £65 4s. 10d.
June 1939 – it was announced that Clarence
George Starkey was leaving the Odeon cinema in Halifax, and would be succeeded
by Mr Walter Smith, a native of Bradford, who had worked in the film industry since
1910, including eight years as cinema manager at Bradford, Skipton and
Peterborough.
July 1939 – it was reported that the Danilo
cinema in Quinton, Birmingham was due to open in August 1939, and that Clarence
George Starkey would be coming from Halifax to be the manager.
7 August 1939 – on this August bank holiday Monday,
the Danilo cinema in Quinton, Birmingham opened. It is a building constructed
almost exclusively from material manufactured in and around Birmingham – T.
Elvins and Sons Ltd. were the building contractors; Proctor and Lavender Ltd.
Of Solihull provided the bricks; Lazarus and Sons Ltd were responsible for
billposting work; carpets were supplied by W.W. Turner and Co. Ltd. of
Northfield; sanitary ware and ironmongery were supplied by Baldwins
(Birmingham) Ltd.; and heating and ventilation was by Brightside Iron Foundry
and Engineering Co. Ltd.. The opening shows were the latest Charlie Chan
thriller, ‘Charlie Chan in Honolulu’, Jane Withers in ‘Always in
trouble’, Patricia Morison in ‘Persons in hiding’ and James Mason in
‘I met a murderer’.
September 1939 – Clarence George Starkey, is listed on
the 1939 Register, as the general manager of a cinema and Theatre (probably the
Danilo cinema in Quinton), involved in administration and publicity. He is
living at 73 Halesowen Road, in the borough of Halesowen, but not sure where
exactly, with second wife, Dorothy, formerly Martin.
September 1939 – Annie Starkey, formerly the wife of
Clarence George Starkey, is listed on the 1939 register as living at 44
Falmouth Road, Blackpool. Of the other residents, Ralph Cardwell is a 38-year-old
marine engineer, who is married to Ellen. Their daughter, Marion Cardwell, is
aged 24, and working as a fancy goods assistant, the same occupation as is
listed for Annie. The widowed Mrs E. Hartley is also a resident, as is Roy
McBride a 7-year-old scholar.
September 1939 – on the 1939 register, Georgina
Matilda Llewellyn, born 2 February 1921, is listed as living at 44 Lucas Road,
Poole, in a house named Sunnyhurst. Also living there are Gertrude Llewellyn,
listed as a housekeeper, born 17 July 1898 and Ernest Horrocks, a compositor
born 26 April 1898. These two are both listed as married, but it’s not clear if
they are married to each other. Georgina is a cinema usherette.
September 1939 – the 1939 register lists Benjamin
(Jnr) living at 32 Grosvenor Gardens, Bournemouth, with wife Charlotte, and
three domestic servants. He’s a canvasser. Benjamin was born 17 November 1870,
Charlotte 26 February 1868.
1942 – Clarence George Starkey is manager
of the Regal in Parkstone, Dorset, an Art Deco cinema that had been opened on
18 September 1935, showing ‘Peg of Old Drury’, a film that starred Anna Neagle.
Clarence was living at 32 Grosvenor Gardens, Boscombe.
15 February
1942 – Norman Starkey,
Clarence George and Annie’s son, was captured in Singapore during the Second
World War. The POW record says that Norman was a resident at 44 Falmouth Road,
Blackpool, which is where his mother, Annie was living in 1939. Norman had been
educated in Chicago, and was well known as a baseball player in Leeds.
January
1943 – Clarence George
Starkey marries Georgina Matilda Llewellyn in Poole.
1945 – Clarence George Starkey is manager
of the Electric theatre, Bournemouth, which was built in 1921.
2
September 1945 –
Norman Starkey is released from captivity in Singapore. When he is released he
is listed as coming to live at 21 Vale Road, Parkstone
1954 – Clarence George Starkey is listed
in the 'Kinematograph Year Book for 1954' as a member of the Hampshire and East
Dorset Branch of the Kinematographic Society in 1954, as he is connected with the
Bournemouth Electric cinema
24 June
1955 - Clarence
George Starkey of Wisconsin, Durrant Road, Parkstone, Dorset, died at the
Hospital in Christchurch, Hampshire on 24 June 1955. Probate was granted to his
widow, Georgina Matilda Starkey on 27 January 1956. Effects were £3,524.
3 July
1956 – the death of a
Benjamin Starkey, aged 85, is registered, at Summerfield Hospital, Winson Green
Birmingham. The residential address given is 87 Poplar Road, Edgbaston. Probate
is granted on 30 August 1956, to Thomas Leslie Evans and Frederick Ernest
Padbury, solicitors clerks. Effects were £2234 8s. 7d.
July 2000 – death of Norman Harold Starkey, son
of Clarence George and Annie Starkey, in Poole, at the age of 80
27
February 2010 –
Georgina Matilda Starkey, third wife of Clarence George Starkey, died in
Bournemouth.
Notes
(1) I would recommend searching either Wikipedia of IMDB for synopses of all the films mentioned in this blogpost, and for biographies of some of the actors.
(2) Putsman
is variously spelled in the documentation consulted – Putsman and Puttsman – and is sometimes recorded with
the initial W. and sometimes as Leonard.
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough 18 April 2021
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