Pioneering 1919 Birmingham Cinema Listed at Grade II
The former Futurist cinema on John Bright Street in Birmingham – the city's first to show a 'talkie' film – has been granted Grade II listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
History
The Futurist Cinema was designed in 1914 by Arthur Stockwell. Construction of the building was delayed by the First World War, with the grand opening finally taking place on 30 July 1919. The first film to be screened at the cinema was D.W. Griffith's war drama, 'The Great Love'.
The Futurist was damaged during an air raid in the Birmingham blitz in November 1940, forcing it to close before reopening in April 1943.
Later, the building was known as the Cannon Cinema, before it eventually closed in September 1991. In subsequent years, the building was converted into a nightclub, and then a bar and restaurant.
Given its age, The Futurist still looks fantastic. It has an imposing presence befitting of its pioneering role. It survived attack from the Luftwaffe and the redevelopment of Birmingham, and now benefits from the recognition and protection of listed status.
Talkies
The cinema was the first in the city to show 'talkies' – films with recorded dialogue that played in sync with the images on screen, as opposed to the silent films, which were largely recorded and played without sound.
'The Singing Fool' was first shown in March 1929, the year when talkies first appeared in English. The screening was immensely popular and marked a shift in cinema popularity, with The Futurist a pioneer in adapting to this new type of film.
Built in a classical style with brick, stone and terracotta dressings, the exterior survives remarkably well given its status as a very early cinema.
Over 105 years of history, the Futurist has been a real survivor: from trailblazing early 'talkies' to blockbuster favourites, since closing as a cinema, it's been an 'adult' nightclub, shisha lounge, and a seafood restaurant. But no matter the times, the value and versatility of 20th century heritage endures. It's wonderful to see this handsome old gent of a building now recognised with national listing.
Add your memories, photos and videos of the former Futurist cinema to the Missing Pieces Project. Everything you add is an important piece of the picture. And the more pieces of the picture we have, the better we can celebrate and protect what makes these places special.
Listing
Listed buildings are buildings of special architectural or historic interest. The record of each listed building is hosted on the National Heritage List for England (also known as 'the List', or NHLE).
The NHLE is a publicly available, searchable database of entries containing information on England's designated heritage. There are over 370,000 entries for listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE).
Grade II buildings such as the former Futurist cinema are of special interest. Over 90% of all listed buildings are in this class.
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