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In this special episode of The Wonder Cinema Podcast, recorded live from the Black Box at the 2024 Belfast Film Festival, hosts Brian Henry Martin and Dr Sam Manning celebrate the 88th birthday of the Ritz, which first opened its doors on 9 November 1936. They discuss how the cinema quickly became a landmark in Belfast city centre and hosted stars such as Gracie Field, Cary Grant and even The Beatles. The cinema later faced more turbulent times during the Troubles, including a firebombing in 1977 and a reimagining of its identity, before finally closing in 1993. Brian and Sam dive into the history of 'Ireland's Wonder Cinema', hear personal memories from those who were, and unveil Stuart Marshall's new model of this iconic cinema.

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In this bonus edition of the podcast, Brian chats with old friend and the UK's No 1 film critic Mark Kermode at the Cinemagic Festival in Belfast.

Mark shares his love for the Phoenix Cinema in London, the Plaza Cinema in Truro and the Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast. Mark also reveals the best place to sit in the cinema.

Classic movies mentioned include Passport to Pimlico, The Man in the White Suit, The Exorcist, The Devils, Moon, 71 and The Life of Brian. This podcast was recorded at the Queens Film Theatre in Belfast.

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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Join Brian Henry Martin and Dr. Sam Manning, hosts of The Wonder Cinema podcast, to celebrate the 88th anniversary of the Ritz, Belfast’s long-lost picture palace. If you have memories of the Ritz, come along and let us know. Enjoy a slice of birthday cake and join us for a discussion of the cinema’s history, where we will also unveil Stuart Marshall’s new model of the Ritz. Be there for the chance to win exclusive Ritz memorabilia and to see never-before-seen images from its storied past.

The Black Box
18-22 Hill Street
Belfast
BT1 2LA

November 9, 2024, 2:00pm GMT

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In the sixth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the ABC reimagined and reinvented itself in the 1980s, before eventually shutting its doors for the final time in 1993.

Following the 1977 firebomb, the ABC remained closed until 1980, when the original auditorium was subdivided into four screens and the exterior saw substantial renovation. The glitz and glamour of the 1930s was now long gone, giving way to a more functional space at a time when cinema exhibitors struggled to attract audiences away from the lure of home video. Later in the decade, the cinema became part of the Cannon chain and rumours emerged that it would be replaced by a new multiplex cinema. The Cannon lasted until 1993, with one of its final films, The Vanishing, representing the eventual demolition of the building. The new MGM cinema celebrated its opening screening of Jurassic Park with a fax from Steven Spielberg, but how did that compare the to the grand opening of 1936?

Links:
Flickr - exterior of ABC, 1980
Belfast 35mm - exterior of ABC, 1986
Belfast 35mm - Great Victoria Street, 1992

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In the fifth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we go back to the 1970s. This was a difficult decade for cinema exhibitors across Britain and Ireland, but especially so in Belfast, a city that also had to navigate the civil unrest of the Troubles.

Despite the chaos, big American films such as The Godfather, The Exorcist and Jaws attracted large audiences and queues were seen outside the Ritz (now renamed the ABC) for the first time in several years. Billy Connolly even came to the cinema to provide much-needed comic relief, a performance captured in Big Banana Feet, the documentary of his Irish tour. The Wombles stage show was less successful, resulting in angry complaints and eventual refunds. But all performances came to an end in 1977 when an IRA firebomb forced the cinema to close.

Links:
Flickr - Army patrol outside the ABC
BBC Rewind - The Wombles at the ABC (1974)
BBC Rewind - Firebomb attack on the ABC (1977)

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In the fourth episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz responded to the explosion of youth culture in the 1960s and hosted some of the world's biggest musical acts.

As audiences continued to fall in the 1960s, cinema became more youth-oriented with The Young Ones, featuring Cliff Richard, breaking box-office records in 1962. In the following year, the Ritz changed to the ABC, a more functional name linking it to the chain which had operated the cinema since 1938. This decade also saw the cafe rebranded as The Rotunda, after a rotating refrigerated counter. Many of the stars who arrived in the 1960s came from the world of music rather than film, with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones among those who performed at the ABC. But the decade ended with the outbreak of the Troubles and a biblical flood that destroyed the once-almighty cinema organ.

Links:
NI Digital Film Archive - Rolling Stones Mania
ITN - The Beatles at Belfast Ritz for press gathering
NMNI - A view of the Ritz (ABC) on Great Victoria Street

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In the third episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we look at how the Ritz coped with the challenges of the 1950s using spectacle, spectacles and even a Shillelagh.

Cinema attendance peaked after the Second World War, but the 1950s brought new challenges such as the arrival of television. The Ritz responded with widescreen and a short-lived experiment showing 3D films. And the continuation of Midnight Matinees, late-night screenings often featuring personal appearances and promotional stunts, helped reinforce the Ritz’s status as the ‘Wonder Cinema’. Belfast film fans still flocked to see big films such as The Quiet Man, and in 1958, just as cinema attendance went into freefall, one of the world’s biggest film stars, Cary Grant, arrived at the Ritz.

Links:
British Pathe - Angels One Five premiere
British Pathe - My Brother Jonathan premiere

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com

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In the second episode of the Wonder Cinema podcast, we explore what it was like to go the Ritz during the height of cinema attendance in the 1930s and 1940s. How much did it cost and what awaited visitors when they moved from the pay boxes to the plush foyer and grand auditorium?

While the Ritz offered entertainment and escapism and screened many of the era’s most iconic films, a trip to the ‘Wonder Cinema’ also provided the opportunity to see stage shows and performances at its mighty Compton organ. Food was a key part of the cinema experience and patrons could also enjoy coffee or a meal at the cinema cafe, which stayed open until midnight. And we also discuss how the onset of the Second World War brought both challenges and opportunities for cinema exhibitors.

Links:

Cinema Treasures - various pictures including the opening programme
NMNI - Ritz exterior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz interior (1936)
NMNI - Ritz projection room (1936)

Written and presented by Dr Sam Manning and Brian Henry Martin
Music by Score Draw Music
https://thewondercinema.buzzsprout.com