Ep 2: The Ritz, Belfast - It's Showtime Folks! Cinema Food, WW2 and the Mighty Organ

The Wonder Cinema

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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

Fejezetek

1. Ep 2: The Ritz, Belfast - It's Showtime Folks! Cinema Food, WW2 and the Mighty Organ (00:00:00)

2. Can we afford to go The Ritz in the 1930? (00:00:59)

3. No need to queue in the rain, the cinema canopy. (00:03:04)

4. The experience of visiting the Wonder Cinema. (00:04:52)

5. Do we need curtains in cinemas? (00:07:54)

6. What is continuous performance? (00:09:31)

7. What was the attraction of the cinema organ? (00:12:16)

8. How did WW2 impact The Ritz? (00:16:18)

9. The golden age of Hollywood films. (00:23:05)

10. What did people eat in the cinema? (00:24:16)

11. What happens if we telephone the Ritz? (00:30:14)