Page 9 - RD_2015_12

In November, Granada theatres The Granada Wandsworth Road themselves on their backs looking up
suffered their most grievous casualty. was fated never to re-open. When at the searchlights through the remains
The lie of the land behind the repairs had been almost completed, it of the roof, while from inside the
Granada Wandsworth Road slopes was hit again and this time the end of theatre 50 voices sang at the top of
down towards a power station, a gas the theatre was wiped out. It was their voices. Many of them were killed
works, the railway and the river. The fortunate for audiences that it did not in the street on the way home that
manager knew that any near misses on re-open. Later, two flying bombs were night. The theatre was closed for a
those objectives would make the stage to fall within 20 yards of the shell. It fortnight, and when it opened West
end of the building the most dangerous was also hit by one of our own shells. Ham patrons were back. It was not
part of his theatre. He made it a At the beginning of December long before the same set of doors was
standing request to patrons to sit as far 1940, a new danger threatened - lost again, the organ chamber smashed
back in the stalls as possible. Events incendiaries - by which the Luftwaffe and a theatre pillar split. The roof was
proved him right. For several weeks hoped to burn London down. With badly holed. The theatre opened as
Wandsworth Road had been in the their enormous flat roofs Granada usual without doors and only part of a
thick of it. Audiences had accepted Theatres were particularly vulnerable, roof. The workmen did the noisy
with stoicism that bombs kept falling and operators had to divide their time repairs in the morning and the quiet
around the theatre. In few cinemas between their machines and the open jobs in the afternoon, so that shows
were staff and patrons brought so close roof during raids. The sleeping staff of might continue, but until the roof was
together by the blitz. The refuge the Granada Tooting, which had one mended they had to close the theatre at
behind the lobby was open to any of the great roof expanses in London, blackout time.
patron who was bombed out; many old was awakened by what sounded like By May 1941 the worst of the blitz
people took up regular quarters there; the clatter of a thousand tin cans was over. Nineteen forty two was a
supplies of blankets were kept in the dropped on the roof. When they looked quiet year - not even the Kinema, West
theatre for the homeless; people who out incendiaries were lighting up the Ham was hit. There was a boom in
had been buried and dug out would neighbourhood. Playgrounds, car attendances and many house records
come to the theatre in the middle of parks, offices and shops were all were broken. American soldiers made
the night knowing that they would find alight. The incendiaries failed to their appearance. They were not over-
a welcome and a refuge. The Manager penetrate the concrete roof but appreciative of British films. Films
attended all funerals in the district. throughout the night people rang the from home often had them laughing at
On 12 November 1940 the worst manager at the theatre to tell him his jokes the locals failed to see. Smoking
happened. At 8 p.m. with 500 people theatre was on fire. On the roof the in cinemas – not permitted in America -
in the house, a bomb came through the night watchman was trying to put did not meet with their approval. They
roof and exploded in mid-air in front incendiaries out with his feet. did not care how much they paid for a
of the screen. Ten people were killed On a Sunday evening at the seat but preferred to sit down stairs. The
and thirty-five injured, some losing Granada Welling the chief operator Americans brought with them a new
arms and legs. Everyone was covered on the roof telephoned “Stand by to question; it was not unusual for the
in debris, but the calm was remarkable. abandon cinema. Everything’s alight manager to be asked if the blonde
Everyone tried to help. There was but us.” Looking down on the fires that usherette had gone home yet.
never a hint of panic, even though the ringed the theatre, he saw what he took
lights had to stay off because of the to be a new weapon – little balls of fire
gaping hole in the roof. Of the staff, darting about; they were backyard hens
the fireman was killed, the foreman burning. Even through that night of
and one of the attendants injured. In fire the film never left the screen and
the projection room the windows were the audience sat it out.
shattered and the steel shutters blown At the Granada Willesden an
across the room. Two of the projectors usherette struck lucky. She had
were blown over and the film caught mentioned to another staff member
fire, but before it could get a hold, how she wanted a hat in a shop
debris from the roof extinguished it. window nearby more than anything in
The chief projectionist, although the world. A parachute mine blew out
injured, left the box and went to help the windows of most of the shops, and
the audience. The usherettes had when the usherette came out of the
calmly opened the exits and got people theatre, there was the hat she wanted
out, then went back and groped in the perched on the rubble. She came back
darkness for survivors, tearing their in wearing it, and it was greatly
underclothes into strips for bandages. admired.
The manager who was taking his first Bombed stage of the Granada
At the Kinema West Ham bombs
days off for months at a farm, reached Wandsworth Road. Hit, repaired, hit again
were raining down but inside the
the theatre first thing in the morning and two more hits while derelict, this
theatre 50 diehards were enjoying
and found his staff, near tears, standing theatre did not re-open.
Dancing On a Dime. There was an
forlornly in the wreckage. He took
explosion; in came part of the foyer
them across the road and bought them
roof and three doors; manager,
stiff drinks at a public house.
doorman and page boy found
CINEMARECORD 2003 9