CastleCinema

The

Castle Cinema

Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil

<Click on the photograph to Enlarge>

Castle Cinema - 'Then and Now' - Organist Leaving for Bournemouth

(From the Merthyr Express. Courtesy of Carl Llewellyn)

The Dynatones at the Castle Cinema

With Vines Perry. and manager Cyril Smith

(Merthyr Express 31st December 1960)

Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band

Appeared At The Castle Cinema In The Early 1960's.

He's Seen Here Shaking Hands with Mervyn James

Watched By Mr. Jack Toomey The Chief Projectionist.

(Photograph Courtesy Of Mervyn James)

Pete Lovis' Tremelos at the Castle Cinema

L - R :- Jeff "Kipper" Evans, Mervyn James, Gwynne Lewis, Ray Sullivan, Cyril Smith, Pete Lovis, Paul "Bowie" Owen

Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James

Commissionaire Vines Perry with a promotional display for the film "The Viking Queen"

Manager Cyril Smith shakes hands with Merthyr's Mayor Walter Herbert, whilst ABC Minors look on. 1960

	(Photograph courtesy of Linda Treharne)		(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

'Their Birthday Songs' - ABC Minors

(From the Merthyr Express)

ABC Minors Guy Fawkes competition Finalists 1961

Back Row:- Cyril Smith (Manager). Mervyn James (Trainee Manager), Mrs Penny Williams (cashier ).

Also in this group are Nigel and Elaine Mulcahy, Stephen and Derek Thomas, Michael, Gillian and Hazel Rees, Alun Stallard, Glyn Winstone

(brother to the famous boxer), and, on the far left, Christopher Willmot, a four-year-old, who was acting as manager to his sister, young Miss

Willmot, who entered the 5-ft. guy, and is standing next to him. .

(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

			The Merthyr Express Article

Corona Pop Competition

Entrance for the Corona Pop Bottle Top Competition

T.C.Chapman - Corona Area Sales Manager (left)

Mervyn James, young Howard Smith and his dad Cyril Smith (extreme right)

Susan McCarthy tells us that her brother Tony Jones is 2nd from left and her sister Mary Jones is middle row 3rd from left, both from Twynyrodyn.

The Winners

T.C.Chapman presenting the winners with their prizes

Watched by Mervyn James and manager Cyril Smith

The Merthyr Express Article

ABC Minors Christmas Party 1962

The Mayor is Councillor Trevor Lewis

(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

ABC Minors Guy Fawkes competition with manager Ron Tasker 1963

(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

ABC Minors Christmas Party 1963

L-R:- Manager Ron Tasker, ?, ?, Mayor Michael McGinty, ?, ?, ? Santa (Commissionaire Vines Perry).

(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

A visit to the cinema by the Phoenix Youth Club (For disabled persons)

(Photograph courtesy of Mervyn James)

New manager W.H.Mcmillan taking over from Charlie James in 1964
(Merthyr Express Photograph Courtesy Of Mervyn James)

A.B.C. Minors compettion winners with manager Ron Tasker. 1964

(Photograph Courtesy Of Mervyn James)

A.B.C. Minors Slingball compettion winners with manager Charlie James. 1964

(Photograph Courtesy Of Mervyn James)

Peter Edmunds the last owner of the Castle Cinema sent us these photographs taken in 1999. From 1977 the cinemas passed to a series of independent operators, and when bingo ceased in 1998, the former stalls area was reseated and a giant 45 foot screen placed in front of the original stage area, with luxury seating for 300, this new Screen 1 opening in June 1999 with “The Mummy”. The two other screens also remained in operation.


	Foyer The entrance foyer by now refitted to include interior entrance into the new Screen One.


	Corridor


	Screen 1 When bingo ceased in 1998, the former stalls area was reseated and a giant 45 foot screen placed in front of the original stage area, with luxury seating for 300 and this became the new Screen One.


	The original Screen 3