Over at West Yorkshire Archive Service, we have been going through logbooks from The Picture House from the late 70s and early 80s. With upcoming releases like The Wild Robot and Small Things Like These, we thought we’d take a walk down memory lane to look at some beloved classics that have spent their fair share of time on our screens.
Written by Aaron Cawood. Images from West Yorkshire Archive Service
The Picture House through the years
Since opening its doors in 1914, Hyde Park Picture House has been home to iconic moments in social, political and cinema history. From elephants plodding through the streets to promote the latest release to staying open through air raids and keeping the projectors rolling, there is no denying that our cinema has been the focal point for many indelible moments in our local history.
When looking back through our archives, lots of the written material we read through tells incredible stories about that history; postcards between lovers, maps of the city and sketches of our venues, just to list a few we have already explored. But, on a recent visit to the archive, we found ourselves flipping through various ledgers of the day-to-day operations of Hyde Park Picture House in the late 70s and early 80s.
At first glance, they’re simple books without much remarkable; just notations about changing lightbulbs and screening times and customer injuries. But what’s most striking about looking through that material is seeing the names of movies that have become iconic in the years since, and imagining the first time audiences experienced them in our auditorium.
Some of the movies I’ve collated here were reruns, even in the 70s. Some are the first time these movies were screened. But for all of them, they’re little checkpoints for the way cinema survives through the years and warming reminders that the next film you see at The Picture House, while a new release today, might be the classic of the next decade, or the one after, or the one after that…
Back in time
It's A Wonderful Life
1946
Film: It’s a Wonderful Life (Family)
What’s it about: At a time of crisis, George is visited by an angel who takes him on a journey to see what the world would’ve looked like if he’d never existed in the first place…
Fun fact: Despite all the snow piling at the corners of this festive classic, the movie was shot during a heatwave!
A Streetcar Named Desire
1951
Film: A Streetcar Named Desire (Drama)
What’s it about: The DuBois sisters are reunited as Blanche comes to stay, but it’s not without its complications at the hands of Stella’s husband Stanley…
Fun fact: The apartment set in the film gets progressively smaller to represent the increasing claustrophobia of the drama.
Some Like It Hot
1959
Film: Some Like It Hot (Comedy)
What’s it about: On the run from the mob, two musicians join a women’s band in disguise, accompanied by the iconic Marilyn Monroe.
Fun fact: Originally, Frank Sinatra was eyed to star in this film!
Goldfinger and From Russia With Love
1963
Films: Goldfinger and From Russia With Love (Thriller/Action)
What’s it about: How can you summarise the Bond franchise in one sentence? Iconic spy takes the world by storm with gadgets, globe-trotting and martinis galore.
Fun fact: Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger), could not speak English! He was dubbed over by Michael Collins.
Planet of the Apes
1968
Film: Planet of the Apes (Sci-fi)
What’s it about: A stranded astronaut finds himself traversing a planet populated entirely by sentient apes – and they are ready for combat.
Fun fact: On their limited budget, they re-used sound effects from Fox’s catalogue. For example – the sound of the spaceship is shared by the Batman TV show’s Batmobile.
Rosemary's Baby
1968
Film: Rosemary’s Baby (Horror)
What’s it about: As her new home’s strange effects start to take their toll, Rosemary finds herself pregnant and fearful of what she is about to bring into the world…
Fun fact: Crew members from this movie are known to say that it is cursed, with some citing health issues caused by their time working on it!
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968
Film: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Sci-fi)
What’s it about: An ancient artifact unearthed; an assistant AI system with eyes everywhere; a team set to save the world.
Fun fact: Though the score is now historic, originally Pink Floyd was offered the chance to compose the film, which they turned down!
The Godfather
1972
Film: The Godfather (Drama)
What’s it about: The youngest son of a Mafia boss receives power beyond his comprehension and what follows might involve him paying a deadly price…
Fun fact: Despite what I just typed, the words ‘mob’ and ‘mafia’ do not appear once in the film!
The Wicker Man
1973
Film: The Wicker Man (Horror)
What’s it about: An unassuming sergeant sets out to solve a missing child case but is soon dragged into a dark world of strange practices and rituals that bring the world he knows into question.
Fun fact: The original film footage for this mystery carries its own mystery, from being deliberately destroyed to being rumoured to be buried beneath the M3!
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
1975
Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Musical)
What’s it about: Newlyweds Brad and Janet get caught in a storm (and a pair of fishnets) when they wind up at a strange manor house under the care of Dr Frank-N-Furter.
Fun fact: The film came only two years after the musical in 1973 – a musical which returns to The Grand next year, from 2 June 2025!
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1978
Film: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Horror)
What’s it about: As the world is slowly being replaced by identical clones with a sinister motive, a group of survivors must fight the invasion.
Fun fact: This was the second adaptation of this story – the first came in 1956, only one year after the novel the movies are based on!
