1971: AUNT LAURA - Saviour of CINEMA | Nationwide | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive

"By a family, for the family."
Bob Langley reports on the Electric Theatre, a family-owned cinema that has been operating in the village of Marsden in West Yorkshire since 1919.
The cinema is known locally as Aunt Laura's Cinema, after its charismatic proprietor Laura Beardsall. On any given evening, Aunt Laura can be found helming the pay box, selling refreshments, cleaning up, running the projector with her two nieces and even providing plot synopses for her customers.
With cinema attendance declining rapidly in the face of competition from television, many of the bigger cinema chains have resorted to screening 'x' rated films or hosting bingo nights, but Aunt Laura is sticking resolutely to her guns, showing films for all the family.
Originally broadcast 29 December, 1971.
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[@hilaryepstein6013]

Another lovely wallow in nostalgia. In 1971 they were looking back at a time gone by and now in 2023 I'm looking back at 1971 and wishing that people and places like this still existed.

[@r4zi3lgintoro65]

me too ;(

[@stephenspence1192]

There is a place like this called The Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich in Essex which is still showing films. It was built in 1911 and has a website giving information and history.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

@@stephenspence1192 It's good to know there are still a few around the country.

[@stephenspence1192]

@@hilaryepstein6013 Indeed it is.

[@nigelhorsley7395]

There is the Plaza in Stockport still operating as a cinema and variety theatre built in 1932. The Plaza has had extensive restorations taking it back to the day it opened. It shows current films along with classics.

[@simmadpaul2880]

Cinema closed in 1975 and after heavy snow caused the roof to collapse the building was demolished in 1979

[@chelseagirl278]

so sad to hear. thank you for the update

[@hollimurray8856]

😪

[@mekonta]

I only hope Aunt Laura took it as a sign that, with her insurance payout, now was the time to retire and enjoy herself, perhaps help towards seeing a little bit of Hollywood herself or the West End.

[@rareblues78daddy]

...sad to hear.

[@BenNZ-j9n]

I was just going to ask that

[@Cristinact]

Lovely, it reminded me of "Cinema Paradiso".

[@garryleeks4848]

Aunt Laura seemed a lovely character 👍

[@Ian-gw2vx]

I love the way she tries to sound posh but retains the Yorkshire nuances in her dialect. What a wonderful woman she is.

[@paulblatchfordplymouth]

Happy days, wish I could return to the 60’s and 70’s.

[@williamscott2703]

Brilliant,please,please,more,like,this

[@onlyme219]

She was lovely now thanks to this channel will never be forgotten

[@robinvanags912]

Nicely said.

[@davedogge2280]

Aunt Laura 2023: Nowt worth watchin' at thee cinema these days.

[@Ian-gw2vx]

Absolutely. Woke nonsense now.

[@JimMorrisonsboots]

​@@Ian-gw2vx Not much better on the box either, thank gawd for KZbin and the beeb archive

[@johnmc3862]

It occurs to me now, generations always gave out about cinema.

[@paulwestwell7160]

I’m sure every child of the 50s had an ‘aunt Laura’ type of Auntie. Hardworking with pinafore and housecoat by day and best overcoat and hat when out and about. Salt of the earth!

[@robertsmith5970]

I remember 1890s-1900s born smart old ladies just as you describe and like Aunt Laura, as a child in the 70s and 80s,my Granny and her sister and my great granny were just as you describe. A type of person,who as my Nan would say,never went out with out a hat and looking smart and brought up in a time when being "genteel" was what was aspired to.All gone now sadly.

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

I had TWO great-aunt Lauras! Beautiful pastry cooks. Both went through the blitz. Still tell their stories to my children and their funny little words and sayings.

[@hellie_el]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@tonyclifton265]

illness forced the closure of the cinema in May 1975. The last film to be shown was “Day of the Jackal”.

[@theeggman4806]

Such a shame..Are her twins still around ?

[@montyf2165]

The cinema was built in 1919, 52 yrs before this clip, in 2023 it too is 52 yrs on from 1971. Times change, but for the better? In 1971, yes, in 2023, no. What hell is waiting in 2075?

[@kamandi1362]

We’re living in the future dystopia that people used to talk about and rightly fear.

[@colindayo]

How Alan Partridge is this guy?!

[@theendofeverything6356]

The England that's been forcibly taken from us.

[@moominmay]

God you make the same comment on every sweet film from the past. Hope your miserable life gets better soon 🙄

[@theendofeverything6356]

@@moominmay So, you're not denying my point then? Just being a smart-arse!

[@PjD-pk1fg]

1971.... back when Gary Lineker was a smug self-important 11 year old.

[@JohnnyWaterbucket]

?

[@monkeytheo]

Old lady never blinks her eyes. 👀 Creepy. Probably so obsessed with presenting films.

[@DoctorWhoFandomyoutuber]

I can literally see her blinking what are you on about 😂

[@monkeytheo]

@@DoctorWhoFandomyoutuber Yeah right after I wrote my comment. She must have heard it.

[@k_DAN]

I've never seen anybody go so long without blinking in my life. Psychopaths and sociopaths blink 3 to 4 times less per minute than normal people. She would hold a record on this.

[@JimMorrisonsboots]

Theo you represent the kind of anarchic disrespect to old ladies who run cinemas that we never had in 1971 and can well do without today young man.

[@monkeytheo]

@@JimMorrisonsboots I'm almost 50, boomer.

[@theeggtimertictic1136]

I love when she tells the customers what sort of an experience they'll have ... adds to the anticipation 🙂

[@jezt42]

Aunt Laura, what a character! 🙂🥰 Thank you for the upload. 👍

[@RB-ib3mo]

I wonder what became of ladies like her and businesses like that. A real trip back in time this was.

[@damiencrowley2506]

The government probably taxed them out of business.

[@monkeytheo]

✅ died ✅ died

[@seanrm]

I really fancy a packet of Spangles now...

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

You can still get the strawberry ones in Iceland! They're called 'chewits' now 😁

[@seanrm]

@@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts | Spangles were bolied sweets - nothing like Chewits at all.

[@LuciThomasHardylover-qx6ts]

@@seanrm my mistake! I apologise sincerely.

[@Pymmeh]

I want to see the look on their faces when they finish watching the aristocrats 😯

[@BlueCrayon77]

The AristoCATS hopefully. haha

[@JimMorrisonsboots]

​@@BlueCrayon77 I think Rich was just copying aunt Laura 😂😊

[@tonyclifton265]

nuovo cinema paradiso but with yorkshire pudding

[@davk90]

Lasted to 1975 .1979 sadly it snowed . The weight of snow cause the roof to cave in . Last film show was the Day of the Jackal . Reminds me of the local movie house . Lasted till they forced everyone to go to digital instead of film . Wasn't worth the 100 grand plus to convert over.

[@rosewhite---]

Ritz in Brighouse, Ritz in Thirsk, Playhouse in Pocklington, Arts in Helmsley... plenty of old cinemas about.

[@kathwhitwam6709]

I found this really interested, my husband and I spent a lot of our courting in the back row if Auntie Laura's. She was a real tarta and wouldn't allow talking she would walk up with her torch and say behave yourself or I will tell your father . What memories this brings back.

[@Xenomurphy]

Seriously, everything about the Brits always so classy and stylish.