A lost cinema right in the heart of Liverpool city centre started life showing cartoons before later reopening as an exclusive cinema showing uncensored X-rated films.
The Tatler cinema on Church Street opened in 1934 as the city's first news and cartoon cinema. Described as grand and attractive looking, it had a marble entrance and neon lit canopy that jutted out onto Church Street advertising its shows.
It could seat 600 people with 200 in the balcony while the walls inside were brightly coloured panels dusted with gold. In the days before televisions were commonplace in people's homes, the cinema showed news reels and was popular with children for its cartoons.
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At the outbreak of World War Two, the substantial basement of the theatre was used as an air raid shelter. After a old photograph of the cinema was posted on the Old Photographs of Liverpool Facebook page, it brought back fond memories from people who used to visit the cinema when they were kids.
One man remembered going to the Tatler cinema was "a real treat," adding: "My Mum took me when she could afford it. Round the clock cartoons and news." Another man commented: "Cartoons all day - loved the Tatler."
While one woman said: "I think taking the kids to the Tatler was a good excuse for the mums and dads to have a bit of relaxation, a laugh with the cartoons, and catching up with Pathe News! Mum used to take us, what a treat!"
On another website article about the history of cinema in Liverpool, another man recalling his own memories of the cinema in 1960s said: "Everyone had a pair of 'wellies' as the basement was below water level at high tide, and the tidal valve in the staff toilet used to stick open, with dismaying regularity, flooding the place with a mixture of the River Mersey, and sewage. In the early 60's, there was not a great deal of difference between the two."
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In 1968 the cinema re-opened as the Classic cinema with a bigger screen. However, this venture was short lived, the cinema closed again in 1969, reopening the same year as the Tatler cinema club.
The Tatler cinema club showed uncensored, X-rated films to private members. This lasted three years until it was reopened once again as a classic cartoon cinema in 1972.
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This only lasted for another three months and the building was never used as a cinema again. For many years, the building has been occupied by Clarks shoe shop.
